• October 12, 2012

App-based gaming is on the rise, but the price to pay is still rather low, according to the NPD Group.

In a new study looking into mobile gaming habits, the research company found nearly 60% of all app-based game play is happening on a mobile device, and almost half of gamers say they’re playing more games this year than last year. (Indeed, 23% of app gamers said they play only on mobile devices.)

Of those gamers, nearly a third have either made an in-app game purchase or have upgraded to a paid version of a game from a free version. According to the company, the average price for which gamers felt a game was a good value was $3.

 “Many mobile gaming consumers have grown accustomed to gaming for free, making it essential to find the sweet spot for pricing that encourages purchasing by as many consumers as possible,” said Liam Callahan, industry analyst, The NPD Group, in a statement. “Another opportunity for the industry as a whole is to convert mobile-only gamers to engage in other gaming activities across portables, consoles and PC’s where we see more money being spent per user.”