These days, a person pays real money for digital products in all types of online applications varying from Facebook applications to multi-player online games. The first thing they take is virtual money. Other items include virtual gifts and weapons for social networking. Free-to-play games account for half of all virtual goods transactions. Free-to-play games are those where we can start playing games free of charge. If we need them, we can buy them. A survey conducted by virtual goods platform company PlaySpan reported that about 58 percent of players made purchases in free-to-play games in the last year. Around 34 percent purchased MMO games and 23 percent purchased social-networking games.

It is not just the geeks purchasing these things. For game companies, Virtual goods and micro transactions have become a favorite-business model this year. As ad-based models got sunk in the recession, gamers shy away in buying $60 games from stores. The survey was conducted among 2,425 people. These people responded to surveys on PlaySpan’s various properties such as the PlaySpan Marketplace, Ultimate Game Card and Spare Change. The purchase was the highest in free-to-play games at $75, followed by MMOs ($60), and social networks ($50). An average player is playing three online games at present. About 80 percent of the players buys digital goods for their own needs. Twenty percent people spend money on digital goods as gifts for friends. Around 71 percent of users purchased virtual currency which will help us to purchase things in the world of games. Roughly, 37 percent purchased weapons and 30 percent purchased subscription codes. More than 26 percent purchased clothing for their virtual characters an 25 percent bought power-ups that can make virtual characters strong.
According to Michael Gluck, the president of VGMarket, the most fascinating feature about digital goods is that game publishers are able to use the data to tweak the game and forecast their revenue. They can make investments in the right areas.