Japanese Survey Finds Decline in Gaming Microtransaction Spending Among Young Adults

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- According to a survey by SMBC in Japan, people in their 20s spent less money on microtransactions compared to last year.
- It also revealed that 18.8% of respondents have spent so much money on in-game purchases that they weren’t able to buy their necessities.
- Based on a report by Newzoo, analysts believe that the games industry will keep growing.
A survey by Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) revealed that Japanese adults in their 20s have spent less money this year on gaming microtransactions. 1000 people participated in the survey, all within the 20-29 years age group. 500 of them are male, and 500 of them are female.
The survey has been translated by Automaton Media and shows that this year, the total expenditure was about $29.63 a month. Last year was $35.85, according to the graph provided. It’s worth noting that since the survey is more about general spending habits, not all 1000 participants answered this question. In fact, there were only 216 respondents.
Additionally, the survey also revealed that about 18.8% of the respondents admitted to spending so much money on in-game purchases that they were unable to afford their basic needs. 23.9% of them also said that they regret spending money on in-game purchases.
Respondents who would pay to have an in-game advantage have also risen to 17.9% from last year’s 12.3%. An upward trend is also seen among respondents who said that they won’t be able to enjoy a game unless they spend money on it.
It’s worth noting that the survey only reflects the expenditure of young adults in Japan. Global revenue of video games has been on the rise, with microtransactions being one of the biggest contributors. Gaming.News reported on an analysis by Newzoo talking about global video games revenue last week.