Research

The avatar’s new clothes: appreciation fuels $88-billion free-to-play gaming industry

Jul 30, 2019

It sounds counter-intuitive, but free-to-play online games are a booming $88-billion-a-year industry. Developers of games like Fortnite and League of Legends rake in significant revenues when players purchase non-functional items like clothes and skins for their avatars while playing these free games. Now, a study led by SFU Beedie professor Leyland Pitt reveals why gamers are so willing to continually spend their money on these non-functional items. After holding focus groups with gamers, the researchers’ […]

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