playscience - reframe the game: the state and future of kids' mobile play
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Reframe the Game: The State and Future of Kids' Mobile Play
OVERVIEW
What the report covers: • Top apps for 6-14s • Key & preferred app features • Educational factors/features • Decision making & purchase Methodology: • Online survey with 1355 U.S. parents (and
their kids) 6-14 • Aligned with national demographics and
recent technographics • Fielded June 2015 • Focus on “playful” apps across category/store
2015 PLAYSCIENCE - CGA REPORT
© PlayScience 2015
Top Apps for U.S. Kids 6 - 14
APPS TOP PLAYFUL APPS FOR KIDS 6-14 OVERALL
11.4%
9.0%
7.6%
4.1%
3.5%
3.0%
2.7%
2.1%
1.8%
1.7%
Q. What is your most favorite app?
© PlayScience 2015
Almost half 6-14s are playing their favorite app every day (and 85% at least a few times a weeks)! Here are the current winners:
APPS TOP PLAYFUL APPS BY GENDER
Boys and girls across all ages placed Minecraft and Angry Birds at the top of the list for playful apps. Candy Crush Saga and Clash of Clans also made it onto both lists.
2% 2% 2% 3% 3%
4% 6% 6%
10% 16%
2% 3% 3% 3% 3%
6% 6%
9% 10%
11%
Q. What is your most favorite app?
© PlayScience 2015
APPS TOP PLAYFUL APPS BY AGE
There is remarkable consistency across age groups re: the top apps.
2% 2% 2% 2% 3% 3% 3% 4% 6%
10% 10% 12%
Frozen: Storybook Temple Run 2
WATCH Disney Channel Bible for Kids
Angry Birds Star Wars II Subway Surfers
Candy Crush Soda Saga Angry Birds Star Wars
Candy Crush Saga ABCmouse.com
Angry Birds MinecraN -‐ Pocket
6 to 8
2% 2% 3% 3% 3% 3% 5% 7% 10%
14%
Angry Birds Star Wars Temple Run 2
WATCH Disney Channel ABCmouse.com
Fruit Ninja Crossy Road
Candy Crush Soda Saga Candy Crush Saga
Angry Birds MinecraN -‐ Pocket
9 to 11
2% 2% 3% 3% 4% 4%
8% 10% 10% 13%
Big Hero 6: Baymax Blast Grand TheN Auto: San Angry Birds Star Wars
Subway Surfers Candy Crush Soda Saga
Trivia Crack Clash of Clans Angry Birds
MinecraN -‐ Pocket EdiZon Candy Crush Saga
12 to 14
Q. What is your most favorite app?
© PlayScience 2015
Most of the top apps are “Universal Play” apps, not kids-only apps.
Educational Factors
LEARNING PARENTS’ EDUCATIONAL VALUES FOR APPS
2%
9%
10%
11%
25%
39%
The app offers related materials for parents and/or teachers
The app focuses on social skills
The app helps my child become comfortable with technology and compuZng skills
The app helps my child do be^er in school or on standardized tests
The app encourages imaginaZon and creaZvity
The app focuses on academic skills
What makes an app “educa:onal” to parents
Qs. When you are choosing apps to pay for, what three things are most important to you? Now thinking of apps in general, what do you think makes an app “educational”?, Which of these is most important to you right now?
© PlayScience 2015
Imagination and social skills become less
important to parents as the child grows.
Education is the paramount value indicator for parents. A “focus on skills or subjects I want my child to work on” is their #1 criterion when it comes to paying for apps.
12.7%
4.1%
3.6%
4.1%
3.0%
2.3%
2.3%
1.8%
1.8%
1.7%
ABCmouse.com
Word Academy
Trivia Crack
Minecraft - Pocket Edition
ABC Alphabet Phonics
Bible for Kids
Angry Birds
Abby Basic Skills
Nick Jr.
WATCH Disney Channel
Also on the overall “Top Ten” list
LEARNING MAPPING TOP EDU APPS TO THE TOP 10
9 © PlayScience 2015
Q. What is your favorite app when you want to learn something? (Kids)
Kids see some overlap between their “fun” and “learning” in the app space. The list below is based on what they consider a learning app.
LEARNING KIDS’ TOP EDU APPS ON THE PLAYSPECTRUM™
10 © PlayScience 2015
DIRECTED FULL OPEN SCAFFOLDED PROBLEM PROCESS
Most “educational” apps, however, take a relatively directed approach to engaging kids in the learning process.
Platform Preferences
PLATFORM TABLETS ARE WINNING THE APP RACE
© PlayScience 2015
13%
17%
25%
45%
When it comes to playing their favorite apps,
kids would pick tablets over
smartphones almost 2-to-1.
Q: What do you like to use most to play games? (Kids)
PLATFORM NOT ALL MOBILE IS CREATED EQUAL
29%
Source: PlayScience. (2015). Platforms & Preferences Study. Sandbox Summit, MIT. Q. Which of these do you most prefer your child to spend time on? Which of these does your child most prefer to spend time on?
Tablets are parent and child darlings, while smartphones lag far behind.
Parent Child
2- to 4-year-olds
Parent Child
5- to 7-year-olds
Parent Child
8- to 9-year-olds
73% 48%
41% 44%
33%
23% 12%
64%
41%
19%
7%
53%
30%
16%
12%
60%
47%
22%
14%
51%
30%
23%
22%
29%
Parent & Child Device Preference
Tablet tipping point
PLATFORM TABLETS HAVE A PARENT HALO
Parents have distinct and very different perceptions of mobile devices with potentially identical content.
Regular tablets are considered the most fun and more educational,
while children’s tablets are the “safest” and most “trustworthy.”
“good”
“educational”
“not good”
“not safe”
“useful”
“not educational”
Source: PlayScience. (2015). Platforms & Preferences Study. Sandbox Summit, MIT. Q: In which way is this device good for your child?
App-titudes: What makes a great app?
FEATURES WHAT KIDS WANT IN THEIR PLAYFUL APPS
12% 13%
17% 17%
24% 24%
26% 26% 26%
31% 31%
35% 37% 38%
43%
Ability to share things from the app on social
Quizzes
Videos
Ideas for activities to do offline
Characters you know
Ability to create your own profile
Puzzles
Levels that keep getting harder
Ability to talk or play with other users in the app
Cute and fun characters
Ability to create your own story
Action games
Sound effects and music
Points and rewards
Ability to create your own avatar
Q. Imagine you could create your own app! What would your app HAVE TO include? © PlayScience 2015
Personalization
Achievement
Social
Media/IP
FEATURES WHAT ABOUT CO-PLAY?
Almost 1/3 of kids prefer to play with someone else, primarily with friends or siblings. The top 10 apps list does not have many kid-friendly co-play apps (i.e., the ones on the list rely on MMO or asynchronous turn-taking).
© PlayScience 2015 17
69% ALONE 22%
WITH FRIENDS
9% WITH PARENTS
Kids prefer to play their favorite app with:
Even if you have a great co-play mechanic, you still need to have an awesome single player way to play!
Consider for kids’ co-play:
• Same device turn-taking (e.g., board game apps);
• Same device co-play (e.g., Williamspurrrrg);
• Multi-device synchronous play
Q. Who do you like to use this app with?
Gender’s Role in Play
GENDER WHAT A GIRL (AND BOY) WANTS
20% 24%
44%
25% 28%
43%
21%
43% 39% 42%
23%
34%
26% 32%
Cute and fun characters
Characters you know
Ability to create your own avatar
Ability to create your own profile
Ability to create your own story
Action games Puzzles
Boy
Girl
© PlayScience 2015
Boys want action and avatars
In their ideal playful app…
Girls want characters and narrative
Q. Imagine you could create your own app! What would your app HAVE TO include?
GENDER THE ROLE GENDER PLAYS FOR PARENTS
Parents value apps focusing on academic skills more for their girls
than their boys (+9%).
They are 30% more likely to let their boys choose their own apps.
Parents are 13% more likely to pay
for an app for their son. 20
Parents have different attitudes about both the technology and the content based on their child’s gender.
@PlayScience 2015
GENDER PINK VS. BLUE TECH FOR PARENTS
Child-friendliness
(30%)
Child’s preference
(27%)
Parents are more likely to prefer children’s tablets for girls
(73% vs. 65%)
Most important factors for the parent when selecting a device
Source: PlayScience. (2015). Platforms & Preferences Study. Sandbox Summit, MIT. Q: What is most important when deciding which device to have your child use in any situation? Which of these do you most prefer your child to spend time on?
Parents are 3x more likely to favor a smartphone or video game
device for their son (15% vs. 6% and 21% vs. 7%)
21
J. Alison Bryant, PhD Co-CEO & Chief Play Officer [email protected]
Paul Levine Co-CEO & President
Interested in learning more about play across platforms?
Join us for Sandbox West
in L.A. (Oct. 12-13) SandboxSummit.org
LET’S! PLAY!