Mobile gaming has been on the rise over the past 12 months, according to research by Toluna.

The company conducted a survey with 1,060 mobile gamers, all of which were aged between 16 and 45. Of those that participated, 53 per cent claimed to have been spending more time on their smartphones than they were 12 months ago.

Meanwhile, 45 per cent of respondents have claimed to be using tablets more as a means of playing games. Furthermore, when it comes to mobile titles, 60 per cent of people claim to make a purchase based on the brand.

In the UK, the most popular mobile genre is puzzle with 49 per cent of respondents playing those types of games. However, trivia and word-based titles are also popular at 35 per cent, as are action games with the same percentage.

Splashing the cash

When it comes to monetisation, 65 per cent of people surveyed insisted that their perception of monetisation fairness from a publisher will determine whether or not they make a purchase.

Currently, 27 per cent are unhappy with the transparency displayed by companies. However, it was found in the research that 41 per cent of people had spent money on extra lives in-game.

Meanwhile, 34 per cent made cosmetic purchases, while 32 per cent made purchases to give themselves a strategic advantage.

Pay to win

"Mobile gaming has exploded in the last 12 months as people across the UK have spent more time at home, and more time on mobile technology especially smartphones and video consoles," said Harris Interactive research director Jonathan Shingler.

"It's clear that people are prepared to pay to win when it comes to in-app mobile games, and also feel there's a place for monetisation by game publishers – but only to a certain extent. We still don't seem sold on subscription-based mobile gaming models, and downloaded games over streamed games are much preferred as some admit that they would rather pay to win a game than use their skill to win one."