'Whales' are more than just big spenders in mobile games

People who spend a lot of money on mobile and social free-to-play games (also known as "whales") are important to game developers for more reasons than the money they spend, according to an infographic published by speciality research firm EEDAR.

The infographic, titled Deconstructing Mobile and Tablet Gaming 2013 (below), shows that those who spend the most in mobile games are also the most likely to help promote the games they play. It found that 94 percent of big spenders are likely to tell their friends about a game compared to 65 percent of non-spenders. Heavy spenders are also more likely to show their friends gameplay (91 percent compared to 42 percent of non-spenders), give a star rating on the game's storefront (83 percent compared to 33 percent), write reviews (77 percent compared to 22 percent), discuss the game in forums (76 percent compared to 21 percent), post videos of gameplay footage (64 percent compared to 12 percent) and invite friends to play the game (76 percent compared to 19 percent).

According to the findings, heavy spenders in mobile games "share through channels that reach a mass audience to show their skill and be part of a community." The bigger spenders don't simply inject more funds into the company, they also help spread the word and build a community around the game. The full infographic can be viewed below.