We have written frequently about the effect that the economy has had on the purchase and playing of video games and MMORPGs frequently. There was really more MMORPG playing during a recession and less purchases.
Despite that the United States alone spent a staggering $3.8 Billion on MMORPG games in 2009 alone (whether through subscriptions, virtual currency, download costs, or microtransactions). The number of gamers playing massively multiplayer online role playing games has increased to fourty six million with the average player spending $15.10 a month on MMOs. The information came from a report completed by GamesIndustry and TNS.
Top earners include World of Warcraft, NeoPets, Club Penguin, RuneScape, and ToonTown.
Read the full report here