We all love free stuff–be it free samples, coupons, or games. A recent study conducted by monetization solutions firm PlaySpan, in conjunction with research company Frank N. Magid Associates suggests that over 110 million Americans who prefer F2P over games with a price tag. The poll also reveals that 82 percent of women prefer F2P, while 72 percent of men prefer the F2P over traditional retail models. Male respondents spend an average of $13.38 per month on in-game purchases, while women spend only average $4.84 in the same category.

Well, I would say that the poll results are not surprising; given the fact that everyone loves free stuff.

“The modern era of console, PC and mobile game development is quickly changing,” PlaySpan head Andre Machicao said in a statement. “Developers are faced with more platform choices and monetization channels than ever before, and these survey results offer a clear view into where developers should be placing their bets to broaden their audience.”

Free-to-play gaming model is becoming a popular business model these days, and this is quite evident from the shifting of gaming model from P2P to F2P model. If we talk about mobile platforms, major OS like iOS and Android releases implement a free-to-download approach that is heavy on in-app purchases and advertising. Some of the popular games I can recall include CityVille, Farmville, and many of Zynga games that we play on Facebook. Even major console and PC developers like Crysis 3 studio Crytek are working toward a free-to-play model.

“The shift in free-to-play games is becoming the norm in the gaming industry, and this survey reinforces that trend,” Frank N. Magid Associates vice president Robert Crawford said in a statement. “We’re seeing free-to-play game revenue outpacing pay-to-play games when looking at the long-term average spend per year. It’s important that game developers recognize this change and be able to monetize it through new free-to-play gaming platforms.”

Free-to-play is a powerful market for mobile but also the MMO community–many massively multiplayer games that have switched from pay-to-play to free-to-play have seen huge boosts in population and revenue (such as DC Universe Online.) Also, it’s obvious that it’s pretty lucrative, while subscription games may net $15 per month per user; some F2P manage to net on average $60 per user per month.

This growing industry is causing a restructuring of how online gaming works and how players approach entertainment in gaming in general.