FIGURES COMPILED by analyst firm Gamesindustry.com show that Brits are spending the most on massively multiplayer online (MMO) games.

The rather comprehensive statistics broke down MMO gamers' spending habits during 2009 in Western Europe and the US. The results showed a wide gap in the average spending of gamers, with those in the UK spending more than any others.

Although the US market was still the largest, generating some $3.8 billion in revenue, the figures gave an interesting insight into why just about every games publisher under the sun wants to put out an MMO title.

In five out of the six territories surveyed almost 40 per cent of all revenue was generated through monthly subscription fees. When you add to that those who pay 12 months up front, the figure typically exceeded 50 per cent. Running an MMO clearly represents a nice little earner for Blizzard and the like.

Here in the UK, 4.2 million players spent a total of £195 million on MMOs in 2009 with the average being a shade over a tenner, at £10.60. Out of the 4.2 million players, 38 per cent are paying for the privilege with games such as World of Warcraft while others are playing free-to-play titles.

Those titles, which are usually available to download at no cost, rely on the trading of virtual currency and other items to generate cash for the publisher. Those small transactions might sound relatively worthless but they amounted to £76 million in the UK alone.

The report also highlights that the Germans are the most thrifty when it comes to MMOs, with an average expenditure only €6.70. It seems, as usual, that the Germans have managed find a more efficient way of playing MMOs. µ