There are real life rewards to social gaming, whether you’re a hardcore gamer, a casual spender or a socially driven butterfly.  and according to game publishers RockYou, there’s four different types of social gamer personalities, each with their own appeal to the world of gaming.  It’s these personalities that’s attracting marketers, game developers and currency platforms, building an ecosystem around a very digital lifestyle.

Conducted in partnership with research firm Interpret, the study looks at social gaming behavior across both genders. Here are the four types of social gaming personalities, according to the study’s findings:

1. Affluent players – happy to spend in-game to get ahead.

2. Competitive players – the hardcore set who play to win and like to broadcast and boast about their in-game achievements.

3. Newbies – less tech-savvy and want to play for free.

4. Devotees – power users who prefer not to have to spend a cent to play.

You may recognize some of these gaming patterns–you may even employ a few yourself.  But the patterns behind this behavior means that the businesses developing around the gaming industry can get a better handle on how to approach its consumers.  Companies like RockYou are pouring a lot of resources into the world of social gaming, determining its activity as means of massive revenue growth amidst a trend that’s blossomed thanks to social networks and mobile connectivity.

“RockYou is investing in the development of the social gaming landscape and its growth as a powerful advertising medium,” said Julie Shumaker, SVP and GM of Media at RockYou.

“This study enables us to better understand social gamers and their motivations and provide advertisers, agencies, and social game developers with actionable information they can leverage in a rapidly evolving social economy.”

In support of the study, IGN reported earlier this year that 80% of Generation Z, 50% of Generation Y, 15% of Baby Boomers and 30% of Generation X are social gamers.  These people are socially active only for 13 hours, 9.6 hours of which playing games.

Social gamers are also more open to in-game advertising, as long as the incentive is right.  Forty-two percent of participants said they would play more if they were to be awarded with real life benefits, such as coupons and gift cards.  A quarter of participants said they have clicked on ad and made a purchase.  Social gamers have made 20 new friends through social gaming and they make frequent purchases in real life, especially on entertainment products.

And it looks like real-life rewards from social gaming is already happening.  Titan Gaming launches its beta version of Games and Prizes on Facebook.  Dobango also released play2Win on Facebook on the same day.  Play2Win focuses on letting players earn coupons and gift cards with smaller, local retailers, while Games and Prizes focuses on driving user engagement through branded games. Either way, users still get to earn discounts and real prizes.

Despite the power demonstrated by in-game advertising and the increasing number of online gamers, a recent study conducted by Internet Advertising Bureau in the UK reveals that big brands continue to ignore it.

“The Gaming Britain report proves that playing video games is a mainstream activity enjoyed by over half of the UK population. Demonstrating incredibly high levels of engagement compared to other media. It’s a premium opportunity for brands to reach consumers when they are at their most focused,” said Jack Wallington, the IAB’s head of industry programs.

Chinese social game maker Papaya finds women especially profitable.  According to a survey it commissioned, 4 percent of their players are “whales,” and 69 percent of them are women. Whales are those which are highly enthusiastic players that are willing to cash out over a hundred dollars for games alone. They comprise 60 percent of the companies income.