Interesting Revelations in Piper Jaffray’s Holiday 2018 Report as Fortnite V-Bucks Popularity Soars

Earlier this week, a consumer report published by the Piper Jaffray investment and asset management firm had interesting revelations. The report, known as ‘Holiday 2018’, outlined the desires of the younger generation over the imminent festive season.

Interestingly, teenagers ditched their traditional favorites such as cash and gift coupons in favor of digital currencies and ‘V-Bucks’, the in-game money for Fortnite. Similar to cryptocurrencies, V-bucks exist in digital form. Currently, 1,000 V-bucks are worth $9.99. The funds are used to access additional functionalities while playing Fortnite.

Fortnite is a popular shooting game that is available on mobile, console and desktop platforms, both pc and mac. The game is available for free across all app stores, and supports cross-platform play. However, several in-game features require purchasing using V-bucks. Since its inception in Q1 2018, the game has attained $300 million worth of revenue on Apple's App Store. A major contributor to its success is multi-player support.

Besides Fortnite V-bucks, the other significant item that the youth have an interest in is Apple's iPhone. Actually, teenagers expressed their admiration for a couple of Apple products, including Airpods and MacBooks. Gucci came in second place, followed by Vans, Adidas and Lululemon.

Traditionally, iPhones have been perceived as a symbol of affluence. In fact, research conducted on Match.com indicated that iPhone owners are overly judgmental towards individuals who own Android phones. Also, iPhones are preferred by people who earn heftier salaries than Android owners.

The affinity with iPhones cuts across all age groups. This is understandable, as modern-day parents favor a hands-on approach in undertaking their parental responsibilities. In addition, Apple’s marketing techniques have played a key role in the widespread popularity of the device.

Experts believe that the aforesaid approach to parenting can affect the way the children will perceive their surroundings in the future. Precisely, they will maintain contact with their parents, although this will be done using technology rather than physically.