Video games are more popular than ever, and numbers of players keeps going up in the U.S. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) recently released its latest numbers showing the huge people power behind the gaming industry.
According to their report 2015 Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry, over 150 million Americans play video games now. Other highlights:
- Roughly 80%, 4-out-of-5 American households, have at least one device to play video games
- 42% of Americans play video games at least three hours per week
- The average game player is 35 years old
- Among female game players who play frequently, the average age is 43 years old
- Contrary to stereotypes, there are far more players who are adult females than there are males 18 and under
- Over 50% of frequent game players say video games help them connect with friends, and half also say video games help them to spend more time with family
- 54%among frequent gamers play in multiplayer mode at least once a week
- 56% among the most frequent gamers play video games with other people
- 60% of parents whose children play video games play games with their kids at least once a week, and over 75% of parents say they game with their kids because it’s a good chance to socialize
- 88% of parents whose kids play video games believe the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) ratings are helpful in choosing games for kids
- On average, gamers have been playing for 13 years
- In 2014, consumers spent more than $22.41 billion on game content and hardware
The ESA says its numbers show a pretty big shift toward an older demographic, especially noting many players are spending more time gaming because it’s a good way to connect to their children while playing their favorite games.
“Video games provide a social setting where family and friends come together to connect, learn and have fun,” said Michael D. Gallagher, president and CEO of the ESA. “The sheer number of people who regularly enjoy entertainment software and share those experiences with others underscores how video games have become ingrained in our culture.”
More details are available in the full report here.
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Who is John Paulsen? A creator, family man and former small-business leader myself, I feel your pain (and joy) and hope you’ll enjoy the blog. I launched and ran a well-regarded production company in San Francisco with a team of 9 brilliant, hard working people. I learned to manage a wide array of tasks a small business must handle — business strategy, facilities design, HR, payroll, taxes, marketing, all the way down to choosing telecom equipment and spec’ing a server system to help my team collaborate in real-time on dense media projects from multiple production rooms. I’ve partnered with and learned from dozens of small business owners.
