63% of the US Playing Games

[Baron Samedi]

According to a recent NPD report, 63% of the US is now playing games:

With the data showing that 63 percent of the US population is playing games—and 30 percent are playing more this year than last year—gaming is on the move. This acceptance of gaming, along with the expansion of demographics that are spending time and money on gaming, has made some in the retail world take note, and it's expected that more stores in the future will begin allocating more shelf space to games and related hardware.

A consumer panel of 5,039 was sampled for the study, with gamers ages 15-65 claiming that games were "a good way to alleviate stress and unwind."

Via Ars Technica (http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20071212-report-63-percent-of-us-population-now-plays-video-games.html)

30% - :eek:, that's a lot of n00bs.

[Telefrog]

What types of games again? Solitaire? Hearts?

[Karmakin]

Actually, what's popular among casual circles this year are those search/puzzle games, where you have to find objects in a picture, to unlock clues to solve another puzzle.

And Bookworm Adventures as well. That game is hot. I suspect we'll eventually see Puzzle Quest be the next big thing, it just needs some mainstream distribution.

[Deadend]

Actually, what's popular among casual circles this year are those search/puzzle games, where you have to find objects in a picture, to unlock clues to solve another puzzle.

And Bookworm Adventures as well. That game is hot. I suspect we'll eventually see Puzzle Quest be the next big thing, it just needs some mainstream distribution.

And boxart to tempt moms into the game. As the boxart really looks like standard RPG.

And lots of dinner dash, and Snake on cellphones.

63% of americans play games.

But I'd say 50% of Americans only play casual games.

[Digital Outlaw]

The wii has something to do with these numbers

[Baron Samedi]

And boxart to tempt moms into the game. As the boxart really looks like standard RPG.

And lots of dinner dash, and Snake on cellphones.

63% of americans play games.

But I'd say 50% of Americans only play casual games.

But something is changing. According to the report, that's a 30% increase from last year. Gaming has gone mainstream.

[Dukefrukem]

i dont agree with this poll..... ridiculous... thats like going to a college and asking how many people drink beer than apply it the total population... i'd be like 98%

[RMan]

Well, keep in mind this likely includes stuff like cell phone games, which are quite popular, even if only played in short bursts. While the Wii likely has had an effect on overall game population, I'd wager cell phones have had more of an effect than the Wii or DS (maybe not more than both combined, but who knows).

[Johan]

Is one third of the US dead? Hiding? Refusing to be polled?

[BigJonno]

People think that 63% is high? I'm surprised that it's that low.

[Nicodemus]

Omigawd gaming, way to sell out. Stupid mainstream sheep! I'm going to go listen to Fall Out Boy and write a poem about how unfair the world is.

[JazGalaxy]

According to a recent NPD report, 63% of the US is now playing games:



A consumer panel of 5,039 was sampled for the study, with gamers ages 15-65 claiming that games were "a good way to alleviate stress and unwind."

Via Ars Technica (http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20071212-report-63-percent-of-us-population-now-plays-video-games.html)

30% - :eek:, that's a lot of n00bs.

This is another reason that it's absolutely critical that gaming subdivide.

The last thing I as an acutal gamer want is for gaming to become a cess pool of crap the way movies have become, because every release is trying to please everyone as opposed to simply trying to be good.

With people like Spielberg and Jackson trying to get into gaming with ideas that have nothing to do wiht actual GAMES, we need to distance ourselves as far from "interactive entertainment" or "digital distractions" as possible.

[GunJ]

JazGalaxy ... Your words are bitter mate, but at the same time you are soo right.

Digital distractions is also a great usage of the term in this context ...

But I am simply speechless about the numbers...

63% is a HUGE number. This medium, our medium is the next to be lobotomised, but still we had some actual FUN playing in the past. I try to think that way.
But threads like this one, help me understand why I havent seen a game REALLY worth playing in the last few YEARS.. Maybe I just haven't looked hard enough ?

[Baron Samedi]

Omigawd gaming, way to sell out. Stupid mainstream sheep! I'm going to go listen to Fall Out Boy and write a poem about how unfair the world is.

http://www.filmwad.com/ul/527-550x-spider-man-3-set-pictures-08.jpg

[FireFro]

I don't know about you guys but I read that quote as saying that of those 63%, 30% are playing more games this year over last year. (I mean w/o the data I can't be sure but that's how i read it)

It doesn't seem to imply that last year it was 33% and this year it's 63%...

And if so, I sense some Type 1 sampling error.

And if I'm wrong and there really was a 30% increase in the gamer population...the n00bs are coming.

[LionEyez]

Yeah and 45,6% of all statistics are made up on the spot...

I believe surveys can be made to show a lot of things, so just a percentage doesn't really mean that much to me without the full report to go with it. Although I do believe gaming in general has become a lot more mainstream over the last few years.