For anyone who truly thinks that video games have not become a worldwide phenomenon, think again. A new study that was released by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) will end all skeptics’ beliefs in the above statement. The report, which is entitled 2017 Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry, took an exclusive look at several households in the United States.
The most alarming statistic that came out of this report is that 65 per cent of American households are home to someone who plays video games on a regular basis. Among those 65 per cent, it is also a little surprising to learn of the dominant age group. Oftentimes, video games are associated with the younger audience. However, ESA determined that the average gamer is, in fact, 35 years old (with 72 per cent of gamers aged 18 years of age or older).
With the ongoing rise of violence and realism in video games, this does make sense, though. Then again, this next statistic might top any of the other ones in this report. There are more women that represent the video game population, than males aged 18 or younger. Shockingly, it is not even that close at 31 per cent and 18 per cent, respectively. The younger generation, however, is typically playing video games with their parents.
ESA discovered that 67 per cent of children will play video games with their parents on a weekly basis. These staggering totals have not only benefited consumers in America, but also the United States economy. The report revealed that, in 2016 alone, the video game industry helped contribute $11.7 billion in value to the US GDP. What this did was employ over 60,000 Americans, along with accumulating over $30 billion in consumer revenue.
It is quite amazing how gaming has adapted over the years, and this report proves that Americans (even though the industry has its faults) are mightily attracted to it.
