AfterDawn: News

72 percent of the US is playing video games, says study

According to a new NPD Group report, 72 percent of all Americans played video games in 2007, up almost 10 percent from 2006. From the group that said they played video games, half of them played games online.

The study, "Online Gaming 2008" reported that PC was the driving force behind online gaming but that console users were increasing their online playtime.

"Despite the buzz in the industry regarding online gaming, it is still relatively small compared to offline gaming," said NPD Group analyst Anita Frazier.

"There is still a large, untapped market for gaming in general and online gaming in particular."



Another interesting note was that children aged 2 to 12 accounted for over 25 percent of online gaming,and that 18 to 24 year-old represented only 10 percent of online gaming.

Not surprisingly, the Xbox 360 was the favored system for consoles and online play and that 360 owners "actually spent more time per week using their console to play games online than PC and PS3 owners."

The report was based on a survey of 20,240 consumer panel members which was conducted for two weeks earlier this year.

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Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 2 Apr 2008 18:48

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• 15 comments

• Hopium

  it wouldn't surprise me that 360 is the most played online just because the ps3 still doesn't have games yet. but i don't believe this about the PC. i have a 360 a wii and pc of course and mines split like: 70% PC(lineage2,MU) 30% 360(halo,rainbow six,arcade games) and 0% wii(why would i?) and i know WOW has more users than xbox live and thats just one pc game. its just not logical

  2.4.2008 21:25 #1

• DXR88

  PC online is the only way to play. i would not be caught at all playing an online game on anything but a PC. sorry im just that kind of person the Consoles were ment for freind beside freind enjoyment.
  
  Consoles are in a sad state because the try so hard to be something there not. i would play OO7 Goldeneye with a freind before i would play halo with him.

  2.4.2008 22:16 #2

• chubbyInc

  Maybe the news article made a spelling mistake and meant to say 360 is the favored console for online play? That would leave PC in a different category.
  
  DXR88 you raise a good point, I miss Goldeneye for the actual 4 player experience. Its a bummer having friends down with only 1 player games. Yes Halo is 4 player, but not that exciting...

  2.4.2008 22:36 #3

• sgriesch

  Hey, just because you grew up with it doesn't mean that you have to grow out of it. Play on.

  2.4.2008 22:43 #4

• neo1000

  Damn i can´t find an oponnent in smash bros brawl.

  2.4.2008 23:07 #5

• H0bbes

  Guess I'm in the other 28%... just don't have time anymore.

  2.4.2008 23:55 #6

• maryjayne

  I am down with playing some Goldeneye. I dont know how many hours of my life I spent playing that game.
  
  Just about all of my friends play online via Xbox 360 and they are also all addicted to WOW. They probably go about 50/50 for each.
  
  I too beleive in PC for online gaming.
  
  As for the kid factor, my 6yr old daughter plays at various kids websites all the time. She is still a hardcore console player though. I have had her addicted to video games since she was able to sit up on her own and hold a controller. I am currently working on my 1yr old. Currently she just likes to push the buttons and eat the cords though.

  3.4.2008 10:31 #7

• DXR88

  Originally posted by H0bbes: Guess I'm in the other 28%... just don't have time anymore.Bah that hogwash. if you can post on afterdawn you can play a game

  3.4.2008 10:31 #8

• DXR88

  Originally posted by maryjayne: I am down with playing some Goldeneye. I dont know how many hours of my life I spent playing that game.
  
  Just about all of my friends play online via Xbox 360 and they are also all addicted to WOW. They probably go about 50/50 for each.
  
  I too beleive in PC for online gaming.
  
  As for the kid factor, my 6yr old daughter plays at various kids websites all the time. She is still a hardcore console player though. I have had her addicted to video games since she was able to sit up on her own and hold a controller. I am currently working on my 1yr old. Currently she just likes to push the buttons and eat the cords though.Heh i had a bad habit of ripping out the Y stick on the N64 conroller,when i got angry at banjo&kazzoe. i have gone six controller's.
  
  hey chewing cords helps with dental flaws early.

  3.4.2008 10:38 #9

• engage16

  lol... my younger brother used to chew the start and select buttons off of our snes controllers... THEN he learned how to play and and can almost beat me now...

  3.4.2008 14:46 #10

• wetsparks

  I'm sure most of the gaming is like playing Hearts or Solitare that comes with Windows. Maybe in time though we can convert them to real games.

  5.4.2008 21:40 #11

• DXR88

  Originally posted by wetsparks: I'm sure most of the gaming is like playing Hearts or Solitare that comes with Windows. Maybe in time though we can convert them to real games.My mother is addicted to those Popcap Games and Majhong<<i think i misspelled.
  
  yeah me an my mom when i was about four use to play Super Mario Bro's
  
  i got so good at it i think i disapointed Her SMB Skillz.
  
  so she quit playing

  6.4.2008 13:38 #12

• leady

  If they can lower the price of the pc games,the market will be booming no doubt

  8.4.2008 10:36 #13

• leady

  anyway the price of each game is still too high....

  8.4.2008 10:39 #14

• Bozobub

  Quote:anyway the price of each game is still too high.... Wellllll...
  
  I agree, $50 (or so) for a video game seems like a lot but you should consider "fun per dollar". For example, if you go watch a movie (non-matinee) it's, what, $6-9/person, or possibly even more, for 1-3 hours of amusement. Good food, drugs, books...any pleasant escape you PAY for follows the same pattern.
  
  Now, of all those fun things, most of them aren't particularly reusable, right? Granted, books, and (for me) to a lesser extent movies, can have significant "replay" value but generally nowhere in the same league as a good video game.
  
  Here's a good, specific example: Morrowind has roughly 300 hours of gameplay, assuming you only finish the game ONCE but do all the side quests and the like. If you bought the game new for ~$50, that's, what, $0.17 ($50/300) per hour "fun cost"? I challenge you to find a cheaper good time that isn't FREE (going to the park, humpin', etc.) - lol.

  8.4.2008 14:01 #15