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How often do people play games?

How often do you play games, whether on a computer, or online, or on a game console, or on some other device? 

Everyday
or almost
everyday		 A few
times a
week		 A few
times a
month		 Less often
Total gamers 21% 28% 27% 20%
Gamers ages 18-29 20 30 30 16
Gamers ages 30-49 20 26 25 24
Gamers ages 50-64 19 30 25 21
Gamers age 65+ 36 28 17 14
Source: Pew Internet Project
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Demographics of Adult Gamers

The percentage of Americans in each demographic category who report playing games online or offline, using a computer, cell phone or any other kind of gaming device:

All adults 53%
Sex
Men 55
Women 50
Age
18-29 81
30-49 60
50-64 40
65+ 23
Race
White, non-Hispanic 51
Black, non-Hispanic 51
Hispanic (English-speaking) 63
Annual Household Income
Less than $30,000 52
$30,000 – $49,999 59
$50,000 – $74,999 62
$75,000 + 56
Education
Less than HS 40
HS grad 51
Some college/College grad 57
Locale
Urban 56
Suburban 53
Rural 47
Source: Pew Internet Project
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Computer or Game Console?

Pew Internet Project surveyed US adults regarding their sage of PCs vs consoles to play games.

% of adults % of gamers
Age Computer Game
console		 Computer Game
console
Total adult population 38% 28% 73% 53%
18-29 55 61 68 75
30-49 42 34 70 57
50-64 33 9 83 23
65+ 19 2 81 10
Source: Pew Internet Project
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Console sales up 11% in February 2009

Video game hardware revenues climbed 11% to $532.7 mln in February 2009 from $481.4 mln in February 2008, according to NPD Group. Americans bought 753,000 units of Wii, the best-selling console. The handheld Nintendo DS, which sold 588,000 units, came in second. Microsoft’s Xbox 360 sold 391,000 units, up 53% from a year earlier, while Sony’s PlayStation 3 sold 276,000 units. Nintendo also had the best-selling game in February with its Wii Fit, an exercise game that sold 644,000 copies. Capcom USA’s Street Fighter IV took the number two and three spots with 446,000 copies for the Xbox and 403,000 for the Play Station 3. Overall software sales grew 9% to $733.5 mln from $673.3 mln.

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Game hardware and software generated $22 bln in 2008

Computer and video game industry hardware, software and peripheral sales climbed to $22 bln in 2008, with entertainment software sales comprising $11.7 bln of that total figure, a 22.9% jump over 2007, Entertainment Software Association announced. The industry set the new record, calculated by market-research firm NPD Group, on the strength of December 2008 sales, when industry revenue ($5.3 bln) topped $5 bln for the first time in any single month. By comparison, as recently as 1997, the industry generated $5.1 bln over the entire year. In 2008, total US video game console software sales reached $8.9 bln (189.0 mln units), PC game sales hit $701.4 mln (29.1 mln units), and portable software topped 2007’s record sales with $2.1 bln (79.5 mln units) in revenue. Overall, retailers sold approximately 297.6 mln computer and video games 2007.