ESA provides 'Essential Facts' for stat-hungry E3 attendees

by Griffin McElroy { May 31st 2009 at 10:45PM }

PSP Go? More like PSP No. Kojima's new project? Booooring. We know what you guys want from E3 2009 -- cold hard facts about gamer demographics, presented in a cold, hard manner.

Look no further than the ESA's helpful annual pamphlet, the aptly tiltled "2009 Sales, Demographic and Usage Data: Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry." This unassuming booklet contains all the intriguing percentiles you could ever want for -- best of all, it's free for the taking in the E3 press room. At least, we think it was free. We didn't check. We might be thieves.

A breakdown of the facts and figures can be found after the jump.

Demographics

68 percent of American households play computer or video games.
The average age of game players is 35 years old.
25 percent of game players are under 18 years of age, 49 percent are 18 to 49 and 26 percent are 50+ years old.
60 percent of game players are male. However, women age 18 or older represent 34 percent of the game-playing population -- much more than boys 17 or younger, who constitute 18 percent.
The average age of the most frequent game buyer is 39 years old.
48 percent of game purchasers are female.
12 is the average number of years adult gamers have been playing video games.
62 percent of gamers play games with others in person. This is an increase from 59 percent in 2008 and from 56 percent in 2007.
42 percent of homes in America have a video game console.

Parents and Games

92 percent of the time parents are present when games are purchased or rented.
63 percent of parents believe games are a positive part of their kids' lives.
83 percent of the time children receive their parents permission before purchasing or renting a game.
Parents report monitoring the games their children play 94 percent of the time.
77 percent of parents believe that the parental controls available in modern game consoles are useful.
79 percent of parents place time limits on their kids' game playing.

Top Sellers

Action genre games represented 20 percent of total video game sales in 2008.
Other Genres: Family Entertainment (19.3 percent), Sport Games (15.3 percent), and shooters (10.9 percent).
45 percent of games sold in 2008 were rated E. 12 percent were E10+, 27 percent were Teen and 16 percent were Mature.
The number one selling computer game genre was Strategy (34.6 percent of total sales), followed by RPGs (19.6 percent) and Family Entertainment (17.1 percent).

Online and Wireless

57 percent of online game players are male.
23 percent of frequent gamers pay to play online games.
The most commonly played genre of online games are Puzzle/Board/Game Show/Trivia/Card games.

Total Sales

11.7 billion dollars were spent on computer and video games in the U.S. in 2008.
298.2 million computer and video game units were sold in the U.S. in 2008.
43 percent of Americans have purchased or plan to purchase one or more games in 2009.

Tags: demographics, e3-2009, esa, statistics

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

MystileArmor @ May 31st 2009 10:53PM

"The average age of game players is 35 years old"

For all the squeeky voiced little f**kers on Xbox Live there must be a hell of a lot of 90 year olds balancing things out playing videogames somewhere.

KSPRAYDAD @ May 31st 2009 10:57PM

It isn't just consoles...it includes all your grandmas playing games on POGO.

Feoremar @ May 31st 2009 10:58PM

Maybe most of the younger, squeaky-voiced people are attracted to xbawks and halolz, where as the older people focus more on more sophisticated forms of gaming, perhaps more single player aswell rather than online.

BUGz @ May 31st 2009 11:03PM

No the Average is Actually 40 years old

http://www.theesa.com/facts/index.asp

Mazrael @ Jun 1st 2009 1:21AM

I'm almost 28, been playing computer games for about 20 years..

40% of gamers are girls? where? I haven't found a girl gamer since Phantasy Star Online on the Dreamcast..

Brand @ Jun 1st 2009 9:10AM

Girls and women who play games are out there, as I and several of my female friend prove that fact. I also find it hard to belive you haven't played with any girls since PSO. Ever play WoW? I've played with tons of other female players. But really a lot of women play those adventure type games like the Nancy Drew and Agatha Christie, or the computer mahjong, and don't forget all the cute games from like Popcap and such. I think there is were you find the casual female player.

Prodigy @ May 31st 2009 10:55PM

Good information there, but like Gollum, I need MOAR !!!1!one!!

slainbaby @ May 31st 2009 10:57PM

So many numbers. I don't even see how much of that data is relevant to anything, I guess that's because it's ,meant for companies and developers and not gamers.

dagamer43 @ May 31st 2009 10:59PM

It's really surprising that the average age for a gamer is 35 years old. I guess they have the money? It certainly keeps nVidia and ATI in business!

The Dark Wayne @ May 31st 2009 11:01PM

18.7 percent of the 19.3 percent family games FUCKING SUCKED!

Premature ejaculation man @ May 31st 2009 11:12PM

I know you a rich and all batman, but I didn't realise you had the time to play so many games

Slaziman @ Jun 1st 2009 12:29AM

playboy by day, caped crusader by night, gamer by... twilight?

sam @ Jun 1st 2009 6:18AM

So you're saying that 81.3% of the 19.3% of family games didn't suck?

(yes I know, this is a gaming site not a maths lesson...)

Premature ejaculation man @ May 31st 2009 11:10PM

I'm surprised that the shooter genre is so small. But of course I am reminded that the 'hardcore' 'gamers' (I hate those terms) =/= the market.

usagi704 @ May 31st 2009 11:16PM

"PSP Go? More like PSP No."

With stupid jokes like that you should just stab yourself in the neck with a broken bottle right now.

Sly, King of the First Isle of inFamous [PSN SniperChameleon] @ May 31st 2009 11:18PM

"The most commonly played genre of online games are Puzzle/Board/Game Show/Trivia/Card games."

i guess that counts the online poker sites, because i'm pretty sure shooters are the most played online games on consoles and PC...

tobz1000 @ Jun 1st 2009 12:20AM

This all sounds like some sort of mad lie.

Slaziman @ Jun 1st 2009 12:31AM

# 77 percent of parents believe that the parental controls available in modern game consoles are useful.
# 79 percent of parents place time limits on their kids' game playing.

That can't be true, they must've been lying or something, RESPONSIBLE PARENTS? Who would've thought...

* 57 percent of online game players are male.

So 43% are female, why is it that every time I've played online it's a sausagefest? Shouldn't there be a 50/50 chance of meeting chicks? Guess they are mostly on MMO's or Mario Kart...

sam @ Jun 1st 2009 6:12AM

I'm certain they were (at least some of them) lying...

sam @ Jun 1st 2009 6:17AM

damn, hit reply too early - meant to say - most female gamers online [hm I thought it was a majority, now it's back to being a minority?] are playing PopCap-style single player online games at work or whatever. They're not even playing mario kart, let alone the kind of multiplayer games with voicechat where they have to subject themselves to abuse / condescension / fawning from a mob of gamer males.

Note it said the most popular genre online was puzzle games etc...

mahouneko @ Jun 1st 2009 8:32AM

Griffin, we know that you despise Sony, but if you're going to report on a Sony-related news, would it kill you to drop the attitude?

It's like you're trying very hard to present yourself as a legitimate journalist with a unique expression/style but you're still coming off as a douchebag the likes of which only the Republican Party will gladly accept.