More Than Half of the Nation's 117 Million Active Gamers Play Online, and
64% are Women
Teens Spend 7 Hours a Week Playing Socially
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Nielsen Entertainment today
released its third annual Active Gamer Benchmark Study, which shows that
the social elements of video games are becoming an increasingly important
part of the overall gaming experience. The research found that among the
roughly 117 million Active Gamers in the U.S. in 2006, more than half (56%)
play games online, and that 64% of all online gamers are women.
Moreover, while gaming has conventionally been thought of as a solitary
experience, the new study reveals that Active Gamers spend upwards of 5
hours a week playing games socially, led by teenagers who are socially
involved in gaming about 7 hours per week.
The research also shows that although teenagers continue to comprise
the largest percentage (40%) of Active Gamers, more than 15 million of
these gamers (almost 13%) are now 45 years or older. While women make up
nearly two-thirds of all online gamers, men still outnumber women in the
overall video game universe by more than two-to-one.
Among the study's other key findings:
* Though older females make-up the largest percentage of casual gamers,
active gamer teens and young adults also comprise a considerable portion
of this market, with more than half playing casual games an hour or more
a week.
* Demonstrating a loyal fan base, the majority of Active Gamers who say
they usually pre-order a title, or buy it the first day of its release,
choose Role Playing games. But while such games typically are thought
of as catering to the older gaming audience, they are the most popular
genre among active game playing teens.
* With next-generation gaming building steam, what will drive Active
Gamers to these advanced console platforms will be the desire for better
graphics and richer game play experiences.
"The Active Gamer 2006 Report comes at a pivotal time in the evolution
of the video game industry," said Emily Della Maggiora, Senior Vice
President of Nielsen Interactive Entertainment. "The expansion of next
generation hardware and technology in the marketplace is simultaneously
delivering new ecosystems of social exchange, interactive entertainment,
media experiences and advertising models. We see everyday how important
online gaming is in terms of connecting people and bringing communities of
gamers together. From a simple battle in Halo to a more immersive communal
experience, online gaming has the power to unite gamers across the street
and/or around the world."
PC-Based Online Gaming Makes a Comeback
Just a few years ago, talk within the gaming industry speculated
whether the personal computer could survive as a viable gaming system and
successfully compete against console giants and handhelds. Nonetheless,
PC-based gaming recently has evolved into a platform that provides a unique
gaming experience for vastly different gaming audiences.
Among casual gamers, for example, online games offer simple and
engaging encounters that are attracting both existing and new gamer
audiences, especially older women. Plus, the growth in broadband access has
helped redefine Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOG) that let
communities of gamers connect in ways that consoles and handheld platforms
can't match.
Even so, handhelds, like online games, have themselves experienced the
most growth year-over-year, thanks to innovative software and hardware,
plus expanding multimedia options.
Examining the Forces Driving the Growth of Video Gaming
This Nielsen Entertainment study examines the dynamics influencing the
growth of the video game industry. Analyzing recent attitudes, activities
and purchasing behavior of more than 2,000 consumers over the age of 13 who
play games at least one hour a week, the new research identifies several
compelling factors, including changing demographics within sectors of the
Active Gamer population and the resurgent popularity of PC and handheld
games.
Video Game System Ownership and Usage
Given the penetration of personal computers in U.S. households, it is
not surprising that 64% of Active Gamers play on PC-based systems. These
systems offer users connected experiences through Massively Multiplayer
Online Games that other platforms cannot match. Personal computers also are
the platform of choice for players of casual games, especially among women,
64% of whom play video games online.
Among the console universe, Sony's PlayStation 2 dominates overall
ownership at 59%. This is followed by nearly matching levels of ownership
between Microsoft's Xbox (33%) and Nintendo's GameCube (30%). With
Microsoft's Xbox 360, the newest console entrée into the market, having 15%
ownership among Active Gamers. Notably, there is large cross ownership
among Active Gamers and systems. The majority of Active Gamers also own at
least a console and one other platform, with the level of cross-ownership
between consoles and handhelds more than doubling (7% to 16%) between 2005
and 2006 to date. This is due, in large part, to the Nintendo DS and the
Sony PSP and the unique gaming experiences they provide to millions of
gamers
But unlike consoles, handheld ownership among Active Gamers is
significantly more gender balanced. Furthermore, there is surprising power
in portability. Active Gamers generally average about 14 hours a week on
their consoles, while they often play as much as 17 hours a week on
handhelds. About one quarter (24%) of Active Gamers also play games on
their mobile phones.
Video Games as an Entertainment Experience
During the past six months, Active Gamers purchased, on average, four
games. Of those, 90% were bought in retail stores, with the remaining 10%
purchased online. On average, Active Gamers spend 47 hours playing each
individual game they've purchased.
But video games must compete for wallet share and clock time with other
forms of entertainment. Active Gamers spend an average of $58 a month on
entertainment, $16 of which goes to video games. They also average about a
quarter of their weekly leisure time (13 out of 55.3 hours) playing video
games. After gaming, music is the second most popular activity among the
majority Active Gamer groups, though it is tied for first among females at
nine hours.
Methodology
Surveys for the 2006 Active Gamer Benchmark Study were conducted online
from July 3rd to July 9th with 2,200 Active Gamers, who were 13 years old
or over, owned a gaming device and played games at least one hour per week.
To help get a better understanding of the gamer and their thoughts,
emotions and social groups the report included two additional
methodologies. First is an immersive behavioral segmentation analysis,
where the research identified and defined 5 distinct groups of gamers.
Second is a qualitative element where focus groups were conducted that
serve as ancillary support and aid discovery to the quantitative findings.
The Active Gamer Benchmark Study can be purchased by contacting Nielsen
Entertainment at emily.dellamaggiora@nielsenentertainment.com or
323.860.4608.
About Nielsen Entertainment
Nielsen Entertainment is a leading consulting and research partner to
clients focused on Actionable Entertainment Intelligence in the film,
television, home entertainment, music, interactive, mobile, book and live
event verticals. Nielsen Entertainment is comprised of the following
businesses: National Research Group (NRG), EDI and EDI International,
Television and On Demand Services, SoundScan, Broadcast Data Systems, Music
Control, VideoScan, Market Navigator, BookScan, BookData, and Interactive
Entertainment. In today's convergent media world, Nielsen's
cross-leveraging of VNU businesses such as sister companies Nielsen Media
Research (television ratings), Nielsen//Net Ratings and Nielsen BuzzMetrics
(internet measurement) strive to deliver the whole media point of view,
demanded by clients facing the digitization of content.
VNU is a global information and media company with leading market
positions and recognized brands in marketing information (ACNielsen), media
information (Nielsen Media Research), business publications (Billboard, The
Hollywood Reporter, Computing, Intermediair) and trade shows. The privately
held company is active in more than 100 countries, with headquarters in
Haarlem, the Netherlands, and New York, USA. VNU employs nearly 41,000
people.
For more information, please visit the VNU website at http://www.vnu.com
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