The Entertainment Software Association of America (ESA), who run the e3 expo have released a number of interesting facts about the gaming industry and gamers in general.

TOP 10 INDUSTRY FACTS

1. U.S. computer and video game software sales grew four percent in 2004 to $7.3 billion -- a more than doubling of industry software sales since 1996.

2. Seventy-five percent of American heads of households play computer and video games.

3. In 2004, more than 248 million computer and video games were sold, almost two games for every household in America.

4. The average game player is 30 years old and has been playing games for 9.5 years.

5. The average game buyer is 37 years old. In 2005, 95 percent of computer game buyers and 84 percent of console game buyers were over the age of 18.

6. Eighty-three percent of all games sold in 2004 were rated "E" for Everyone or "T" for Teen. For more information on ratings, please see www.esrb.org.

7. Eighty-seven percent of game players under the age of 18 report that they get their parents’ permission when renting or buying games, and 92 percent say their parents are present when they buy games.

8. Forty-three percent of all game players are women. In fact, women over the age of 18 represent a greater portion of the game-playing population (28 percent) than boys from ages 6 to 17 (21 percent).

9. In 2004, 19 percent of Americans over the age of 50 played video games, an increase from nine percent in 1999.

10. Forty-two percent of game players say they play games online one or more hours per week. In addition, 34 percent of heads of households play games on a wireless device, such as a cell phone or PDA, up from 20 percent in 2002.

Granted it's from an American point of view but it's still pretty interesting. Especiallly the average age of a gamer (30 years old) and the fact that 43% of all gamers are women. I'd be interested in finding out how they actually collected these statistics.

link.

4. The average game player is 30 years old and has been playing games for 9.5 years.

5. The average game buyer is 37 years old. [snip]

So these hordes of 37 yo's buy the games but then hand them over to 30 yo's to play? :P

Interesting never-the-less...

or all the 30 year olds are downloading them.

Why do they only do statistics for "average" people. I wanna see stuff for above and below average.

3. In 2004, more than 248 million computer and video games were sold, almost two games for every household in America.

this is obviously a lie because piracy has hurt their sales, wel know piracy hurts their sales becuase they tell us so so all these stats must now be lies. yes lies. f***ing lies by dirty ninja stat alterers.

piracy hurts sales my a******.

8. Forty-three percent of all game players are women.

the sims/

34 percent of heads of households play games on a wireless device, such as a cell phone or PDA

I'd like to see the stats from where they got this info from.
Then runthrough it again WITHOUT mobile phones and pda's, leave only PC, console and DS/PS2. I have a feeling that would change the above quite alot.

11. Eighty-six percent of all statistics are wrong.

Female gamers ftw!

*amaya looks at her Sims collection* *amaya looks at grodis*

... Oh :(

Meh I play plenty of other games, Sims is just evilly addictive in a manner akin to World of Warcrack.

*amaya looks at rev evil* *rev evil looks at amaya* *zor looks at rev evil*

DOH!

8-)

*space ninja takes off his pants*

Some of those sound hugely bulls***, especially the one about asking parents permission

I would assume that most of the under 18s answered yes to that simply because they needed mummy and daddy to pay for the games.

It's so tragic when the Americans actually have more brains than us to do something abut the below:

95 percent of computer game buyers and 84 percent of console game buyers were over the age of 18.

Yanks have had Adult rating for games for a LONG time. OFLC is an ineffective pile of s*** run by clueless old farts with political interests that continually damage AU games industry. Give us R18+ for games and give it to us F'ing now! OFLC make me sick.

I'd be curious to see what would happen if you removed the sims from the statistics. (To 6 and 8 mainly.)

and remove online games like scrabble and monopoly. The statistics don't say that they are playing purchased PC games.

Yeah chicks love the Sims.

I don't see what the obsession is - seems boring as s*** to me. But then I guess they don't see what's so great about games where u get guns and blow s*** up :)

Girls love the sims because they get to run someone elses life.

and remove online games like scrabble and monopoly. The statistics don't say that they are playing purchased PC games.

The stats come from ESA, so i'd imagine they'd exclude online stuff they don't have a part in.

Yeah, but girls love doing the house work and stuff so these games appeal to them.

people here who play fps and that aren't the same as 7year old girls whose parents get them barbies pony game, who there are probably many of.

Girls love the sims because they get to run ruin someone elses life.

Fixed for accuracy.

But then I guess they don't see what's so great about games where u get guns and blow s*** up

yeah, my wife loves the Age of Empires series - but only building pretty towns and farming the lands. As soon as the AI attacks she gets cranky at them and quits :P

lol gg

Give us R18+ for games and give it to us F'ing now!

A game doesn't have to contain over the top graphic violence to be entertaining. Probably have more kids turning into stupid twits like you.

Fun Industry fact #11
The OFLC has nothing to do with the lack of an R18+ rating!

Yeah, that's real issue here Tuco. Thx for telling us.

You think the government doesn't listen to them Bah?

Thats the way A_W, never admit you are wrong, just change tack and pretend you meant something else.

Good made up spin there bah.

Good made up spin there bah.

I read that as "God I am retarded"

43% of gamers are women? I call bs. More like women have more time to fill out online surveys.

last edited by Rips# at 00:11:29 30/Oct/05

The sims online is as addictive as crack cocaine, for chicks.

The Sims has retail therapy in buckets and retail therapy is what chicks live for.

Seventy-five percent of American heads of households play computer and video games.

95 percent of computer game buyers and 84 percent of console game buyers were over the age of 18.

gg Mr. Thompson! Alienating 75% of America because they play video games (apparently)

Statistics dont mean anything

Why 42% of people know that

So these hordes of 37 yo's buy the games but then hand them over to 30 yo's to play? :P

You failed statistics didn't you?

If 21% of the market is under 18 it isn't a hard leap to imagine that parents purchase a lot of their games. If the average gamer is 30, add in parents buying games and you have more adults purchasing games than childern. Which is exactly what the statistics suggest.

sixy four percent of all statistics are made up and bulls***

Sims is just barby dolls for grown ups.

there is no difference except its more mindless.

sixy four percent of all statistics are made up and bulls***

f*** off you just made that up!

Girls love the sims because they get to run someone elses life.

zing

The stats come from ESA, so i'd imagine they'd exclude online stuff they don't have a part in.

I wouldn't imagine that at all. They are trying to prove a point, that gaming is done by non-kiddies and chicks. Previous statistics i've seen on gaming included all forms of computer games, from solitare through to FPSs. I see no reason at all that EA's survey would've used a non-broad definition of gaming.

The stats come from ESA, so i'd imagine they'd exclude online stuff they don't have a part in.

Even just a brief glance at the paper they released shows that they include all games. Including online puzzle/board/game show/trivia/card games and flash mini games.

Stez: Don't generalise... I love shooting people and blowing s*** up. Now if only they'll make more FPS games that don't make me motion sick. When's the next Rogue Spear due?

I must admit though I rather like the god-like control and social experimentation of Sims. I tend to make Sim house holds on a theme and see what happens - ie put your suburban family next to your raging fags and see what happens. Hilarity, or something like it.

Oh and Rev... we broke up.

There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.

Also from what I have seen a lot of females play online games in the zone and yahoo eg. backgammon etc etc