Support NeoGAF

[Lunatic_Gamer]

An online survey of 5,100 respondents was conducted between May and June 2024, which found there are currently 236.4 million gamers in the US.

The largest share of gamers was adults aged 45 and older at 37%, which Circana said was driven by women gamers and a growing interest in consoles.

The report found engagement among children under 12 had declined by 6% since 2022 but remained the most important demographic.

In terms of consumer spending, players spent an average of $56.20 on video game purchases in the past six months, while 46% of those surveyed said they spent nothing on products.

The report also found that US gamers spend an average of 14.5 hours a week playing video games. The average player uses at least three different devices, with 65% of gamers playing on mobile, with over a third using PC and console.

Circana: 71% of US engage with video games

71% of US consumers play video games, according to Circana's 2024 Gamer Segmentation Report.

www.gamesindustry.biz

 

[RetroGamingUK]

I remember the mid 90s when gaming was still seen as a toy for children.

How times have changed!

 

[adamsapple]

Define 'gaming'. Is this including people who casually play mobile games like Candy Crush? If yes, then that makes the high figure make sense.

 

[Schmendrick]

14,5 hours playtime per week on average? For a kid that seems unhealthy and for an adult I wanna know where they get the time...

 

[RetroGamingUK]

Define 'gaming'. Is this including people who casually play Candy Crush? If yes, then that makes the high figure make sense.

My parents are retired and play stuff like that during the day, certainly skewing things somewhat I think.

Royal Match is the latest one.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

Define 'gaming'. Is this including people who casually play Candy Crush? If yes, then that makes the high figure make sense.

These figures always lump mobile shlock in, but it's still definitely a positive trend even if a lot of people are just playing junk.

 

[Codeblew]

I remember the mid 90s when gaming was still seen as a toy for children.

How times have changed!

Those children are now the 45 and over. Games grew with that demographic.

 

[Lokaum D+]

 

[NoobSmog]

These surveys are meaningless because they always include mobile data.

 

[Magic Carpet]

And a big percentage of that is just people on youtube talking about stuff while a multiplayer game is running in the background.

 

[Zacfoldor]

The proper way to classify gamers is going to have to be by amount spent on the hobby per year. Any other way you classify it can have numbers skewed. Stuff like "did you know most gamers are women" and "did you know a plurality of gamers are seniors" bullshit let me see the receipts. If you spend 20 dollars a year on mtx on your phone playing tetris-go while you set in the parking lot waiting for your wife to get out of the doctor's office, no offense but we are not the same.

I read somewhere the average person spends like 250 dollars a year on their hobbies. So that's the line. I want the age and male/female breakdown of everyone who spends more than 250 dollars on video game licenses or mtx in the past 1 year. Riddle me that game industry? I bet you won't answer that shit. You know who butters that bread.

 

[GloveSlap]

Them nursing home LAN parties are going to be sick!

 

[Kacho]

The largest share of gamers was adults aged 45 and older at 37%, which Circana said was driven by women gamers and a growing interest in consoles.

Oh we're doing this again

The average player uses at least three different devices, with 65% of gamers playing on mobile

Wow, so my mom and aunts are gamers then. Really appreciate the lack of nuance in this study.

 

[ultrazilla]

52 years old. Started with the Atari 2600 and been gaming ever since.
P.S. can't wait for the newly updated/resurrected Atari 7800+:

7800+ Features:

• Plays both Atari 2600 and 7800 game cartridges
• Near-perfect compatibility with original and third-party Atari games
• Includes the new Wireless CX78+ Gamepad for all of your two-button, gaming needs
• Easily connects to any screen via HDMI
• Widescreen or 4:3 viewing options for all displays
• Included cartridge Bentley Bear’s newest 7800 adventure; Bentley Bear’s Crystal Quest
• USB-C charging cable (wall charging plug not included)

• https://atariage.com/

 

[Trilobit]

One generation had theater. One generation had books. Another radio. Another cinema. Another television. Another video games. Another social media. There will probably be some very cool new types of medium for entertainment in this century. It just takes some time for each to become common place.

 

[Guileless]

I take breaks from yelling at clouds by fouling the shit out of people as the Pat Riley Era Knicks on NBA 2k.

 

[yogaflame]

We the 40+ are the OG. We saw all the great console through out 80's to 90's that is why we have excellent taste for gaming. The true gamers. Gaming is also good for the mind and youthful glow as we grow old. It does help, depending on games, on mental health issues. I do believe that videogames on console and PC, not the one on mobile phones, can help in mental health issues. I notice that majority of gen z does not play console or PC games anymore and more into social media toxicity, fake news, and if its about games , it is just the mobile phone Gass, or live service games that is full of toxicity. That contributes to the rise of mental health issues especially to gen z.

 

[intbal]

SeniorGaf, it's our time now!
F#&% dem kids!

 

[Crayon]

I remember the mid 90s when gaming was still seen as a toy for children.

How times have changed!

Sort of. We were those children!

 

[mckmas8808]

Define 'gaming'. Is this including people who casually play mobile games like Candy Crush? If yes, then that makes the high figure make sense.

Thank YOU! Perfect question.

 

[ReyBrujo]

Thank YOU! Perfect question.

Well, yes, the OP says it does.

The report also found that US gamers spend an average of 14.5 hours a week playing video games. The average player uses at least three different devices, with 65% of gamers playing on mobile, with over a third using PC and console.

 

[Wooxsvan]

boomer ftw

 

[Bernardougf]

Really ? But Devs keep telling me they are young, gender fluid , have purple hair and like mostly gaas. You know. The modern Audience.

 

[Gambit2483]

70s, 80s and 90s kids grew up...and yes, they still freaking love videogames (despite having less time to actually play them).

 

[LordOcidax]

I bet that Neogaf is full of people above 35 years old. Including me

 

[Rhazer Fusion]

71% of US engage with video games Largest share of gamers are adults aged 45 and over​

Am I reading this correctly? That can’t be right. I just find it really hard to believe that a large share of people that play video games are aged 45 and older. I’m assuming they are including mobile or something for that percentage.

 

[Shadowstar39]

This report leaves out so much. First off its women leading figure is misleading that's not console and pc games but mobile as it has been in surveys past.

Also I fit the age bracket am 45 on the verge of 46. I spend more than that 56 on video games each pay period though as I own a ton of systems. I don't play multiplayer anymore unless it's local.

Shit like this bothers me as idiots form narratives to justify woke games.

 

[Kacho]

71% of US engage with video games Largest share of gamers are adults aged 45 and over​

Am I reading this correctly? That can’t be right. I just find it really hard to believe that a large share of people that play video games are aged 45 and older. I’m assuming they are including mobile or something for that percentage.

It literally says mobile is 65% in the OP lol

So yes, your mom and my mom playing word games on their phones count as gamers

 

[Shadowstar39]

boomer ftw

Boomer is my parents who one is deceased and the other is almost 70. Neither have played video games since pong/atari.

Gen X is what you are thinking of. Where I fall in at 45.

 

[Codeblew]

71% of US engage with video games Largest share of gamers are adults aged 45 and over​

Am I reading this correctly? That can’t be right. I just find it really hard to believe that a large share of people that play video games are aged 45 and older. I’m assuming they are including mobile or something for that percentage.

We are the OG's of gaming. first arcade games (pac-man, donkey kong, centipede, etc), pong, 2600, vic20, c64, atari400, apple I, II, IIe, Macintosh, amiga, etc, etc...

 

[Topher]

An online survey of 5,100 respondents

 

[ZehDon]

Reported; obviously incorrect.

Largest portion is evidently under 21, perpetually online, loves TikTok, and has never played an existing video game franchise in their lives. If that weren't true, developers wouldn't make this demographic their target audience.

 

[Dorfdad]

For such a large demographic we’re not represented very much! All these new games are GAAS or hyper competitive which 45 year olds generally don’t exceed at!

I’m waiting for a new spin on cooperative PVE for the masses so we can stop having toxic games. I’d love some camaraderie in my games.

 

[Northeastmonk]

Weird how Fortnite, Rocket League, Counter Strike, League of Legends, Apex, and a couple others stay in the top spots of played games? Kids don’t have an income outside their parents, so F2P is their best choice.

Another kicker is how come game sales are down so much? That could very well come from the mobile market. Downloading a mobile game or even a F2P game wont save the industry. It makes game developers rich. The history of video games has gotten worse even if the games are a lot better. I blame all those top 10 F2P games on the market.

 

[onQ123]

As if little kids are out here doing surveys

 

[Topher]

" a growing interest in consoles"

 

[odhiex]

There are a lot of old children playing games there. Hehehe

I'm also in the 40s.. sigh

 

[Team Andromeda]

I remember the mid 90s when gaming was still seen as a toy for children.

How times have changed!

That was always going to happen, us kids who grew up in the 80s and 90s brainwashed our kids into video games and we also still play games in curs 40s and 50s Ect.
Just like how I was brainwashed into football and you then take the kid to watch it.

Just a shame so many kids look to play games on mobile these days .

 

[Robb]

Remove mobile gaming and get back to me with the ‘real’ results.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

That was always going to happen, us kids who grew up in the 80s and 90s brainwashed our kids into video games and we also still play games in curs 40s and 50s Ect.
Just like how I was brainwashed into football and you then take the kid to watch it.

Just a shame so many kids look to play games on mobile these days .

The mobile bubble may be bursting…

 

[Team Andromeda]

The mobile bubble may be bursting…

I hope you are right mate . So many kids seen addicted to their phones and playing the likes of Minecraft.

 

[Rhazer Fusion]

It literally says mobile is 65% in the OP lol

So yes, your mom and my mom playing word games on their phones count as gamers

Ah I see. Figured mobile was factored in and I missed that part in the bottom of the OP somehow lol. I blame the small screen on my phone.

 

[Panajev2001a]

Might explain why the industry is frantically trying to entice “modern audiences”. They see this and fear that once those older gamers stop playing as much as they do that their revenue will fall.

Ironically they are chasing a fad and alienating some of the core gamers now without actually getting through this “modern audience” that does not even exist.

 

[CompleteGlobalSaturation]

It literally says mobile is 65% in the OP lol

So yes, your mom and my mom playing word games on their phones count as gamers

These results are so skewed.

I'd be more interested to see the breakdown of gamers playing Fortnight, FIFA and COD - what are their ages and gender?

 

[Shaki12345]

14,5 hours playtime per week on average? For a kid that seems unhealthy and for an adult I wanna know where they get the time...

As an adult I can easily game 20 to 30 hours per week. It's just a matter of how you arrange your time and what you find important in life. I even workout 2 hours a day. My kid lives with my ex and I have a FWB for all other stuff. Not dealing with a family all the time opens up a world of possibilities.

Would recommend.

 

[DragonNCM]

I remember the mid 90s when gaming was still seen as a toy for children.

How times have changed!

Well...children has grown up !!!

 

[Evil Calvin]

14,5 hours playtime per week on average? For a kid that seems unhealthy and for an adult I wanna know where they get the time...

Weekends? (Friday night through Sunday)

 

[Jinxed]

14,5 hours playtime per week on average? For a kid that seems unhealthy and for an adult I wanna know where they get the time...

Sleep deprived, welcome to the club. I only play when the kids are in bed. I sleep an average of 5h30-6 hours a night. I wonder where the grey hair is coming from

 

[plip.plop]

These surveys are meaningless because they always include mobile data.

These were the numbers in 2022. Accessibility and ease of use are what create higher engagement. This is why Nintendo bundled Tetris with the OG Gameboy even though the obvious pack-in should have been a Mario game. This is also why the Wii (the least graphically impressive system of its gen) sold like gangbusters. It sucks, but that's the reality. That's why Apple created Apple Arcade. If casuals won't game on the gaming-specific devices then you go to them on their device and make fun, simple gaming for them. This is why Casino slot machines look alot like mobile games now.

 

[DenchDeckard]

These were the numbers in 2022. Accessibility and ease of use are what create higher engagement. This is why Nintendo bundled Tetris with the OG Gameboy even though the obvious pack-in should have been a Mario game. This is also why the Wii (the least graphically impressive system of its gen) sold like gangbusters. It sucks, but that's the reality. That's why Apple created Apple Arcade. If casuals won't game on the gaming-specific devices then you go to them on their device and make fun, simple gaming for them. This is why Casino slot machines look alot like mobile games now.

Would be really interesting to see this graph in start of 2025.