Due to the tightening economy many consumers are opting to stay in for their entertainment needs and the video games category has benefited from this, with consumers now holding the medium in higher regard than the cinema.
According to market research firm, The NPD Group, approximately 63 per cent of Americans have played video games in the past six months compared to only 53 per cent who report going out to the movies.
This increased popularity was also demonstrated in other findings which highlighted that video games now account for one-third of the average consumers monthly entertainment spending.
According to the NPD results, the average gamer spent $38 per month on video game content.
“Video games account for one-third of the average monthly consumer spending in the US for core entertainment content, including video, music and games,” said Anita Frazier, video games industry analyst for NPD. “While a portion of that share stems from the premium price of console games, we’re also seeing an overall increase in the number of people participating in gaming year-over-year.”
In other results it found 31 per cent of gamers bought a console video game or portable game over the past 12 months, a seven per cent increase compared with the year prior.
In addition, new ways of gaming have also become very popular, with 31 per cent claiming to have played a game on a gaming website, 12 per cent played on a social networking site, 19 per cent played a pre-installed game on their mobile phone and 11 per cent purchased and downloaded a game to a mobile phone.