Tag Archives: Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry

The ESA handed out its annual handbook of Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry at E3 this year.

It’s a nice little book that details the demographics, facts, figures, and what customers purchased in 2008.

Here are just some of the numbers. Parenting and content data is posted after the break courtesy of GamePolitics.

Who Plays:

• 68  percent of Americans play computer or video games
• The average game player age is 35 (again, how is this defined?)
• 25 percent of game players are under 18
• 25 percent of game players are over 50
• 60 percent are male, 40% female
• on average, adult gamers have been playing for 12 years
• 42  percent of U.S. homes have a game console

Who Buys:

• Average age of most frequent purchaser is 39
• 52  percent of purchasers are male, 48 percent  female
• 92 percent of time a parent is present during purchase
• 83 percent of time kids receive parental permission before purchasing
• 43 percent of Americans have purchased or plan to buy one or more games in 2009

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