According to the findings of an AP-AOL Games poll, 40% of adults in the U.S. play electronic games on a computer or console. As expected, men, younger adults, and minorities are more likely to play video games than others.
Forty-five percent of self-proclaimed gamers play online, while more than a third of these online gamers say that they spent more than $200 last year on their gaming habits. Almost a quarter of gamers do not play online.
Of all online gamers, 42% of them play at least four hours online per week. Approximately one in six online players spent more than 10 hours playing these games during an average week.
The most popular games were card and board games. Strategy, sports, adventure, first-person shooters, and simulations followed behind. The most popular online games include card, board, strategy, and role-playing games.
In terms of spending, more than a quarter of gamers claim that they did not spend any money on their hobby last year, while 31% say they spent $100 or less. About 11% say that they spent more than $500 last year. Online gamers are more prone to spend more than $500 last year compared to those that do not play online. Much of this money is spent on upgrades to computers. About 60% of hardcore gamers (players who spend at least three hours per week gaming) spent $200 or less on games last year.
Electronic games have made a social impact as well. Nearly one in five online gamers says that they have made new friendships or relationships with their online gaming comrades.
The poll was conducted with 3,024 adults in the U.S., of which 1,046 were gamers. Ipsos, an international polling firm, conducted the poll on April 18-20 and 24-27. There is a sampling error of plus or minus 3%.
With big-time companies such as Microsoft and Yahoo! publicizing their intentions of furthering their research of and eventual entry into advertising possibilities in video games, and with about 220 million adults in the U.S., the spending habits of these gamers has fairly significant implications.
Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft are all pushing for more online features in their gaming consoles, which would allow for more player interactions through the use of video enhanced features, expanding the allure of playing games online.
Source:
http://www.boston.com/business/personaltech/
articles/2006/05/08/poll_finds_4_in_10_are_
electronic_gamers/
Digg 
