NEWS - Wednesday, May 14, 2003
Parents Say Video Games are Good for Kids!!
BW5526 MAY 14,2003 08:02 PACIFIC 11:02 EASTERN ( BW)(CA-IDSA/E3EXPO) Games Are Positive Addition to Children’s Lives, Parents Say; IDSA 2003 Consumer Survey Results Reveal Parents Not Only Paying Attention to Games, They’re Playing Them Entertainment Editors/News Editors/Business Editors E3Expo 2003 LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 14, 2003--An overwhelming number of parents -- 96 percent -- say they are paying attention to the content of the computer and video games their children play, and two-thirds of parents say that games are a positive addition to their children’s lives, according to new data released today at E3Expo by the Interactive Digital Software Association (IDSA). The data, from the IDSA’s annual consumer survey, also shows that 44 percent of parents in households that own game consoles or computers used to play interactive games say they play games with their kids daily or weekly; overall, 60 percent of parents say they play interactive games with their kids at least once a month. In addition, the survey reveals that parents are involved when games are purchased, with players under the age of 18 saying their parents were present at the point-of-sale 89 percent of the time. These parents who buy and play games are part of the majority of game players who are adults. In fact, survey data shows a trend toward the aging of the gamer population, with the percentage of console game players under the age of 18 falling to 38 percent this year, from 46 percent in 2002, and the percentage of computer game players under 18 declining to 30 percent, down from 34 percent in 2002. "What this data tells us is that interactive entertainment is not only increasingly popular with adults, it has also become a family activity from start to finish. When it comes to computer and video games, parents are involved every step of the way, whether it’s in buying the games, monitoring their content, or playing them with their kids," said Douglas Lowenstein, president of the IDSA, the trade group that represents U.S. computer and video game publishers and the owner of E3Expo. Additional survey highlights include the following: -- Buyer Demographics: Ninety-two percent of those who purchase console games are over the age of 18, and 98 percent of computer game buyers are over 18. Forty-seven percent of console game buyers and 57 percent of computer game buyers are women. -- Computer Player Demographics: Fifty-eight percent of computer game players are male, while 42 percent are female. Thirty percent are under 18 years old, 29 percent are 18 to 35, and 41 percent are over 36. -- Console Player Demographics: Seventy-two percent of console game players are male and 28 percent are female. Thirty-eight percent are under 18, 40 percent are 18 to 35, and 22 percent are over 36. -- Types of Games Played Most Often: Console game players say that they most often play: action games (51 percent); driving/racing games (50 percent); sports games (47 percent); and role-play/adventure games (35 percent). Computer game players say they are most likely to play: puzzle/board/card games (36 percent); action games (36 percent); driving/racing games (34 percent); and sports (32 percent). -- Number of Games Owned: Console game players report that they own an average of 16 games, while computer gamers report that they own about 12 titles. -- Online Games: Thirty-seven percent of game players say they play games online, up from 31 percent last year and 18 percent in 1999. -- Type of Game Played Most Often Online: puzzle, board, game show, trivia or card game (56 percent); action, sports, strategy or role-play game (20 percent); persistent multi-player universe (7 percent); or none of the above (7 percent). -- Mobile Gaming: More than one-third (39 percent) of Americans who own consoles or computers report that they also play games on mobile devices like handheld systems, PDAs, and cell phones. Eighteen percent play games on cell phones, up from 14 percent a year ago. The annual survey was conducted for the IDSA by the Services Division of Ipsos-Insight. The study gathered data from more than 1,350 nationally representative households that have been identified as owning a video game console and/or a personal computer used to run entertainment software. The IDSA is the U.S. association dedicated to serving the business and public affairs needs of the companies publishing interactive games for video game consoles, handheld devices, personal computers, and the Internet. IDSA members collectively account for more than 90 percent of the $6.9 billion in entertainment software sales in the U.S. in 2002, and billions more in export sales of American-made entertainment software. The IDSA offers services to interactive entertainment software publishers including a global anti-piracy program, owning the Electronic Entertainment Expo trade show, business and consumer research, government relations and First Amendment and intellectual property protection efforts.Source: http://www.xboxaddict.com/
