Recently, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) released the “Basic Facts of the Game Industry in 2022” research report, summarizing the development of the U.S. game market in the past year. the benefits of gaming.
Stanley Pierre-Louis, CEO of ESA, said, “A very large number of Americans are playing games, and they see video games as a force for good and as being able to bring benefits to their lives.”
A Diverse Gamer Community
When it comes to the gaming industry, the first thing that stands out is the large and diverse gamer community – two out of every three Americans are gamers. People of all ages, races, genders and cultural backgrounds play games, with the majority of gamers over the age of 18, 66% of Americans playing games at least once a week, and 215 million active gamers of all ages.
When broken down by age, the largest number of gamers in the U.S. are 18-34 years old, accounting for 36% of the total, with the average age of gamers at 33. Pierre-Louis notes that the reason the average age hasn’t risen much is because there are a lot of younger people playing games in large numbers.
It is worth noting that more than 97% of American gamers believe that games are beneficial in some way, and 89% of American gamers believe that games are good for developing certain skills. When it comes to the benefits of gaming, 93% of gamers believe that they can gain pleasure from it, while 89% believe that gaming can relieve stress, and 73% see the role of gaming in education, such as the development of healthy win-lose concepts for children.
Evaluation of the benefits of gaming varies by age, with 18-24 year olds valuing the relaxing experience of gaming and the connection with friends, while senior gamers over 65 see gaming as an effective means of inspiring the brain and exercising themselves.
The vast majority of gamers play with other people, including friends, family and partners. The number of U.S. gamers who build new relationships or deepen existing ones through video games also continues to grow. In this year, 83 percent of players are playing games that create connections with others, compared to 65 percent in 2020 and 77 percent in 2021 in the past two years. Players spend an average of 13 hours per week on games, up 7 percent from 2021, with 41 percent of that time spent playing games with other people.
Player habits and tendencies
The high level of engagement in gaming during the 2020 outbreak appears to have been maintained even now, with 9 out of 10 players saying they spend as much time playing now as they did during the previous outbreak, in addition to 61% of players saying they will continue their gaming habits in the coming year, and 19% of players even think they will spend more time playing in the future.
It’s just that gamers are now increasingly focused on the diversity of game genres and devices, with puzzle games and handheld games at the forefront of the gaming industry.
In the United States, 70% of players’ preferred devices for gaming are cell phones, 52% are consoles, and only 7% of players use devices such as VR for gaming. The number of players using multiple types of devices exceeds 60%, and almost only senior players use only a single device for gaming.
In terms of game genres, puzzle games represented by Candy Crush Saga became the most popular games for many players, with 65% of US players keen on such games. On mobile, 71% of players try puzzle games, one of the most popular game categories on the platform, while on console platforms, arcade and action games are the most popular, with 68% and 61% of players playing these games.
Another area of concern is the protection of minors, where 8 out of 10 parents in the U.S. are aware of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) ratings – which set age and content ratings for games and apps to help parents and guardians decide which games are appropriate for their children.
Interestingly, 92% of parents say their children can buy things in games as long as they have permission, 79% give their children a limited amount of time to play games, and 76% say their children can communicate with others in online games only with permission.
Overall, parents value the benefits of games, with 77% saying they play games with their children at least once a week, 86% recognizing the educational benefits of games, and 80% believing that games can develop their children’s communication skills. Notably, 69% of U.S. households have at least one gamer, and nearly one-third of adult gamers are parents.
Portrait of gamers by age
Gamers aged 18-34 are undoubtedly the main group of game users, with more than 67% of this group of gamers being handheld gamers and 64% using more than one device to play, with arcade, puzzle, action and shooter games being the most popular among this group of gamers.
In the 35-44 year old group, 77% of players play mobile games and only 57% play console games, with puzzle games being the favorite of this group. 45-54 year olds are very similar to the above group, except that fewer players play on consoles, with puzzle games being the favorite game of this group by a landslide.
In the 55-64 year old gamer group, there are virtually no console users, with players predominantly playing handheld and computer games. For this gamer group, 78% believe that games create a community-like feeling that allows them to relate to other people their age in a way they rarely would in real life if it weren’t for games.
Stanley Pierre-Louis also said that so many Americans believe video games have positive benefits, especially since many gamers believe they have a positive impact on mental health. For older adults, gaming can bring mental stimulation, connection with friends and intergenerational communication. Interestingly, the number of gamers aged 45 and older even exceeds the number of players under 18.
Gaming Market and Consumption Habits
In 2021, the most popular mobile games in the US market are Candy Crush Saga, Roblox and Coin Master, while the most popular console and PC gaming games are the Call of Duty series and Madden NFL 22.
The most important factor in deciding whether or not to make a game purchase is the overall quality of the game, with 50% of players citing this as the fundamental reason for their purchase, while 44% cited value as the main reason and 35% valued the game’s story and environment more.
According to the report, players generally believe that games with the following points are very helpful in attracting players to buy them: quality of gameplay videos, tendency of user reviews, game trailers, and reviews from industry professionals, among others. It’s worth noting that 67% of players in the U.S. would buy something in-game, while 45% said they would access the game through a subscription.
