Still haven't boldly gone to see the new Star Trek film? Maybe you're too busy playing a video game.
According to a new study by market research group NPD, about 63% of Americans have played a game in the past six months, compared to only 53% who have enjoyed a night at the movies during the same period.
NPD's Anita Frazier puts that into perspective.
More fun than the silver screen?
"Video games account for one-third of the average monthly consumer spending in the U.S. for core entertainment content, including music, video, games," she said. "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."
So more people are playing, but why? The study points to social gaming as one of the main reasons behind the growth, as 10% of consumers report playing a game on a social network like Facebook. Digital downloads also seem to be on the rise, with 5% reporting such activity -- 2% more than last year.
The findings, which were based on responses from over 11,000 participants taking part in NPD's ongoing 'Entertainment Trends in America' study, stand in contrast to a somewhat slumping video game industry: April's sales figures were down 17% from March.
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Posted: 20 May 2009
