Two Thirds Of US Online Gamers Are Female

The study also reveals that active gamers spend upwards of five hours a week playing games socially, in contrast to the traditional image of gaming as a solitary experience.

In addition, the research shows that although teenagers continue to comprise the largest percentage (40%) of active gamers, more than 15 million of these gamers (almost 13%) are now 45 years or older.

While women make up nearly two-thirds of all online gamers, men still outnumber women in the overall video game universe by more than two-to-one.

The Active Gamer Benchmark showed as well that during the past six months, active gamers purchased, on average, four games. Of those, 90% were bought in stores, with the remaining 10% purchased online. On average, active gamers spend 47 hours playing each individual game they’ve purchased.

However, Nielsen says that video games must compete for wallet share and clock time with other forms of entertainment. Active gamers spend an average of $58 a month on entertainment, $16 of which goes to video games.

They also average about a quarter of their weekly leisure time (13 of 55.3 hours) playing video games. After gaming, music is the second most popular activity among the active gamer groups, although it is tied for first among females at nine hours.

Emily Della Maggiora, senior vice president of Nielsen Interactive Entertainment, said: “The Active Gamer 2006 Report comes at a pivotal time in the evolution of the video game industry. The expansion of next generation hardware and technology in the marketplace is simultaneously delivering new ecosystems of social exchange, interactive entertainment, media experiences and advertising models.

“We see everyday how important online gaming is in terms of connecting people and bringing communities of gamers together. From a simple battle in Halo to a more immersive communal experience, online gaming has the power to unite gamers across the street and/or around the world.”

A report from DFC Intelligence released at the end of last month said that the worldwide video game and interactive industry is expected to grow from about $29 billion in 2005 to as much as $44 billion in 2011 (see Video Game Market Could Reach $44 Billion By 2011).

This report followed on from an earlier DFC Intelligence report which said that thanks to the growth in usage of video game consoles online and the continued boom in broadband take-up, the online game market is expected to grow from $3.4 billion in 2005 to $13 billion in 2011 (see Online Games Could Hit $13 Billion By 2011).