Eight out of ten children between the ages of 4 and 17 frequently play computer or video games, according to a new poll from AOL Games and the Associated Press.
The poll found that 81 percent of all children play video games at least occasionally, and 38 percent of adults say they play video games as well. Out of adults that play video games 45 percent are female.
“These findings underscore gaming’s broadening reach,” said Ralph Rivera, Vice President of AOL Games. “It’s not about eating dots and shooting pixilated aliens anymore. Today, games are multi-million dollar productions that range from kid-friendly to adults-only fare.”
When it comes to how many hours a week parents spend playing video games with their kids, 43 percent said they never play with their kids and 30 percent said less than an hour. Younger parents were more likely to play games with their kids than older parents.
Eighteen percent of those surveyed said they were very or somewhat likely to purchase a video game console like an Xbox, Nintendo, or Playstation during the upcoming holiday season. Thirty-five percent said they were likely to purchase video games. Fifty-one percent of those planning to buy a console during the holiday season said that price was the most important consideration followed by recommendations from friends and family (34%).
More than half of adult gamers are under 40 years old, and 27 percent are under the age of 30. Just a third of adult gamers are married and have children. The average adult gamer spends 2 hours each week playing video games. The number increases to 4 hours per week for fans of shooting games, and 5 hours for fans of adventure and role-playing games. Ninety-three percent said the usually play online games at home and 5 percent said they played games at work or school.
