About the Gaming Industry

Serious Games—Not just for entertainment!

Internet game and simulation technology is increasingly being used for education, training, advocacy and advertising. Role-playing simulations and other specialized "games" are used to train students, educators, businesses, government officials, and soldiers.

For example, the federal government spends millions of dollars on game technology; the popular game America’s Army created for training and recruitment is just one of many military examples. Firefighters and police use game technology to practice dealing with high-intensity emergency response situations. Medical students train on interactive 3D simulations instead of live patients. Pilots fly in aircraft simulators before flying real planes. And the advertising industry now creates advergames that range from simple "click the monkey" web banner games to complex 3D web-based virtual experiences. (For example, WildTangent created an immersive driving game for Toyota to sell new Toyota Corollas).

---

Entertainment Gaming Industry Facts and Figures (from the ESA)

1. US computer and video game software sales grew six percent in 2006 to $7.4 billion – almost tripling industry software sales since 1996.  Game sales overall (including hardware) increased 18% to $13.5 billion.
   
   
2. Sixty-nine percent of American heads of households play computer and video games. 
   
   
3. The average game player is 33 years old and has been playing games for 12 years.
   
   
4. The average age of the most frequent game buyer is 40 years old. In 2006, 93 percent of computer game buyers and 83 percent of console game buyers were over the age of 18.
   
   
5. Eighty-five percent of all games sold in 2005 were rated "E" for Everyone, "T" for Teen, or "E10+" for Everyone 10+.  For more information on ratings, please see www.esrb.org.
   
   
6. Eighty-seven percent of game players under the age of 18 report that they get their parents’ permission when renting or buying games, and 89 percent say their parents are present when they buy games.
   
   
7. Thirty-five percent of American parents say they play computer and video games. Further, 80 percent of gamer parents say they play video games with their kids. Sixty-six percent feel that playing games has brought their families closer together.
   
   
8. Thirty-eight percent of all game players are women. In fact, women over the age of 18 represent a significantly greater portion of the game-playing population (30%) than boys age 17 or younger (23%).
   
   
9. In 2005, 25 percent of Americans over the age of 50 played video games, an increase from nine percent in 1999.
   
   
10. Forty-four percent of game players say they play games online one or more hours per week. In addition, 32 percent of heads of households play games on a wireless device, such as a cell phone or PDA, up from 20 percent in 2002.
    
    (quoted from the Entertainment Software Association, www.theesa.com and NPD research group)