Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
NPD Study: 34 Million U.S. Gamers Average 22 Hours Of Gaming A Week
Between March 10-28, The NPD Group conducted a study with 7,927 U.S.-based people (ages 9 and above) to analyze their gaming habits. From this data, which is collected in NPD's Core Gaming 2014 report, NPD concludes that over 34 million people in the U.S. play video games for an average of 22 hours per week.
Consoles and computers are the primary gaming outlet for this core crowd of gamers, but two-thirds of them also play on mobile devices, NPD adds. Roughly 74 percent of the people surveyed choose physical media over digital, although digital did see a five percent increase from the previous year and is up to 26 percent. The study also found that almost 70 percent play multiplayer games regularly or occasionally.
How did NPD define this core crowd? Individuals counted played at least 5 hours a week, on a home console or home computer, and counted traditional genre games (including action, adventure, fighting, flight, MMOs, racing, RTS, RPG, shooter, or sports) among the games they play.
Our Take
Only 22 hours a week? They really need to add Game Informer staffers to their surveys. We probably logged over 20 hours in Dark Souls II deaths within a week's time. Jokes aside, 22 hours a week is a significant amount of time dedicated to entertainment. In addition, it's interesting to note both the prevalence of multiplayer play and the rising significance of digital purchases that are illustrated in this survey.
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
