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NPD: More Than One Third Of U.S. Population Plays PC Games

by Matt Bertz on Sep 09, 2014 at 05:43 AM

And to think they said PC gaming was dead. The platform is not only living, it's thriving according to a new NPD study that claims 37 percent of the U.S. population over the age of nine plays PC games.

These aren't just passing fancies, either. The report suggests this contingent plays an average of 6.4 hours per week.

Think this is just a boys club? Think again. The gender breakdown claims 51 percent of this group is men, and 49 percent is women. Gamers also tend to be older (average age of 38) and relatively well off, with an average household income hovering around $69,000. 

The "Understanding PC Gaming" report also dove into purchasing habits to find that  over the past year, 46 percent of PC gamers have visited made digital purchases. Digital shoppers are far less likely to pay full price than those who prefer the brick and mortar retail experience.

 

Our Take
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that the PC is a vibrant platform. Given the success of Steam, wildly successful MMOs and MOBAs, the Minecraft juggernaut, and the surging amount of indie games coming to the platform, there's never been a better time to be a PC gamer.