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NPD Group Looks At Core Gamers And Spending Habits
Ever wonder what percentage of the U.S. population is considered a core gamer? Do these gamers generally prefer physical or digital copies of games? A report from the NPD Group gives some interesting percentages and insight into their purchasing habits.
The global information company NPD Group released a new report entitled, “Core Gaming 2013.” The report focuses on the US population, ages nine and older, and reveals that while almost half play video games on a "core gaming device," a mere 14 percent (37.5 million people) earn the title of “core gamer.” The NPD Group received their data from an online survey sent to 6,322 individuals.
With so many core gamers, the report also looked at spending habits: 10 percent more core gamers reported that their spending habits decreased compared to last year. This falls in line with the NPD's recent retail sales numbers. Additionally, 80 percent of core gamers purchase new physical games, 78 percent buy physical used games, and 70 percent acquire digital games. But many gamers still haven’t jumped onto the digital train for purchases.
"Digital purchasing among core gamers has plenty of room to grow," said Liam Callahan, industry analyst, The NPD Group. "While many core gamers indicate they are purchasing full games and digital add-on content frequently, there are those that stated they have never purchased digital content."
Focusing on Q4 2012, the core gamers spent the most money on physical games. Less than half of a gamer's budget was spent on full digital games and physical used games.
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