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NPD Reports 10 Percent Increase In U.S. Online Gaming
According to NPD's 2010 Online Gaming Report, U.S. gamers spend 10 percent more hours per week online on average compared to last year. The total number of gamers was down slightly from the previous year, but an increase in time spent online per gamer more than made up for it. The study found 54 percent of gamers are online, compared to 56 percent last year and 55 percent the year before. Online gamers average eight hours per week plugged in, though, up from 7.3 in last year's report.
The PC dominated the platform breakdown once again, with 73 percent of online-playing respondents saying they used their computers for Internet gaming. The 360 unsurprisingly came in second at 48 percent, while PS3 and Wii brought up the rear with numbers around 30 percent. The hours per week spent online with each console are similar, with 7.3 hours on PC, 6.6 on 360, and 5.8 on PS3. No Wii number was available.
The report also looks at trends in online game purchasing. NPD found no significant change year-to-year, suggesting that online gaming is perhaps less recession-prone than other entertainment sectors. "This suggests that online gamers’ purchasing behavior may not have been impacted significantly by the recession and may bode well for future pockets of economic weakness," read an NPD statement.
Though the report doesn't indicate any significant sea change, to some extent no news is good news. Broadband adoption, while still rising, slowed significantly in 2009. Also, you may have heard something about the economy in the last year or so. Online gaming staying strong throughout the latest financial implosion is a welcome sign that our favorite hobby isn't going anywhere.
Still, I want to know what 30 percent of online gamers are playing on their Wiis. It can't just be Mario Kart, can it?
[via Gamasutra]
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