Survey: Gamers Spend Over $30k During Peak Years; Most Gamers Play Online

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Survey: Gamers Spend Over $30k During Peak Years; Most Gamers Play Online
Conventional wisdom proves out: the vast majority of "core" gamers prefer to play online, at least according to a survey by GameStrata. Gamers also spend over $30,500 on games between the ages of 18 – 48.
by David Radd on Tuesday, June 24, 2008


GameStrata today announced the restuls of a survery of "video game enthusiasts" in North America. The study shows that between the ages of 18 – 48, the average gamer spends over $30,500 on game software and hardware.

"With forecasters estimating this year's sales will reach nearly $23 billion, it's clear that gaming is the fastest-growing sector in the entertainment industry," said Barry Dorf, COO of GameStrata. "The best part is that the trend doesn't show any signs of slowing. In spite of predictions of a sluggish economy, gamers continue to invest their time and money into electronic entertainment."

The study goes on to demonstrate that there is a high correlation between the frequency of digital purchases and Xbox 360 ownership, with the vast majority of respondents saying the spend the majority of their gaming time online. 85 percent of respondents confirmed the purchase of a virtual good in the last month, with nearly 40 percent of the respondents saying that they play between 6-10 hours online per week

"The overwhelming majority of gamers are spending their time online with friends, building their reputation and online personas. Video games are becoming so much more than a momentary diversion; gaming is becoming yet another means of community building," said Dorf. "The survey results show that social networks need only adapt to the persistent and competitive elements of any genre to penetrate its user base ... the viability of future gaming centric social networks is very strong."