According to a survey released on Sunday by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, over half of American adults play video games of some kind.
The survey shows that age is the biggest factor, with young adults most likely to play video games and that as adults get older, game play decreases. Of adults over the age of 65 who play video games, nearly a third play video games every day. In comparison, the survey found that only 20% of young adults play video games every day.
A persons age is also a factor in whether they play on a computer, games console or other device, such as a mobile phone. Gaming consoles are most popular amongst 18 to 29 year olds, with 75% saying they play games on a console. Computers were found to be the second most popular gaming medium for young adults, but are the most popular overall, with 73% of all adult gamers playing on a computer. In comparison, 53% of adult gamers play on a games console, 35% play on cell phones and 25% use a portable gaming device, such as the Nintendo DS.
The Associated Press observed that one of the more surprising aspects of the report was in relation to education levels. Adults who had attended college were found to be more likely to play video games than those who had not, with the report showing that 57% of adult gamers achieved some college education, compared to 51% for high school graduates and just 40% for those with less than a high school education. Amanda Lenhart, a senior research specialist at Pew, said that there was no obvious reason for the difference.