Number Of U.S. Gamers More Than Doubled Since 2008, Study Finds

According to a new report [PDF] from analyst firm Parks Associates, there are now 135 million people in the United States playing games for at least an hour per month, more than double the 56 million gamers reported in 2008. Most of these new gamers, the firm says, have been attracted by the free to play and social markets, which have captured new audiences on the web, smartphones, and other emerging platforms.

This is the first paragraph of an article found on Gamasutra. It contains some interesting insights that fit the consumer and business insights focus of our blog. The article continues …

In the mobile space, specifically, Parks Associates reports that roughly 18 percent of all U.S. gamers download games through their phones, up from 7 percent in 2008.

Games are even more popular for tablet owners, as 71 percent of adult owners and 79 percent of teen owners admitted to playing games on their device at least one hour per month.

Outside of the mobile space, roughly 80 percent of U.S. gamers play either free-to-play online games or Facebook games — a considerable number, considering these markets only hit their stride within the last few years.

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