The Entertainment Software Association releases their 2016 gaming report, and reveals new statistics detailing the gamer population in the United States.

Gaming wasn't always an incredibly popular hobby, but times change. As the technology improves and the ease of access increases, more people play video games all the time, even if they don't consider themselves to be gamers. One study is detailing this trend in the entertainment industry, providing precise statistics on people who play video games in American households.

The Entertainment Software Association has released its 2016 Essential Facts About The Computer and Video Game Industry report. Some of the statistics echo commonly known information that has been reported before, like the fact that there are more adult female gamers than there are male gamers age 13 and under. However, there's also some updated statistics that are interesting, as well.

For example, the report details that the average gamer is 38-years-old, and has been playing video games for the past 13 years. This is up from last year, when the ESA reported that the average gamer was only 35 years old. This may indicate that older folks are playing video games, and that the gamers who grew up with the first generation of gaming consoles are refusing to give up the hobby.

The study also took a look at how the times have changed when it comes to the face of gaming. Half of the frequent gamers surveyed noted that they were familiar with professional-level gaming competitions, and 45% of respondents claimed to keep track of esports on social media. In addition, while many have argued that virtual reality is too expensive, the excitement level is apparently high nonetheless. More than half of those surveyed were aware of virtual reality, and 40% planned to purchase a VR headset over the course of the next year.

Although these statistics are interesting to read about, one should take them with a grain of salt. In the past, the ESA has released misleading information about the video game industry, so there's no telling if this information is fully accurate. However, with any luck, the ESA has learned from their past blunders and is no longer attempting to artificially inflate statistics to make the industry look better than it is.

It doesn't look like gaming is going to slow down any time soon, and chances are the number of gamers in the country will continue to rise. With major gaming evolutions like virtual reality arriving in players' homes right now and technology constantly evolving, chances are more people will be enticed to play video games as the years go by, regardless of age, gender, or device of choice.