Throughout the years, video games have become an increasingly common pastime around the world, with more people turning to them for entertainment than ever before. This year, especially, has driven up engagement with video games, with millions of people forced to remain home during the coronavirus pandemic. This has, at least in part, driven record earnings in the games industry, and according to a new report, a record percentage of people playing video games in the United States.
A report published by the NPD Group states that 79% of US consumers now play video games regularly, with time spent playing games increasing by 26%, and consumer spending up 33%. Some of the biggest percentage gains were in the middle-aged demographics, with 45-54 year olds increasing their time spent gaming by 59%. However, the increase was nearly as impressive in the 65+ category, which increased its time spent gaming by 45% and its spending by 29%.
This is only the second time NPD has published a report like this, the first one releasing in 2019, though according to NPD's Mat Piscatella, the gains are still unprecedented. Piscatella told GameDaily.biz, "I don't believe that this kind of growth has happened before... Perhaps 2007-2008 with the Wii could have produced similar results, but I just do not know.” The Nintendo Wii was one of the most explosively popular game consoles of all time, among a wide range of demographics.
Piscatella did later state that a pullback was possible, assuming people give up video games when the pandemic ends and it's safe to enjoy public spaces again. As Piscatella puts it, this sort of rapid growth "doesn't tend to continue forever." Currently, the coronavirus pandemic shows no signs of slowing down in the United States, with the number of cases rapidly increasing over the course of the year, and more than 4 million new cases being reported in the US in November. If that trend continues, Americans could be stuck at home for quite some time, which would likely keep engagement with games high.
As Piscatella notes, it's difficult to tell whether this year will be an outlier in the grand scheme of things, or if these new consumer habits are here to stay. Certainly, the rise of streaming services like Twitch has catapulted video games forward in contemporary media, but with other entertainment options being delayed, canceled, or otherwise affected by the pandemic, it's hard to say just how popular video games will remain.
With the PS5 and Xbox Series X hitting store shelves this year, the ceiling for the video game industry's success has once again been raised, presenting new opportunities to both developers and publishers, if they're able to capitalize on it. If successful, this trend might just continue.
Sources: NPD via GameDaily.biz, CBS News
Image Source: Alex Carmichael