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Video games are increasingly being embraced by all generations of Australians, according to the Digital Australia Report 2016, which has found that 78 per cent of Australia’s game playing population is aged 18 years or older.The survey of 1,274 Australian households and 3,398 individuals of all ages found that 98 per cent of homes with children under the age of 18 have a device for playing video games, a figure that has remained stable over the past five years.
Dr Jeff Brand, Bond University professor and lead author of the report, noted growth has been observed in the proportion of the population who play games.
In turn, video game playing is becoming part of normal media use, with the report finding 68 per cent of Australians play video games, with the daily average time spent playing games 88 minutes.
Over the past four years, older Australians continue to make up the largest group of new players, with Australians aged 50 and over now making up 23 per cent of the game playing population. Since 2013, the average age of the Australian video game player has increased from 32 to 33 years old.
Nearly half of the Australian gaming population (47 per cent) is female, with the report stating it is expected that the difference in male and female audience share will remain stable in the coming years.
Gaming is not just used for entertainment, with the report additionally finding that 24 per cent of Australian adults have used games at work for training purposes, while 35 per cent of parents say games are part of their children’s school curriculum.
“This year’s report reinforces the breadth and depth of Australia’s gaming community,” Ron Curry, Interactive Games & Entertainment Association (IGEA) CEO, commented. “We are witnessing significant changes in the realm of digital interactive entertainment, where games have become an amazing medium to reinvigorate family life, education, workplace training, consumer engagement and social and political conversation.
“Whether we’re ‘snacking’ on a mobile game or enjoying an immersive gaming experience, it’s clear that video games are on the way to becoming more mainstream than playing sports or watching TV.”
The Digital Australia Report 2016 report can be found here.
