Breaking news: 40 percent of Americans are gamers — and they have responsible parents, too
These stories are more compelling when viewed through the lens of the usual doomsday coverage, which suggests that videogames are turning children into violent sociopaths (since comics, rock and roll, R-rated movies and swearing all had failed to make that happen):
Poll: 4 in 10 Americans play video games
Rather than reach for the television remote control when she wants to be entertained, Karalyn Valente goes online to play “EverQuest,” “Ultima Online” and other video games – a gaming habit shared by millions in the United States.
Valente, a 29-year-old graphic artist from York, Pa., said she devotes about 30 hours a week in vast online worlds and spent more than $1,500 on games last year.
“I watch less and less TV. I turn it on and the shows are just idiotic,” Valente said. “When I play the games, I actually look through the character’s eyes. I actually become the character.”
According to a new AP-AOL Games poll, 40 percent of American adults play games on a computer or a console. Men, younger adults and minorities were most likely to play those games.
Among those who describe themselves as gamers, 45 percent play over the Internet. And more than a third of online gamers spent more than $200 last year on gaming, compared with nearly a quarter of those who don’t play games online.
Online gamers also spent more time playing those games.
Forty-two percent of online gamers said they spent at least four hours playing games during an average week, compared with 26 percent of those who don’t play online. About one in six online gamers play more than 10 hours a week.
E3: Study shows majority of parents oversee game purchases
New data published Wednesday by the Entertainment Software Association shows that a majority of parents are present at the time games are purchased or rented. Eighty-nine percent of the time, parents are present. The study is also giving rise to a new term — the “gamer parent:� Parents who play games themselves, often with their kids.
Other results of the survey showed that the majority of parents — 79 percent — play games with their kids simply because they’re asked to. Parents also consider it a good opportunity not only to socialize with their kids, but also to monitor game content.
The typical gamer parent, according to the report, is 37 years old. And 47 percent of gamer parents are women. Gamer parents are experienced, as well — on average, they’ been playing for 13 years.
Most of my conversations with my father nowadays eventually turn into discussions of World of Warcraft.
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