Ben-DutkaIf you don't play video games online, you're in the definite minority. Not surprising.
According to the NPD Group's Online Gaming 2013 report , 72% of gamers in the US play online. That's up 5% from 2012, and there was an increase in the number of hours spent playing on all surveyed platforms; up 9% in overall gaming and 6% in online gaming. Said NPD Group analyst Liam Callahan:
"Besides the size of the gaming audience and sales performance, one of the key metrics for the industry to watch is the time gamers spend playing games. This study found that the overall amount of time spent gaming, and time spent gaming online increased across virtually every type of device, and notably so, versus 2012."
The PC was the top platform for online gaming, with 68% of US gamers saying they play online with their computers. That's actually down 4% year-over-year, though, while online play with mobile devices rose 12%. And here's an interesting point- Despite all this, 62% of gamers surveyed would still rather buy a game in physical format as opposed to a digital download. On the other hand, digital remains on the rise, as Callahan added:
"While many gamers prefer games in the physical format, the increased availability of digital content paired with a greater amount of connected devices has driven an increase in the number of consumers going online to access the content they want."
The report included results taken from 8,867 individuals. And of course, I'm once again part of the minority but hey, I'm used to it.
