Most 'serious' gamers aged six to 17

Study challenges prevailing wisdom.

Contrary to the popular belief that the majority of video game players, particularly 'serious' enthusiasts, are 18 to 34 year-old males, most are actually between the ages of six and 17, new research has claimed.

Analyst firm NPD Group's recently released Video Gamer Segmentation Report found that 45 per cent of 'heavy gamers', and nearly one-in-three so-called 'avid console gamers', fall into the six to 17 age range.

The report identifies six gamer segments: 'heavy gamers', 'avid console gamers', 'mass market gamers', 'prefer portable gamers', 'secondary gamers' and 'infrequent gamers'.

According to the report, the 'heavy gamers' demographic/gender parameters also expand beyond 18 to 34 year-old males as 21 per cent of this segment is female.

The 'heavy gamers' segment comprises only three per cent of the total game playing population, contrary to common assumptions that these serious gamers constitute a larger percentage of the game-playing population and retail sales dollars.

"Heavy gamers can be critical to a title or retailer's success since they are the market leaders, but focusing on this segment entirely is ignoring a much broader consumer base and larger revenue potential," said Anita Frazier, entertainment industry analyst at NPD Group.

The study also noted that those gamers in the 'prefer portable' segment may also be older than previously thought. While the majority of these gamers are under 18, one in three is 18-44.

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