72% of US Population Plays Video Games

According to NPDGroup, 72% of US’s population plays computer/console games. This number is up from 2006’s 64% study. Half of the total gamers play online on either XBOX LIVE!, PlayStation Network or PC.

Four out of 10 online gamers are ages 2-17, driven heavily by kids ages 6-12. Kids ages 2 to 12 are driving more than 25 percent of online gaming, while 18-24 year olds only represent 10 percent of online gaming. Among those who use a video game system for online gaming, Xbox 360 is the top system used, with 50 percent stating they play games online via that system. On average, Xbox 360 owners spend the most time per week using their 360s to play games online, followed by PC and PS3 owners using these respective systems for online game play. According to the report, 13 percent of online gamers spend 20 hours or more per week on online gaming. Per platform, 33 percent of portable online gamers, 29 percent of console online gamers and 13 percent of PC online gamers are in this heaviest online gaming group. At this point in the lifecycle of today’s video game consoles, multiple console ownership is low, with only 3 percent reporting that they own two of the three “next-gen” systems and only 2 percent claiming to own all three systems. “Despite the buzz in the industry regarding online gaming, it is still relatively small compared to offline gaming,” said Anita Frazier, industry analyst, The NPD Group. “There is still a large, untapped market for gaming in general and online gaming in particular.”

Remember, when you run into retards while playing, it’s not your fault.

NPD Press Release 

Yves Guillemot QnA

GameDaily scored 10 questions with Ubisoft’s CEO Yves Guillemot. The QnA focuses on everything from upcoming DS/Wii games to future projects as well as Ubisoft’s hot producer Jade Raymond. Here’s a bit that should interest you:

I view Jade as a very skilled and creative producer, the success of Assassin’s Creed leaves no doubt about that and the attention she received from the media is due to the anticipation, buzz and quality of the game. She’s currently working on a new project but it’s a little too early to share more about it.

Check out the full interview here

The Agency Interview

Sony’s upcoming MMORPG, The Agency, has gathered a lot of buzz. Primarily because it’s cross platform (PS3/PC) but also because it looks and sounds damn promising. Eurogamer.net Interviewed Sony’s Matt Staroscik regarding their upcoming MMO. Here’s a snip:

Eurogamer: You’ve said the game is predominantly a shooter - does that mean the combat is mostly based on player skill, or do you earn RPG-style abilities to use?

Matt Staroscik: Your characters will absolutely develop RPG-style abilities as they gain experience. For example, an experienced character may tame the recoil on his weapon better than a rookie, which means more hot lead put on target.

 

Full interview after the jump. Read more