Though video games are often thought of as a pasttime for kids or 30-something men, pandemic-related stay-at-home orders have broadened their appeal across all age groups, according to NPD Group.
For adults between the ages of 45 and 54, their time spent gaming increased by 59 percent over the last year, while their dollar spend rose by 76 percent, NPD says. Meanwhile, for the 55 to 64 age group, time and money spent jumped by 48 percent and 73 percent, respectively.
People over 65 got into gaming as well. For them, the time spent gaming was up by 45 percent while the dollar spend rose by 29 percent.
According to NPD Group, the increase was consistent across all gaming platforms. “Growth is particularly strong on mobile, which is likely to be the most accessible platform to a wide audience of consumers,” the company added. “Consoles also saw notable increases, driven by families seeking options for group play and by those seeking options for online play.”
Overall, of the 5,000 people polled by NPD, 79 percent of US consumers report playing a video game in the last six months—a six-point increase from last year. However, the total time spent on gaming was nevertheless up by 26 percent. Meanwhile, the total cash paid toward gaming increased by 33 percent.
The big question is whether the trend will continue once the pandemic is over. NPD Group says it’s possible COVID-19 simply accelerated existing trends, which showed that increasingly, more people are gaming.
“If this is the case, then the gaming market could experience continued growth without a post-pandemic pullback,” NPD analyst Mat Piscatella said in a statement. “If not, however, we may see a post-pandemic valley before returning to growth. It all rests on engagement.”