Survey: More people play video games than go to movies

People who prefer playing a home video game to going out to the movies are in good company, according to a recent survey.

Almost 64 percent of Americans have played a video game in the past six months versus only 53 percent who have gone out to see a movie, according to a report from market research firm NPD Group.

The March report, part of NPD's "Entertainment Trends in America" study, also noted that consumers now splurge one-third of their entertainment dollar on video games. The average gamer spent a bit more than $38 per month, with 31 percent of all those surveyed having bought a game over the past 12 months.

One factor for the surge in gaming is the number of new outlets, such as social networks and online gaming sites, said the report. Around 10 percent of people surveyed have played video games on a social network, while five percent have paid to download games online.

"Video games account for one third of the average monthly consumer spending in the U.S. for core entertainment content, including music, video, games," said Anita Frazier, video games industry analyst for NPD. "While a portion of that share stems from the premium price of console games, we're also seeing an overall increase in the number of people participating in gaming year-over-year."

The results of the NPD study were based on an online survey that received responses from more than 11,000 U.S. consumers. Despite gaming's popularity, another NPD study found that video game sales have slumped this year in comparison to 2008, a year in which game sales soared.

[Angmarr]

hey im kinda shocked ... Awesome!

[Maccess]

You mean its not piracy that's been shrinking movie ticket sales? Save the movie industry: Ban Videogames, also listening to the radio, TV, cooking, sleeping, travelling, malling, and everything else that people do other than watch movies!

[xcal78]

It's been like this for quite a while. Lots of actors have realized video games will make them more $$$ then a movie so there's been lots of well known actors in video games over the last few years. $20 a month for 30 days of MMORPG fun or $30-40 for a new video game or $30 bucks for a single movie that lasts 2 hours or so. It's not a hard choice.

[cvaldes1831]

It was sometime in the late Nineties (maybe 1998?) when videogame sales surpassed Hollywood box office receipts, at least during the holiday season. The writing has been on the wall for such a long time, it's practically etched into concrete.

[renGek]

Lots of games out there to choose from and it will provide you with entertainment for more than 2 hours. And you pretty much know fairly quickly that you will like the game.

Movies are almost like investments. Its a gamble that you will get any benefit from it. Of the last 5 movies I saw in the theater (about 2 years worth of movie viewing), only 2 were any good.

[karpenterskids]

Movie tickets have been overpriced for the longest time...$10 to see a movie once?


I'd much rather wait for the DVD, and rent it at $1/day, thank you very much.