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NPD: 44 Per Cent Of Current Gen Console Users Are Female
A survey from market research firm the NPD Group has found that 44 per cent of US-based current generation console users are female.
According to the report, titled Gaming Device Profiles, the largest percentage of gamers are two-12 years old (24 per cent), followed by 25-34 year olds (20 per cent) and 35-44 year olds (17 per cent).
NPD’s report also looked into cross ownership of consoles. It found that among US Wii owners (who represent 32 per cent of all gamers), 14 per cent also own a PS3 and 26 per cent own an Xbox 360. Among Xbox 360 owners (20 per cent of all gamers), 42 per cent own a Wii but only 18 per cent own a PS3. Among PS3 owners (ten per cent of all gamers), 42 per cent own a Wii and 34 per cent own an Xbox 360.
Additionally, the group’s study found that 41 per cent of US gamers rely on word of mouth to obtain information on games. 31 per cent of respondents said that they got their information about games from hands on play, while magazine and online ads, as well as social networking sites, were viewed as the least influential resources for game information.
For its report, NPD fielded an online survey completed by 20,893 participants in January 2009.
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Who cares about the percentage of video gamer girls? The only people I can imagine that actually give two shits are the developers so that they have an idea of the market they're dealing with when releasing a game at that particular audience.
It's like those shagging video game tournament team that are girls only excluse, "Frag Dolls" or whatever the fuck they call themselves. Who fucking cares if you're a girl and play games?
I'm a guy and I do a Computer Games Development course and play Warhammer 40K, and yet I do a bit of Hip-Hop dancing. Where the fuck is my hype?
>>the largest percentage of gamers are two-12 years old (24 per cent)
Haha, For a second I thought the article was stating that two 12-year old girls made up 24% of the female gaming market.
I don't think the actual numbers sound unreasonable, especially factoring in a younger audience. Most kids I know, boys and girls alike play videogames and are very likely to own a DS.
To start with I thought the figure was bollox, but then thinking about the number of wii fits sold I guess for Wii at least the figures are believable.
Handhelds, or more specifically the Nintendo handhelds, are a whole different story and a figure of 44% for ownership wouldn't be surprising.
As for things like Fragdolls, all I see is some specially picked good looking girls and a lot of corporate money behind it, females on the whole in my experience, aren't hardcore gamers and aren't likely to change anytime soon... unfortunately :D
There's a lot to be said for the saying, men are from Mars and women are from Venus :-)
>>As for things like Fragdolls, all I see is some specially picked good looking girls and a lot of corporate money behind it, females on the whole in my experience, aren't hardcore gamers and aren't likely to change anytime soon... unfortunately :D
If the true market penetration and cultural acceptance of games is to be measured by how many hot girls play (and why not?) then China is the clear winner. There's absolutely no novelty to being a "grrrl gamer" there because both genders are equally likely to be gamers. A hot girl playing Monster Hunter in China is about as unusual as a hot girl watching Family Guy in the US. From my experience, video games have far more market penetration in China than any other country I've been to (including Japan).
I believe the US is becoming more like this since there's no longer a "boys only" connotation to games among today's kids. I wonder what the climate is like in the UK?
I agree with you about Fragdolls, bad example. It was obviously a stunt to attract a male audience and not to promote female gaming per-say. The Jess Chobot's of this world I would regard as similar. It seems as though there is they've allowed themselves to be exploited somewhat to sell computers games to men. That's not to say I don't take them seriously! Lots of women know there shit when it comes to gaming, it's the marketting companies that are to blame, exploiting the male weakness for a pretty girl.
Having said that, for us geeks there is something very appealing about having a girl that you can sit down and play a few bouts of Street Fighter 4 with. Then some head to head action on your favorite racing games and ending up discussing the latest up and coming games over dinner without their eyes glazing over. Unfortunately those ladies are the minority in the minority.
That's not to say that there aren't any hardcore female gamers. There are all female and mixed Modern Warfare, Battlefield and Counterstrike teams who take their warfare extremely seriously. Not to mention all those how like spending hours socializing and questing in MMORPG's.
You'd be surprised how many ladies like gaming. There are all girl clans on various first person shooters Fragdolls being the most obvious example. Isn't the Starcraft world champion a young lady from Korea? More power to them I say. A few years ago gaming was a very male oriented industry thankfully we've seen the light.
There is a girl close to my heart that has spent quite a lot of time playing Final Fantasy games. She's the only person that I've ever seen wielding the complete set of celestial weapon in Final Fantasy X. She's also well into Little big planet and also own a DS which she's heavily into playing GTA Chinatown Wars and Puzzle Quest.
You don't have to rely on Market research to show you that there are ladies who enjoy gaming just as much as the men.
I absolutely agree that they exist, but 44%?
It Could be possible, with the popularity of the Nintendo's consoles and the Xbox 360 there is certainly no reason why not. It's interesting to see the Sony PS3 lagging in terms of popularity with the ladies. Do we think that's because the PS3 exudes masculinity from every vent?. Both 360 and Wii and quite compact and aesthetically pleasing in comparrison. Maybe now the PS3 has been re-modeled to a more slender and light wait design, will we see a raise in female interest in the PS3? would be interesting to see a similar survey in a years time.
You have to wary of those online survey they only canvassed 21,000 people. I could be more accurate if you asked Nintendo, Sony or Microsoft to provide you with the data from they're online accounts, gender is one of the compulsory questions when you sign up, though I guess you wouldn't be able to account for those sharing accounts with brothers, boyfriends or their fathers for that mater. Of course if wouldn't account for those who choose to stay offline or those who might wish to partake in some online gender bending.
Nothing's ever totally accurate, but regardless of market research and target demographics, girls are out there, they're playing and having fun. Which is great news! It also seems that the ladies are maybe a little more informed about gaming than they once we're. It's more accessible now than it's ever been.
Where are these women?? I don't know a single girl/woman who plays videogames. They all read books..
Like they're gonna admit they play games to someone who is likely outside of their social circle and will likely become creepily obsessive when he realises he's found a girl gamer.
I concur.
It might be telling to find out exactly what they are classing as a "gamer" in their questionnaire. I can readily believe that 44% of people who have played a game recently are women, for example.
Even with the massive uptake of the DS, I have difficulty believing that 44% of people who regularly play games (and yes, i would count wii fit etc as games) are female.
It is also interesting to note that ≤14% of their sample group owns all three consoles.