Survey Says Number Of Gaming Households In U.S. Increasing

We've known for a long time that video games are growing in popularity thanks to the mainstream success of the Nintendo Wii and the increasing acceptance of gaming as a hobby in general, but just how many more people are playing games these days? According to the fourth State of the Media Democracy Survey, an impressive 60 percent of American households now own a gaming console. How does that stack up to previous years?

A report on the study from GamesBeat states that just three years ago a mere 44 percent of U.S. households had a console of some sort. Referring to specific generations, GamesBeat notes that Generation Xers have increased from 53 percent console ownership three years ago to 70 percent today, while Baby Boomers have improved from 31 percent three years ago to 44 percent now.

Of the "Millenials," the youngest generation surveyed, 74 percent said they have played a game in the last six months. This compares to 54 percent of Gen Xers and 31 percent of Baby Boomers.

The GamesBeat report says that part of the surge in gaming is due to Americans watching more T.V. rather than going out as a result of the recession. However, later in the article, the report also notes that a major part of the reason for increased television time is that it's free and a means of cutting down on purchasing other entertainment, including games.

The State of the Media Democracy Survey was conducted with 2,046 Americans ranging in age from 14 to 75.

So the numbers show that gaming is certainly on the upswing, even among older demographics that we may not have traditionally considered game-savvy. Do you think this is good for the industry? Or are all those impressive new numbers just benefitting a small corner of the industry? After all, we all want more people playing games, but if the only game they're playing is Wii Play....