The NPD Group, an American market research company, have just released a report that compiles survey data from about 5,000 people. Their survey reveals that those around 45-64 years old, generally known as Boomers, were a driving force in an increase in time and money spent on video games in the past six months.
As GameSpot reports, time and money spent on video games in the first half of 2021 is up compared to last year, going to 16.5 hours compared to 14.8 in 2020 and 12.7 in 2019. The industry is growing even though we've seen a drop in how many Americans play video games, going from 79% to 76%. Notably, this slight drop still puts it higher than 2019, when 73% of Americans reportedly played video games. Given how the pandemic has forced people to physically stay apart and turn to video games like Final Fantasy 14 to connect with each other, these increases aren't too much of a surprise.
What is notable is that this increase in time and money is mostly because of Boomers, who are generally 45-64 years old. "In 2019, 65% of consumers in this age group played games for approximately 9 hours per week. This jumped considerably in 2020 to 69% playing for approximately 12 hours per week, and 75% this year playing for approximately 16 hours per week," Mat Piscatella of the NPD Group said. Piscatella also adds that this growth in the 45-64 age group is partially made up of lapsed gamers turning to games for entertainment and to connect with friends and family. Despite the drop in people playing games, the time Boomers have spent playing video games has caused the amount of time and money people spent on games to increase.
