The NPD Group has released a new study called “Kids & Cross-Entertainment Behaviors Report”. This follows on the heels of the U.S. overall monthly industry sales falling 16% year-to-year to $908.7 million in August.
The report details the importance of kids to the videogame industry as a whole and gives some interesting statistics, like the following:
* Kids 12 and under accounted for 24% of game industry sales for the first half of 2009.
* Households that have kids under 12 account for 45% of total videogame industry sales.
* 57% of kids ages 2 to 12 play videogames.
* 62% of kids ages 2 to 12 use a computer for leisure activities outside of school work.
* There are 53.4 million kids ages 12 and under in the U.S.
* Kids under 12 account for 17% of the population of the United States.
* 75% of the tween group (which I guess is between 10 and 14) play videogames.
* 81% of the tween group use a computer for leisure activities outside of school.
Overall, the NPD Group suggests that game publishers and developers would be wise to more aggressively target these specific kid and tween groups, as there is still significant room for growth. And this could be a huge help during such a recession where the overall industry is trending downward sales-wise.
Via GameSpot, Image via Digital Journal