Cheats for Marketers: Fresh Demographics on Teen and Adult Game Play & How Games May Teach Kids to Be Good Citizens

Cheats for Marketers: Fresh Demographics on Teen and Adult Game Play & How Games Can Teach Kids to Be Good Citizens Amanda Lenhart Game Developers Conference March 2009 San Francisco, CA

Road Map
Teen game market
Adult game market
Genres
Parents
Gaming as a social experience, in-game and outside of the game
How games may teach teens to be good citizens
Takeaways

Methods
RDD national telephone survey
1,102 youth ages 12-17 and a parent in their home
Margin of error +/- 3 percentage points
Survey conducted November 1, 2007 – February 5, 2008
Research partnership with Mills College and the MacArthur Foundation

Your Teen Market is Huge .
97% of teens say they have played video games
Creative Commons License, Flickr user fille_de_photo
50% played a game “yesterday.”
86% play on consoles.
73% play on computers.
60% play on portable devices.
48% play on a cell phone.

The Youth Market
99% of boys, 94% of girls
Boys play more often and for longer duration
39% of boys play daily; 22% of girls do
34% of boys play 2+ hours a day; 18% of girls do
Younger teens play more frequently than older
54% of 12-14 year-olds play on any given day
46% of 15-17 year-olds
Teen broadband users play more frequently
28% of bbd users played “yesterday”
20% of dial up users did so

And what about adults?
53% of adults play video games
81% of 18-29 year olds play video games
60% of 30 to 49 year olds play
40% of 50 to 64 year olds play games
23% of those 65 and older play video games
Overall, computers are the most popular form of gaming hardware among adults
However, like teens, 18 to 29 year olds are more likely to game on consoles.

Hardware: Adults vs. Teens Source: Adult data based on Pew Internet & American Life Project Survey, October-December 2007. N= 2,054 total adults, margin of error is ±2%. N=1,063 total game players, margin of error is ±3%. Teen data based on Pew Internet Project survey, November 2007-February 2008. N=1,064 teen gamers, margin of error is ±3%. 62 25 13 Portable gaming device like PSP, DS, or Gameboy 50 35 18 Cell phone, Blackberry, or other handheld organizer 89 53 28 Game console (Xbox, PlayStation, Wii, etc) 76% 73% 38% Desktop or laptop computer % of teen gamers % of adult gamers % of all adults Do you ever use any of the following to play games whether or not you personally have one? Do you use…to play games? Adults Play Games On Many Devices

Your Best Customer? The Daily Gamer
31% of teens play daily
More boys than girls (65% boys; 35% girls)
More younger teens (57% 12-14; 43% 15-17)
More likely to use portable gaming devices…
…But just as likely as everyone else to use computer, console or cell phone
Daily gamers more likely to play with others online (20% vs. 12%)
Daily gamers are more likely to play games as a part of a guild or group (50% vs. 38%)
Just as likely to spend time f2f and communicating with friends

How Often Do Adults Play Games?

Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project Survey, October-December 2007. N=1,063 total game players, margin of error is ±3%. 14 17 28 36 Gamers age 65+ 21 25 30 19 Gamers ages 50-64 24 25 26 20 Gamers ages 30-49 16 30 30 20 Gamers ages 18-29 20% 27% 28% 21% Total gamers Less Often A few times a month A few times a week Everyday or almost everyday How often do you play games, whether on a computer, or online, or on a game console, or on some other device? Do you do this…? Frequency of Game Play

Teens play a wide variety of games
80% of teens play five or more different game genres, and 40% play eight or more types of games.
Girls play an average of 6 different game genres; boys average 8 different types.
Used under creative commons via flickr. Photo taken by cdammen.

Game Genres
We asked about 14 different game genres
74% play racing games (NASCAR, Mario Kart)
72% play puzzle games (Tetris, Solitaire, Bejeweled)
68% play sports games (Madden, FiFA, Tony Hawk)
67% play action games (GTA, Devil May Cry, Ratchet & Clank)
66% play adventure games (Legend of Zelda, Tomb Raider)
61% play rhythm games (Guitar Hero, DDR)
59% play strategy games (Civilization, StarCraft)
49% play simulations (The Sims, Rollercoaster Tycoon)
More….

Game Genres (2)
49% play fighting games (Super Smash Bros, Tekken, Mortal Kombat)
47% play first person shooters (Halo, Counter-Strike, Half-Life)
36% play role playing games (Final Fantasy, Knights of the Old Republic)
32% play survival horror games (Resident Evil, Silent Hill)
21% play MMOGs
10% use virtual worlds

MMOGs and Virtual Worlds
20% of teens use MMOGs
30% of boys have played them; 11% of girls
10% of teens use virtual worlds
Boys just as likely as girls
Younger teens more likely than older teens: 13% of 12-14 year olds; 8% of 15-17 year olds.
Daily gamers more likely to play MMOGs and in Virtual worlds
Image courtesy of rosefirerising via flickr under creative commons

Games, Genre & Gender
Boys play a greater number of genres of games
Boys average 8 genres, girls 6 genres
Girls top 5 genres: Puzzle, Racing, Rhythm, Adventure, Sports/Strategy
Boys top 5 genres: Action, Sports, Racing, Adventure, FPS
Genres with equal levels of popularity between boys and girls: Racing games, Rhythm games, Simulations and Virtual worlds.
Daily gamers play a similar range of genres as boys.

Cheats, Hacks and Mods
37% of teen gamers use cheats or game hacks “sometimes” or “often” when playing
50% of gaming boys use cheats
23% of gaming girls use cheats
Console gamers, daily gamers more likely to use cheats or hacks.
28% of teen gamers say they have used mods to change a game they are playing

Parents: Gatekeepers
What are parents & policy people worried about?
Is it harmful?
Is it helpful?
Am I doing the right thing for my kid/kids in general?
On one hand, they care enough about these issues to tell us that they monitor and are involved in their child’s game play
But on the other hand, they don’t think gaming has much of an effect on their children.

Parental monitoring of game play varies.
55% of parents say they “always” check a game’s rating before letting their kids play it.
Parents are more likely to monitor game play for boys and younger children.
Parental monitoring does not reduce M/AO rated game play or witnessing of anti-social behavior in games.
Creative Commons License, Flickr user Reggie fun.

Parental monitoring of game playing varies (2)
90% of parents say they always or sometimes know what games their children play.
72% say they always or sometimes check the ratings before their children are allowed to play a game.
46% of parents say they always or sometimes stop their kids from playing a game.
31% of parents say they always or sometimes play games with their children.

The industry rating system doesn’t always work
32% of gaming teens report that at least one of their three favorite games is rated Mature or Adults Only.
79% of M- and AO-rated game players are boys, and 21% are girls.
12- to 14-year-olds are equally as likely to play M- or AO-rated games as their 15- to 17-year-old counterparts.

Parental views on the impact of games
62% of parents of gamers say video games have no effect on their child one way or the other.
19% of parents of gamers say video games have a positive influence on their child.
13% of parents of gamers say video games have a negative influence on their child.
5% of parents of gamers say gaming has some negative influence/some positive influence, but it depends on the game.

Majority of most popular games are not violent The Sims Halo Grand Theft Auto Tetris Madden NFL ‘08 Dance Dance Revolution Solitaire Madden NFL Halo 3 Guitar Hero 10 Most Frequently Played Games

Teens encounter both pro-social and anti-social behavior while gaming
78% of teens who play games report they frequently or sometimes see other players being kind and helpful to those who are gaming
63% report seeing or hearing “people being mean and overly aggressive while playing”
49% report seeing or hearing “people being hateful, racist, or sexist” while playing
------------
Three quarters of teens who see uncivil behavior regularly see others respond.

Teen gaming is social. Creative Commons License, Flickr user tracer.ca
76% play games with others at least some of the time.
65% play with other people in the room with them.
27% play with others through the Internet.
82% play games alone.

Games are social (2)
59% of games play in multiple ways
42% most often play with friends in person
15% most often play with friends online
42% most often play alone
Dial up users less likely to play with friends online (6% vs. 19% of bbd users)

Games are social (3)
47% of online gamers play mostly with people they know from their community & offline friends
27% of online gamers only play with people they met online
23% of online gamers play with a mix of people they met online and people they met offline
Online gamers are more likely to play in groups – 43% game in a group or guild
Girls are more likely to play exclusively with people they know from their offline lives.
MMOG players much more likely to play with others they met online, and play in groups.

Play Around the Game
36% of teen gamers read game-related sites, reviews and discussion boards
12% of teens gamers contribute to game related sites with reviews, walk-throughs, comments.
Boys and younger teens more likely to visit game-related sites
Online gamers and MMOG players more likely to visit game-related sites.

How Games Might Make Kids Better Citizens (or, another potential selling point for skeptical parents and policy makers)

Civics – What is it & Why is it Important?
The qualifications of self-governance are not innate. They are the result of habit and long training.
-- Thomas Jefferson

Civics – Why is this important?
Many students lack basic civic knowledge…
50% could not identify the correct function of the Supreme Court
33% could not identify either of California’s U.S. Senators from among a list of options (Kahne et al)
And among adults…
38% of adults could name the three branches of government
59% could name the three Stooges

What works?
Instruction in Government, History, Econ…
Discussions of Current Events
Service Learning
Extracurricular Activities
Student Voice in Schools and Classrooms
Simulations
36% reported never participating in a role-play or simulation while in high school

Civic Gaming Experiences
Playing games where you:
Help or guide other players
Think about moral ethical issues
Learn about a problem in society
Learn about social issues
Help make decisions about how a community, city or nation should be run
Organize or manage game groups or guilds

Democracy

Civilization IV Image courtesy of graye via flickr under creative commons

Civic gaming experiences do relate to civic engagement
The overall frequency of game play is not related to civic and social isolation.
But having frequent civic gaming experiences is related to greater levels of civic engagement.
Photo by Thomas Hawk, via flickr, used under creative commons

More civic gaming experiences = more civic engagement. * Indicates statistically significant difference when compared with the percent of teens with the fewest civic gaming experiences. Gaming and Civic/Political Life 55 54 53 Volunteer 15* 7 6 Participate in a protest march/demonstration. 34* 23 17 Persuade others how to vote in an election. 60* 59* 49 Stay informed about political issues/current events. 70* 61* 51 Give or raise money for charity. 70* 64* 55 Go online to get information about politics/current events. % of teens with frequent civic gaming experiences % of teens with average civic gaming experiences % if teens with few civic gaming experiences

Social game play correlates with civic engagement.
Teens who play games with others in the room exhibit more civic participation. They are more likely to:
Go online to get information about politics
Raise money for charity
Be committed to civic participation
Try to persuade others how to vote in an election
Creative Commons License, Flickr user sean dreillinger

Social interaction related to games increases engagement. Game players who post to gaming websites or discussion boards are more likely to report they:
Are committed to civic participation
Go online to get information about politics or current events
Have raised money for charity
Stay informed about current events
Are interested in politics
Have tried to persuade others how to vote in an election
Have attended a march or protest.

Civic Gaming Experiences More Equitably Distributed
Unlike civic experiences in classrooms, which are more likely to be experienced by white, affluent teens…
… civic gaming experiences are equally distributed among different groups – race/ethnicity, SES, location
Except gender – girls are less likely to have civic gaming experiences than boys, even controlling for their lower frequency of game play.
34% of teens have played a video/computer/console game for school or a classroom assignment

Ideas for Marketers
Your market is huge & both girls and boys play games
But you have to get through parents to reach many teens
Parents:
Worry about games, but don’t do much about it
Play games themselves, and sometimes play with their children
Pay lip service to ratings but don’t necessarily restrict game play based on ratings (and some times they can’t)
Plenty of games have civic or pro-social opportunities embedded in the game play (worth emphasizing)
Games are social experiences for teens - not isolating
Games as engines of creativity - machinima, modding

Full Report @ http://www.pewinternet.org Civics White Paper @ http://www.civicsurvey.org/ Amanda Lenhart Pew Internet & American Life Project [email_address] http://www.pewinternet.org

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Cheats for Marketers: Fresh Demographics on Teen and Adult Game Play & How Games May Teach Kids to Be Good Citizens

by Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project on Mar 30, 2009

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Cheats for Marketers: Fresh Demographics on Teen and Adult Game Play & How Games May Teach Kids to Be Good Citizens — Presentation Transcript