The ESA’s Power of Play report paints a picture of the world’s gamers

Released by the Entertainment Software Association The power of play A report that provides a quick overview of who plays video games and why, all over the world. There are a lot of interesting data points here from over 24,000 participants, all of whom are over 16 and play at least weekly. Skeptics who think the games are just for kids may be surprised to learn that the average age of participants is 41, and the gender split is roughly equal between men and women.

One of the most interesting aspects of the report are the benefits people said they got from playing games. The main answer was that games provide mental stimulation, which was said by 81% of participants. 80% said gaming relieved stress, 73% said gaming made them feel happy, and 64% said gaming connected them with other people which helped them feel less isolated or lonely.

Although enjoying gaming was the main reason participants decided to play (66%), they also said that gaming could improve their skills. 77% said that games increase creativity, 76% said that they improve problem solving, and 74% said that games increase cognitive skills, teamwork or cooperation.

The report also indicates how popular mobile gaming is. Overall, 55% of respondents said mobile is their preferred gaming platform. Half of respondents under 35 play on mobile, and 61% of over 50 gamers also play on mobile.