ESA 2011 'Essential Facts' note rise in women, adult gamers

VIDEO GAME PLAY INCREASES AS BREADTH OF GAME CONTENT GROWS
Report Finds More Women, Adults Play Games

June 7, 2011 – Washington, DC – 72 percent of American households play video games and 82 percent of gamers are adults according to new research released today by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). In a report released at E3, the world's leading video game event, the data presented a consumer base that is increasingly diverse and receiving interactive game content on myriad platforms.

The report, 2011 Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry, also found 42 percent of gamers are women and that women age 18 or older represent more than one third of the game-playing population. In addition, purchases of digital full games, digital add-on content, mobile apps, subscriptions and social network gaming accounted for 24 percent of game sales in 2010, generating $5.9 billion in revenue.

"Our industry's innovative titles are reaching new consumers in broader, deeper and more-engaging ways," said Michael D. Gallagher, president and CEO of the ESA. "Technological advancements and terrific entertainment experiences in our industry make it possible for people of all ages to enjoy games at home or on the go, and the creativity of our developers and publishers leads to an ever-expanding variety of video games to choose from in both digital and physical formats."

The survey also found that parents remain highly involved in their children's game play and see several benefits of entertainment software. Forty-five percent of parents report playing computer and video games with their children at least weekly and nine out of ten parents pay attention to the content of the games their children play. In addition, 68 percent of parents believe that game play provides mental stimulation or education, 57 percent believe games encourage their family to spend time together, and 54 percent believe that game play helps their children connect with their friends.

Other findings of the survey include:

The average game player is 37 years old, while the average game purchaser is 41 years old;
Sixty-five percent of gamers play games with other gamers in person;
More than half (55 percent) of gamers play games on their phones or handheld devices;
Eighty-six percent of parents are aware of the Entertainment Software Rating Board rating system, and 98 percent of these parents are confident in the accuracy of the ratings;
Parents are present when games are purchased or rented 91 percent of the time; and
Consumers spent $25.1 billion on game content, hardware and accessories in 2010.
The research for the 2011 Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry was conducted by Ipsos MediaCT and is the most in-depth and targeted survey of its kind, gathering data from almost 1,200 nationally representative households that have been identified as owning either or both a video game console or a personal computer used to run entertainment software.

The Entertainment Software Association is the U.S. association dedicated to serving the business and public affairs needs of companies publishing interactive games for video game consoles, handheld devices, personal computers, and the Internet. The ESA offers services to interactive entertainment software publishers including a global anti-piracy program, hosting the E3 Expo, conducting business and consumer research, representing the video game industry in federal and state government relations, First Amendment and intellectual property protection efforts. For more information, please visit www.theESA.com.

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Conduit 2 – All the Facts

Sega and High Voltage have updated the fact sheet for Conduit 2. With several new features and a few revisits to past multiplayer maps, this is shaping up to be an excellent FPS for Wii.

General:

21 weaponsOnline Updates Support48 kHz audioFully realized medals and achievements system that yields in-game currency: other player’s achievements can be viewed online from the game lobbyFaster frame rate

Campaign:

16 missions6-8 hours long23 enemy typesReal time in game cut scenesUniversal ammo crate (replenishes any weapon ammo by just walking near it)

Multiplayer:

12 maps14 modes64 friend limitHardcore modePlaylist enhanced that’s supports variety and avoids repeated matches on the same maps with the same weapons4 load outs per profile

Multiplayer Maps:

Pentagon Prime – Based upon Pentagon out of The Conduit. Sanctum Prime – Based upon Sanctum out of The Conduit. Medium size; Best with 6-10 playersStreets Prime – Based upon Streets out of The Conduit Small size; Best with 2-6 playersLost City – Based upon the Lost City of Z from single-player M12 Precipice – Based upon the one-off single-player M15 Agartha – Based upon the John Adams boss fight from single-player M14 Whiteout – Based upon the Siberian tundra single-player M09 Crash Site – Based upon the one-off from single-player M16 Serenity – Based upon the one-off from single player M17 Dig Site – Based upon the Lost City multiplayer map Abyss – Based upon the Agartha multiplayer map Avalanche – Based upon the Whiteout multiplayer map

Multiplayer Modes:

Deathmatch – First player to kill limit in the time allowed wins!Balloon Battle – Lose balloons with every death. Gain balloons with kills. With no balloon, become a mini bomb! Last player alive wins!ASE Ball – Longest time holding the ASE wins!Bounty Hunter – Kill your assigned target for points or kill those hunter you for fun. But beware; killing someone who doesn’t fill those roles will cost you points!Free for All CTF – Get to the flag and then carry it back to a random goal location. First to the scoring limit wins!Team Deathmatch – First team to the kill limit in the time allowed wins!Shared Stock – Teammates share a pool of lives while trying to get the highest kill count possible.Capture the Flag – Each team tries to capture the ASE (flag) of the other. First team to the capture limit in the time allowed wins!Killing Override – First team to the kill or capture limit wins!Single Flag CTF – Teams fight over a single centrally located ASE (flag). First team to capture limit wins!VIP – Fight to kill the randomly selected VIP on the opposing team. First team to the point limit wins!ASE Basketball – Each team tries to capture a centrally-located ASE and then carry it into the enemy base. Toss or carry the ASE through the goal to score. First team to the point limit wins!Annexation – Teams fight for control over capture points. These totems award points over time. First team to the point limit wins!Power Surge – Teams must defend their own generator while destroying the enemy’s when its shield is down. First team to destroy the generator or the team with the more intact generator wins!Tweet

Related Articles:

(E3 2010) Conduit 2 (Wii) – Hands-On First Impressions

The Conduit to use Wii MotionPlus

No Wii MotionPlus in "The Conduit"

The Conduit: Stats, achievements, & unlockables

Jason L. Blair is the Writer for Conduit 2

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