 Average gamer will spend US$30,000 on games during their life
Post Date: Jun 29, 2008
Category:
General
One only need to look at the launch sales of GTA IV (as per Draqul's recent article) to see video games as a significant portion of the entertainment industry. Several reports have popped up around the Internet following the results of a survey conducted by GameStrata.
The survey examines the financial commitment of a 30 year gaming lifetime, which generally encompasses the 'peak' gaming years, 18-48. During this time, the average gamer will spend $US30,000 on video games, or gaming related hardware. Barry Dorf, COO of GameStrata has referenced claims by financial forecasters that 'this year's sales [of games or related hardware] will reach nearly US$23 billion.' Dorf added: 'in spite of predictions of a sluggish economy, gamers continue to invest their time and money into electronic entertainment.' High retail prices for Playstation 3 games in Australia are well known Considering that the figures are primarily American, the survey GameStrata have conducted realistically only provides a brief snapshot of the larger picture. As most of you will be aware, Australian retail prices for games are not readily comparable to our US gaming counterparts. With the Australian dollar strong, local retail prices are horrid. Playstation 3 titles are a prime example of this, with new releases usually carrying retail price of $US59.99 ... while Australians will find the same title on shelves for AU$109.95. With the current strength of the Australian dollar - we're paying almost double. Having said that - it's easy enough to import games, but not all consoles have the ability to play titles from other regions. Considering that American gamers will on average spend around US$30,000, on games, the mind boggles at what Australian gamers would be investing into video games. While the survey covers approximately a 30 year span of gaming, it is still a huge investment. The GameStrata survey notes that a great deal of the expenditure is devoted to micro-transactions, downloadable content, and 'virtual' goods. The survey also noted that around 40% of participants spent around 6-10 hours playing online each week, which doesn't really come as a surprise. Dorf appears enthusiastic about the online component of current games: The overwhelming majority of gamers are spending their time online with friends, building their reputation and online personas. Video games are becoming so much more than a momentary diversion; gaming is becoming yet another means of community building. US$30,000 in a gaming lifetime is an astonishingly large amount of money - but in just the past two years, I've spent a lot more than I would have ever anticipated on video games and hardware, so I can see how exceeding US$30,000 in the coming decade is more than possible. What about you guys? From http://games.internode.on…ent.php?mode=news&id=3295 |
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ɤSWI
Remembers What Arcades Are
For the HORDE!
ɤchinaroses
Gamer In High Heels
ɤSWI
Remembers What Arcades Are
For the HORDE!
ɤchinaroses
Gamer In High Heels
ɤSWI
Remembers What Arcades Are
For the HORDE!
ɤquickdraw
Played Final Fantasy Games Before FF7
I FPS, therefore I get pwned.
ɤchinaroses
Gamer In High Heels
ɤquickdraw
Played Final Fantasy Games Before FF7
I think most of us on this site will. And besides, $30,000 won't seem like much in a few years.
I FPS, therefore I get pwned.
ɤchinaroses
Gamer In High Heels
ɤNightwind
Rushes With Zerg
The last remaining DotA Allstar
ɤchinaroses
Gamer In High Heels
ɤSilamai
Never Played Half-Life
"Jesus, trapped in a burning honkey-tonk, and the jukebox is downstairs. Somebody's gonna suffer for this."
ɤchinaroses
Gamer In High Heels
ɤcodeboy
Rusher
"my C64 is up and running bring it on"
ɤchinaroses
Gamer In High Heels
ɤcodeboy
Rusher
"my C64 is up and running bring it on"
ɤNightwind
Rushes With Zerg
The last remaining DotA Allstar
ɤchinaroses
Gamer In High Heels