ISFE Gamerapport2010

Video Gamers in Europe Spring 2010
Foreword
Dear gamer,
According to this study, there is a 25.4% chance that if you are an adult living in Europe, you can indeed
be addressed as a gamer. To keep up with the continually evolving demographic of gamers, the definition
of a gamer includes for the first time people that occasionally play but don‟t necessarily buy games. They
may enjoy the occasional free game on their iPhone while waiting for the bus or spend time playing a
game on Facebook during their lunch hour. „Passing the time‟ is actually the main motivator for playing
online or on handheld systems.
We believe this is now the broadest, most in-depth study of adult gamers and non-gaming parents in
Europe. It gives some perspective on the user market size and the popularity of the different game
platforms. But it also dives into the attitudes and the motivations of people who play games, looking at
how games are perceived within the family, in comparison to other leisure activities and on the internet.
Of those that don‟t play games, 41% claim the main reason is because they „don‟t have the time‟, which is
understandable if you consider the hectic pace of European society. However, this and every other
primary reason given for not playing seems to be rooted in a misunderstanding of what kind of games are
on offer these days. Games are now played everywhere and by everyone. For every place, person,
agenda and budget, there is a type of game available. The data in this study show the industry has risen
to the challenge of broadening the market offering, both in terms of software and hardware. And I know
there is much more still to come, but perhaps the next challenge is communicating it more efficiently to
specific target groups.
On the subject of PEGI, it is heartening to see how much non-gaming parents in particular value the PEGI
age classification system. 89% of them say they find it quite to extremely useful when choosing games
for their children. That is exactly the purpose of PEGI. When you are not a gamer yourself (yet), a helping
hand to choose games that are suitable for your children seems indispensable. For many people, PEGI
already is that helping hand. Other results show that there is still work to be done to make the PEGI
symbols more widely recognised, but I have good hopes that recent and future marketing efforts by us
and the games industry will mean more and more people start to take note.
One thing is sure: with more than 95 million European 1 adults playing video games regularly and 253
million games sold at retail in 2009 (with a value of over 8 billion Euros) [Source: Screen Digest Dec
2009]2, it is important that the industry and policy makers keep in mind the games‟ place in society.
Simon Little
Managing Director
Interactive Software Federation of Europe
1
Consisting of UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark,
Sweden, Norway, Finland, Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Latvia
2
The Software Unit Sales and Sales Value estimates are provided by Screen Digest (December 2009). They cover
sales in Western Europe (UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Benelux, Scandinavia, Austria and Switzerland).
These figures are based purely on Boxed products only. They therefore exclude; digital sales, online sales, online
games subscriptions and second hand sales. They also exclude software sales on smart phones or mobile phones.
Page 2 Copyright © Interactive Software Federation of Europe


Executive Summary
Section 1 Market Size
The Numbers
 Across the 8 major European nations surveyed, 25.4% of adults have played a video game in the last
6 months
 This percentage varies from 38% in France to 17% in Italy and Poland
 Using this data we estimate there are 95.2 million adult Video Gamers across all 18 countries covered
by the Gamer Survey
 Gaming is most popular among the young, however almost 30% of 30-49 year olds play video games
 31% of males and 20% of females are Gamers; it is therefore not the male only preserve that it is
often portrayed in the press
Gamer Commitment
 Since the launch of the new games consoles there has been a marked increase in the numbers of
people enjoying gaming. However many of these new gamers are less dedicated to gaming and they
commit less time and money to gaming
 68% of all gamers in the 8 countries surveyed are in the three least dedicated gamer groups;
Intermittent, Marginal and Dabbler Gamers (See section 1 for definitions)
 The most dedicated group, Committed Gamers, make up less than 7% of all gamers, but they buy
many more games and play more hours than other groups
 Male and Younger Gamers are more likely to spending more time and money on gaming
Section 2 System Use
System Use
 Across Europe the PC remains the most used games system; it is the main system for 49% of
Gamers aged 16-49
 The Wii and Mobile Phones are the next most popular systems used as main systems for gaming,
used by 14% and 10% respectively
 A lot of DS/DS Lite/DSi systems are used as secondary gaming systems and the PS2 still has
significant use as a secondary machine (used by 29% and 25% of Gamers)
 Mobile phones are important main systems in all regions outside the UK, France and Germany
Handhelds
 54% of Gamers are playing a handheld gaming device
 41% of Gamers mostly play games on handheld consoles at home, 26% mostly play while travelling
and 17% mostly when waiting for someone
Multimedia Use
 Watching DVDs, listening to music, and watching films are the most popular secondary uses of
games systems with multimedia capabilities
 36% and 31% of Gamers use the Social networking and online chat services on their consoles
Hours of Gaming
 The inclusion in Spring 2010 of all Gamers has led to the identification of Intermittent Gamers who
are not playing games regularly every week. 31% of people who play games do not play regularly
for an hour or more each week
 The trend is towards less dedicated patterns of play; overall 76% of Gamers play for less than 5
hours a week
Games Purchase
 Almost 40% of people playing games have not bought or been given a game for themselves in the
last 12 months, they are playing the games others have bought
 14% of gamers are buying more than 3 games a year; together this group account for 56% of all
games purchases
 Numbers of purchases are highest in the UFIGS countries, purchases range from 2.7 games each in
the UK to 1.4 games each in North Eastern Europe

Section 3 Attitudes and Motivations for Video Gaming

Motivations for Playing Games
 The core motivations for playing games are fun (61%), relaxation (53%) and a positive way to pass
time (53%)
Motivations for Playing on Handheld Systems
 Handhelds are for many time fillers; „when I‟m bored/to pass the time‟, is the main reason given for
playing Handheld game systems by 52% of the Gamers that use them, and a further 8% say they
see it as „a good use of spare time‟
 „It‟s fun‟ is much less likely to be the main motivation for Gamers than when they play Console or
online games (16%)
Reasons For Not Playing
 The main reason Non Gamers don‟t play games is that they do not consider the benefits sufficiently
great and therefore do not make the time to play; 41% of Non Gamers say „I don‟t have the time‟
 The second main reason is a lack of interest in or understanding of games;
– 23% say video games are boring
– 9% say games are only for children
 11% of Non Gamers do not believe they are worth the money saying they are too expensive
 Only 7% claim games are too violent as the reason they do not play them
Encouraging Non Gamers to Play
 Most of the reasons given for not gaming by non gamers are issues that are not so much matters of
fact as of opinion or knowledge; they want to „be able to play with my children‟, „play for short
periods of time‟ etc, things others believe games provide
 Therefore, the
– motivations of Non Gamers are similar to many Gamers‟ motivations for playing games
– barriers to play are more about Non Gamers disinterest and lack of appreciation of what games
offer. More people may be encouraged to play if the ability of games to meet their interests can be
communicated to them in effectively
– The success in recent years of the new consoles and new games like Wii Fit, Guitar Hero and Dr
Kawashima‟s Brain Training to attract new people to gaming demonstrate the possibilities for
expanding further participation in games
Section 4 Video Games and the Family
Video Games as a Family Activity
 In Spring 2010 58% of all Gamers who are parents report playing games with their children
 The likelihood is related to how active a gamer the parent is; the more dedicated a gamer the more
likely they are to play with their children
Motivations to Play with Children
 The three main reasons for Parents playing with their children are:
– „It‟s fun‟ (27%)
– It allows the parent to spend time with their children (25%)
– They do it because their children have asked them to (24%)
 The child‟s wish to play with their parents is much less likely to be the main motivation
Monitoring Children‟s Purchase and game Play
 Parents are becoming much less involved in their children‟s purchases
 Across almost all regions the consistent pattern is for Gaming Parents to be more involved in their
children‟s games purchases than Non Gaming Parents; 31% of Gaming Parents and 42% of Non
Gaming Parents never monitor the games that their children purchase
 There is less difference between the two groups of parents over whether children are present when
games are bought; only 16% of parents buy their children‟s games either without their children or
rarely with their children present
 61% of Gaming parents have children present most/all of the time they buy games for them or allow
children to buy their own games unsupervised; this figure is 70% for Non Gaming Parents

Section 5 Video Gamers Broader Activities and Interests

Gamers Other Leisure Interests
 In 2010 simple social activities, like chatting with friends are a universally popular pastime (92%)
 Shopping (78%) and eating out (77%) are also enormously popular
 Exercising outdoors has the highest proportion of people who claim this is their favourite activity both
in absolute terms and in relation to the overall popularity of the activity
Time Spent on Leisure and Entertainment
 The broadening of the gaming audience is reflected in the fact that Gamers are now a group who
have many diverse interests; they are as likely to be playing sport or reading books as gaming
 The dominant pastimes remain watching TV, socialising and spending time on the internet
The Benefits of Video Gaming and Other Media
 Despite the 2010 sample covering a broader group of Gamers, they believe that games are the best
of the 3 media for keeping you mentally and physically fit
 More Gamers now agree that games:
– keep you mentally fit (50% + 8%)
– allow you to spend time with the family (35% + 6%)
– keep you physically fit (18% + 7%)
 A lower proportion of Gamers identify Games as:
– a fun way to spend time (55% - 17%)
– stimulating your imagination (45% - 12%)
Section 6 Online Gaming
The Prevalence of Online Gaming
 71% of Gamers played some form of Online game in the past 3 months
 Free online games make up a large volume of the online games played; 19% of Gamers are playing
paid for Online games, 68% of Gamers are playing free Online games
 Free Games on Games Websites (55%) and Games of Social Network Sites (37%) are the most
popular kinds of free games.
 Games you buy and then play free online is the most popular kind of paid for online gaming
Genre of Online Games
 Puzzle/Board/Game Show/Trivia/Card games are the most played Online Games; 58% of Gamers are
playing these games online
 26% of Gamers are playing MMO games
Who Gamers Play Online Games With
 The large increase in free online games now available via browsers and social networking sites,
means that 37% of gamers now report playing games online on their own
 Among Gamers who do play games with others, 20% of Online Gamers play against people in the
same room
Where Gamers Play Online
 95% of Online Gamers play games online at home
 21% play games online at friends houses
 Playing games online whilst travelling has increased to 9% in 2010, possibly a result of more online
games being available for the handheld systems and mobile phones
Why Gamers Play Online
 „It‟s fun‟ is the most quoted reason for playing gamers online (49%),
 To „pass the time‟ is the main reason most often given by Gamers (29%), „it's fun‟ (main reason
23%)
 Other important reasons include:
– To relax/de-stress (40% - 19% as a main reason)
– The challenge of the game (23% - 7%)

Section 7 Awareness and Perceptions of PEGI

Awareness of Rating Systems and Symbols
 Across Europe awareness of a video game age rating system is remarkably consistent among Gamers
and Non Gaming Parents within each country
 Only in Italy and North Eastern Europe are Non Gaming Parents less aware
Awareness of PEGI
 27% of Gamers and 16% of Non Gaming Parents recognise PEGI
 Non Gaming Parents are markedly less likely to be aware of PEGI in every region
Value of the PEGI System
 76% of Gamers and 89% of Non Gaming Parents who are aware of the system find the PEGI age
rating system „quite/extremely‟ useful
 It is a pattern consistent across every region
Awareness and Understanding and Use of the PEGI Content Labels
 New to the survey in 2010 we have tested awareness and usefulness of the PEGI labels
 Gamers are consistently more likely to be „aware of/have seen‟ the labels than Non Gaming Parents;
average awareness across all the labels is 34% for Gamers and 22% for Non Gaming Parents
 The most recognised symbols are:
– Violence (46% Gamers - 27% Non Gaming Parents)
– Sex (38% - 29%) and
– Gambling (38% - 25%)
– which may in part reflect the use of the widely used symbols adopted rather than their specific use
on games
 On average in 93% of cases Gamers aware of a label also claim to understand what a game carrying
it would contain; Non Gaming Parents are almost as confident at 87%
 Both groups are least likely to be confident about „Nudity‟ (83% Gamers - 78% Non Gaming Parents)
 Non Gaming Parents are less confident about „Drugs‟ 80% and „Online‟ 83%
 Clearly the descriptive word on each label contributes to the understanding of its meaning
 The labels perform equally well in all regions
 58% of Gaming Parents and 59% of non Gaming Parents consider the labels are very/extremely
useful in helping them to decide upon a games purchase
PEGI Online Symbol
 Only 11% of Gamers are aware of the PEGI online symbol
 21% of all Gamers claim to understand the meaning of the symbol; this is more than the number
who are aware of it, suggesting it communicates some meaning in a self explanatory manner. The
survey did not test if this understanding was correct
 Of this small number of Gamers who claim to understand the symbol 47% score it 4/5 out of 5 for
clarity
Awareness of the PEGI Website
 As yet few Gamers or Non Gaming Parents are aware of the PEGI website
 Slightly more feel confident that they know how they would file a complaint against a rating they
disagree with

Section 8 The Socio-Demographics of Video Gaming Behaviour

System Use
 Females show a higher profile of users on the DS/DS Lite/DSi and the Wii than males
 Female users of the DS are more than double of the number of males at a ratio of 5:2
 All of the Sony platforms show a higher profile of Male users than female
– PS3 has a male to female user ratio of 3:1
 Xbox 360 also shows a strongly male profile (5% of males are users and 3% of females)
 Males and Younger Gamers are more likely to spend longer gaming and buy more games
 Handheld gamers buy more games, phone gamers the least games
 Female Gamers are much less likely to buy discounted games
Attitudes and Motivations for Video Gaming
 Similar proportions of both genders emphasise the same main reasons for gaming, however there is
greater diversity in the secondary reasons for playing: Males are more interested in:
– passing the time (35% main - 27% other)
– the challenge of the game (24%-14%)
– playing with others (14%-7%)
 Females give fewer secondary reasons but are slightly more likely to emphasise „relaxation/de-
stressing‟
 More committed gamers are more likely to emphasise positive game aspects, „it's fun‟ or „it‟s exciting‟,
whereas less committed gamers emphasise non gaming motivations like „filling time‟ or „playing with
friends‟
 Reasons for not gaming also vary little by gender;
– Males are more likely to say they „lack the time to game‟ (43% main -39% other)
– Females that games are too violent (9%- 5%)
Video Games in the Family
 Gamers that spend the most time gaming (Committed and Loyalist) also spend the most time playing
games with their children (79% and 76%)
 Female Non Gaming Parents are the group least likely to buy their children‟s games; in contrast
Female Gamers are the group most likely to always buy their children‟s games
 Females are more likely to „always‟ monitor the games their child plays
Video Gamers Broader Activities and Interests
 Generally there is little to distinguish between Gamers in their other Leisure interests
 Female are more likely to prefer shopping more, Males more likely to prefer sports and exercise
 More dedicated gamers are also more interested in other entertainment like the movies, or going out
for a dance or to a gig etc (though the differences are not large, they clearly disprove the view that
Committed Gamers as a group focus only on gaming)
Online Gaming
 16-19 year olds are most likely to play online (83% have played at least one type of online game in
the last 3 months)
 24% of Males are playing paid online games in comparison to 12% of Females
 PC gamers show the highest level of gaming activity by system user types
 Puzzle games are the most popular type of online games for females and ages 40-49
Awareness and Perception of PEGI
 More Male Gamers (58%) are aware of an age rating system for video games than Female Gamers
(51%)
 Awareness of an age rating system for video games decreases with age among Gamers but increases
among non gamers
 Awareness of the PEGI age rating system and recognition of the age labels is highest amongst
Gamers aged 16-19 (38% and 86%)
 Awareness of the PEGI age rating system is higher among Male Gamers (31%) than Female Gamers
(21%)
 Close to 50% of Non Gaming Parents aged 20-29 find the age rating system extremely useful


Contents
Foreword 2
1 Section 1: Market Size 14
1.1 European Market Profile 15
1.2 Market Size 16
1.3 Proportions of Gamers by Age and Gender 17
1.4 Gamer Commitment 18
2 Section 2 System Use 20
2.1 The Sample 21
2.2 System Use 23
2.3 Handheld Systems 26
2.4 Multimedia Console Use 27
2.5 Hours of Game Play 28
2.6 Purchase Behaviour 29
3 Section 3 Attitudes and Motivations for Video Gaming 30
3.1 Motivations for Playing Video Games 31
3.2 Motivations to play with Handhelds Systems 33
3.3 Reasons for Not Playing Video Games Amongst Non Gamers 34
3.4 Encouraging Non Gamers to Play Video Gamers 35
4 Section 4 Video Games in the Family 36
4.1 Video Games as a Family Activity 37
4.2 Motivations to Play with Children 38
4.3 Monitoring Children‟s Games Purchases and Play 39
5 Section 5 Video Gamers Broader Activities and Interests 42
5.1 Gamers Other Leisure Interests 43
5.2 Time spent by Gamers on Leisure and Entertainment 44
5.3 The Benefits of Video Gaming and Other Media 47
6 Section 6 Online Gaming and Multimedia 48
6.1 Prevalence of Online Gaming 49
6.2 Genre of Online Games Played 51
6.3 Who Online Games are Played With 52
6.4 Where Gamers Play Online 53

6.5 Why Gamers Play Online 54

7 Section 7 Awareness and Perceptions of PEGI 56
7.1 Awareness of Age Rating Systems 57
7.2 Value of the PEGI System 59
7.3 Awareness and Understanding and Use of the PEGI Content Labels 60
8 Section 8 The Socio-Demographics of Video Gaming Behaviour 64
8.1 System Use 65
8.2 Attitudes and Motivations for Video Gaming 67
8.3 Video Games in the Family 70
8.4 Video Gamers Broader Activities and Interests 72
8.5 Online Gaming 73
8.6 Awareness and Perceptions of PEGI 74
9 Section 9: Demographic Info 78

List of Figures
Figure 1 Omnibus Territories in 2010 Survey 15
Figure 2 European Video Gamers Spring 2010 16
Figure 3 Gamers by Country 16
Figure 4 Proportion of the Population that are Gamers by age and gender: Europe 16
Figure 5 Proportion of Population who are Gamers by age, gender and country 17
Figure 6 Gamer Commitment by Age and Gender 18
Figure 7 Gamer Commitment by Country 19
Figure 8 Countries Included in the Gamer Surveys 2007-2010 21
Figure 9 Number of Gamers (1,000‟s) 16-49 years old By Region 22
Figure 10 Reported Platform Use 23
Figure 11 Reported Platform Use by New Console Users (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii) 23
Figure 12 Reported Platform Use by PS3 Users 24
Figure 13 Reported Platform Use by Xbox 360 Users 24
Figure 14 Reported Platform Use by Wii Users 24
Figure 15 Three Most Popular Main Systems by Region 25
Figure 16 Proportion of Gamers Using Handheld Devices 26
Figure 17 Where Gamers Play With Their Handheld Games Systems 26
Figure 18 The Use of Consoles‟ Multimedia Capabilities 27
Figure 19 Hours of Video Gaming 28
Figure 20 Hours of Video Gaming by New Console Users 28
Figure 21 Numbers of Video Games Purchased 29
Figure 22 Type of Video Game Purchase 29
Figure 23 Gamers‟ Motivations for Playing Video Games 31
Figure 24 Three Main Motivations by Region 32
Figure 25 Handheld Gaming – Motivations for Players 33
Figure 26 Reasons for not Playing Video Games Amongst Non Gamers 34
Figure 27 Main Reasons for not Playing Video Games Amongst Non Gamers: By Region 34
Figure 28 Motivations to Encourage Non Gamers to Play Video Games 35
Figure 29 Proportion of Gaming Parents Who Play Games With Their Children 37
Figure 30 Gaming Parents' Motivations for Playing with their Children 38
Figure 31 Proportion of Occasions When Parents Buy their Children‟s Games 39
Figure 32 Proportion of Occasions Children are Present When their Parents Buy their Children‟s Games 39
Figure 33 Proportion of Occasions When Parents Monitor the Games Their Children are Playing 40
Figure 34 Leisure Activities Gamers Enjoy Most 43
Figure 35 Time Spent By Gamers on Selected Leisure Activities 44
Figure 36 Proportion of Gamers Spending More than 6 Hours a Week on Activity 45
Figure 37 Time Spent By Gamers on Selected Leisure Activities by All New Console Users 46
Figure 38 Proportion of Gamers Agreeing to the Benefits of Video Gaming and Other Media 47
Figure 39 Free Online Gaming Activity by Region 49
Figure 40 Paid For Online Gaming Activity by Region 50
Figure 41 Online Gaming Activity by Region 50
Figure 42 Genre of Online Games Played by Region 51
Figure 43 How Much Social Gameplay is there Online 52
Figure 44 Where Your Friends are Online 52
Figure 45 Where Online Gamers Play Online 53
Figure 46 Motivations for Playing Online Games 54
Figure 47 Awareness of an Age Rating System for Video Games 57
Figure 48 Awareness of an Age Rating System for Video Games by New Console Users 57
Figure 49 Recognition of the PEGI Age Rating Labels 58
Figure 50 Recognition of the PEGI Age Rating Labels by New Console Users 58
Figure 51 PEGI Age Labels Presented in the Research 58
Figure 52 The Usefulness of the Age Rating Symbols among those Who Recognise Them 59
Figure 53 The Usefulness of the Age Rating Symbols among those Who Recognise Them by New Console
Users 59

Figure 54 Awareness of the PEGI Content Symbols 60

Figure 55 Awareness of the PEGI Content Symbols by Region 60
Figure 56 Awareness of the PEGI Content Symbols by All New Console Users 61
Figure 57 Understanding of the PEGI Content Labels 61
Figure 58 Understanding of the PEGI Content Labels by All New Console Users 61
Figure 59 Understanding of the PEGI Content Labels by Region 62
Figure 60 Clarity of the Symbols 63
Figure 61 Usefulness of Symbols in Deciding on a Game Purchase 63
Figure 62 Reported Use of Main System: Europe, By Gender 65
Figure 63 Handheld Gaming Activity By Age and Gender 65
Figure 64 Reported Hours of Play: Europe by Age, Gender and System 66
Figure 65 Numbers of Video Games Purchased: Europe by Age, Gender and System 66
Figure 66 Type of Video Game Purchase by Age, Gender and System 66
Figure 67 Motivations for Playing Video Games by Gender 67
Figure 68 Motivations for Playing Video Games by Gamer Commitment 68
Figure 69 Reasons for not Playing Video Games Amongst Non Gamers 68
Figure 70 Motivations to Encourage Non Gamers to Play Video Games 69
Figure 71 Proportion of Gaming Parents Who Play Games With Their Children – By Gamer Commitment
Index 70
Figure 72 Proportion of Occasions When Parents Buy their Children‟s Games – By Gender 70
Figure 73 Proportion of Occasions Children are Present When their Parents Buy their Children‟s Games –
By Gender 71
Figure 74 Proportion of Occasions When Parents Monitor the Games Their Children are Playing – By
Gender 71
Figure 75 Proportion of Occasions When Parents Monitor the Games Their Children are Playing – By Age
of Youngest Child 71
Figure 76 Leisure Activities Gamers Enjoy Most - Gamer Commitment Index 72
Figure 77 Leisure Activities Gamers Enjoy Most - Age 72
Figure 78 Online Gaming Activity by Age, Gender and System 73
Figure 79 Online Gaming – Genre of Online Games played by Age, Gender and System 73
Figure 80 Awareness of any Age Rating System for Video Games by Gamers/Non Gaming Parents, Age
and Gender 74
Figure 81 Recognition of the PEGI Age Rating Symbols by Gamers/Non Gaming Parents, Age and Gender
75
Figure 82 The Usefulness of the Age Rating Symbols among those Who Recognise Them 75
Figure 83 Awareness of PEGI Symbols by Gamers/Non Gaming Parents and Gender 76
Figure 84 Profiling Gamers: Income 79
Figure 85 Profiling Gamers: Education 79
Figure 86 Profiling Gamers: Occupation 80
List of Tables
Table 1 National and Regional Samples 22
Table 2 Proportions of Gamers by Country Spending More than 6 Hours per Week on an Activity 45

1 Section 1: Market Size

The Shape of the European Gaming Market

1.1 European Market Profile

In this section we provide an estimate of the number of Video Gamers in 8 key European markets.
Data on the five largest European territories UK, France, Italy, Germany and Spain (UFIGS) has been
provided from the Game Vision European Market Sizing Study Spring 2010 which uses a Face to Face
sample of 2000 16+ adults in each country.
Estimates in the other three countries are based on omnibus research commissioned specifically for this
report. 1000 Face to Face interviews in Poland and 1000 CATI interviews in Sweden and Netherlands.
These studies measure the numbers of gamers, their hours of play and spend on video games. These
latter two measures are an effective way of assessing a gamers‟ commitment to gaming, and are
associated with many other gaming behaviours, like online play, ownership of games systems, and
attitudes to gaming. We therefore use this data to weight the more extensive gamer surveys we have
conducted in these countries and in other nations within their associated regions (as shown on the map).
Including this control of the online survey to the profile of gamers in each market is a new development
for the ISFE survey which improves its representativeness. The net effect is likely to reduce the reported
activity and dedication of Gamers compared to previous surveys.
Figure 1 Omnibus Territories in 2010 Survey
Omnibus countries Countries Using each Omnibus for Weighting
Sweden Norway, Finland, Denmark
Netherlands Belgium, Switzerland, Austria
Poland Latvia, Czech Republic, Hungary
UFIGS Portugal
The definition of a Video Gamer has been expanded from 2008 when a Gamer needed to have both
played and bought a video game in the last 6 months. This research includes all those who have played
in the last 6 months regardless of whether or not they have bought a game. It is therefore a more
complete picture of all those enjoying gaming.
Having made such a significant change to the sample, it would therefore be misleading to show any trend
data from previous surveys.

1.2 Market Size

 On average across the 8 major European nations surveyed, 25.4% of adults have played video
games in the last 6 months, a total of 79.2 million gamers. This percentage varies from 38% in
France to 17% in Italy and Poland, but is substantial in every country
 Using this data we estimate there are 95.2 million adult Video Gamers across all 18 countries covered
by the Gamer Survey
 Gaming is most popular among the young, however almost 30% of 30-49 year olds play video games
Figure 2 European Video Gamers Spring 2010
Figure 3 Gamers by Country

100%
Gamers
80% 76%
66% 64%
62% 58% 57%
60% 50%
45% 48% 46%
38% 41%
40% 35%
27% 29%
22% 20%
17% 18%
20% 13% 11% 13%
6% 6% 9%
3% 4%
0%
16-29
30-49
16-29
30-49
16-29
30-49
16-29
30-49
16-29
30-49
16-29
30-49
16-29
30-49
16-29
30-49
16-29
30-49
50+
50+
50+
50+
50+
50+
50+
50+
50+
UK France Germany Italy Spain Sweden Netherlands Poland All Europe
Figure 4 Proportion of the Population that are Gamers by age and gender: Europe
100%
All Gamers
80% 68%
57%
60% 49%
40% 36%
31% 30%
20% 18%
20%
6%
0%
MALE
16-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-44
45-54
55+
FEMALE
GENDER Age
Base All Population 16+ (Sample: a combination of the GameVision Spring 2010 Market Sizing Survey (Sample 10,000 adults aged
16+ across 5 countries and ISFE Market Sizing Omnibus (3,000 adults 16+ across 3 countries) (weighted to 2010 government
population data)
Q1 Which of the following best describes you? - I have played a video or computer game in the last 6 months

1.3 Proportions of Gamers by Age and Gender

Almost all countries show a consistent pattern of penetration by gender and age. However:
 There is a much closer gender balance in UK, France and Netherlands
 There are more gamers in the 25 to 44 age group in Sweden than other countries
 The proportion of gamers peaks at 20-24 in France, a little later than in other countries
Figure 5 Proportion of Population who are Gamers by age, gender and country
100% 100%
UK Gamers Spanish Gamers
80% 74% 80% 74%
60% 56% 64%
60% 60%
45%
34% 31% 38% 38% 35%
40% 31% 40% 31% 29%
18%
20% 11% 20% 13%
3%
0% 0%
MALE
MALE
16-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-44
45-54
16-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-44
45-54
55+
55+
FEMALE
FEMALE
GENDER Age GENDER Age
100% 100%
French Gamers Swedish Gamers
78% 81% 76%
80% 70% 80%
66%
58% 55% 52% 54%
60% 47% 60%
45% 45%
40% 32% 30% 40% 28% 24%
20% 11% 20% 11%
0% 0%
MALE
MALE
16-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-44
45-54
16-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-44
45-54
55+
55+
FEMALE
FEMALE
100% 100%
German Gamers Dutch Gamers
80% 80% 73%
62% 65%
56%
60% 60%
45% 41% 42%
40% 32% 40% 32% 29% 34%
26% 22%
20% 13% 14% 20% 15%
10%
3%
0% 0%
MALE
MALE
16-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-44
45-54
16-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-44
45-54
55+
55+
FEMALE
FEMALE
100% 100%
Italian Gamers Polish Gamers
80% 80%
60% 62%
60% 51% 60%
42%
37%
40% 40% 30%
24% 26% 24%
20% 20%
20% 11% 10% 20% 10% 14%
2% 6% 2%
0% 0%
MALE
MALE
16-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-44
45-54
16-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-44
45-54
55+
55+
FEMALE
FEMALE
population data)
Q1 Which of the following best describes you? - I have played a video or computer game in the last 6 months

1.4 Gamer Commitment

The Gamer Commitment Index is a measure that Number of games bought in the last 3
combines the number of hours of play with the 0 or 1 games 2 games 3 or more games
number of games bought in the last three months to
regular
Intermitent
play
provide an indication of a gamers‟ commitment to
No
(16% )
gaming. GameVision have provided this measure to
the games industry for more than 7 years to track
Up to ½ an hour
Average hours spent playing games
gamer behaviour.
Dabblers
per day
Marginals
(35%)
There are usually five levels of commitment that we Magpies
use to explain gamers‟ behaviour. For this study (9%)
because we are including a wider definition of
one hour
per day
Up to
gamers, we have extended the index to include a Dabblers (17%)
sixth group, „Intermittent Gamers‟. This group are
players who are not putting aside regular time to play
One hour per day

games every week, but have played in the last 6
or more
months. This group have not bought or been gifted Loyalists Committed
(16%) (7%)
any games for their own use.
The figure opposite explains the segmentation.
 Since the launch of the new games consoles the Gamer Commitment Index has reflected a marked
increase in the numbers and proportion of Marginal and Dabbler Gamers, the two least dedicated
gamer segments who regularly play games
 68% of all gamers in the 8 countries surveyed are Intermittent, Marginal or Dabbler Gamers
 Two more committed groups are; Loyalists play longer hours but buy few games and Magpies who
buy lots of games but have little time to play them. Together these groups account for 25% of
gamers
 Finally Committed Gamers are a small proportion of gamers 7%, but they buy many more games and
play more hours than other groups
 Male gamers are more dedicated to gaming than female gamers
 A higher proportion of younger people are Gamers and they are also more dedicated than older
Gamers, spending more time and money on gaming
Figure 6 Gamer Commitment by Age and Gender
Committed Magpies Loyalists Dabblers Marginals Intermintent
100%
9% 10%
13% 14% 16%
90% 20% 17% 17%
22% 25%
80%
29%
30%
70% 33% 33%
35% 35%
39%
60% 38%
40% 38%
20%
50% 22%
18%
18%
40% 17%
19% 15%
16%
30% 23% 13% 13%
18% 20% 12%
11% 16%
20% 13% 15%
10% 13%
10% 9% 19%
10% 13% 9%
10% 9% 9%
11% 13% 9%
9% 8% 5% 5% 3% 7%
4% 2% 2%
0%
MALE FEMALE 16-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-44 45-54 55+ All Gamers
population data)
Question: Combination of data on average hours of video game play and numbers of games bought over the last 3 months.

 UK gamers are the most committed; a higher proportion of them are buying several games each
quarter
 German, Italian and Polish gamers have a large proportion of Loyalists who spend time playing
games but buy few games:
– In Germany this is because of the large number of PC gamers who play long winded strategic
games
– In Poland and Italy it may be more a reflection of lower budgets for gaming
Figure 7 Gamer Commitment by Country
Committed Magpies Loyalists Dabblers Marginals Intermintent
100%
14% 13% 11%
18% 15.7%
90% 20% 24% 23%
25%
80%
26%
70% 35%
37% 21% 34.8%
38% 38%
60%
41% 37%
50% 25% 18%
21%
40% 16% 17.4%
12% 15%
30% 13% 15%
11%
12% 23% 19% 29% 15.7%
11%
20%
14% 11% 11%
10% 5% 7% 12% 9.4%
10% 5%
7% 4%
8% 7% 8% 7% 5% 7% 5% 7.0%
4%
0%
UK France Germany Italy Spain Sweden Netherlands Poland All Europe
population data)
Question: Combination of data on average hours of video game play and numbers of games bought over the last 3 months.

2 Section 2 System Use

Systems in Use, Hours of Play and Spend on Games

2.1 The Sample

The remaining sections of this report are based on surveys of; Gamers, Non Gamers and Non Gaming
Parents, conducted in 18 countries across Europe. This is the first time Non Gaming Parents have been
included in the sample.
The sample in each country reflects the relative population of gamers in the country and covers those
aged 16-49 years old. We will not keep repeating the age criteria in the text but it should be remembered
that the sample does not include the many under 16s who are Gamers.
We have weighted the sample in each country to the relevant market omnibus and report results in the 8
countries/regions defined by the omnibus research. This approach gives a more robust sample of gaming
behaviour and attitudes.
In many cases especially in the countries of Eastern Europe gaming remains a less „mass market‟ activity.
We therefore expect that over time as the market expands, mean activity rates among gamers will decline
as interest in gaming widens in the population and more casual gamers become involved in video gaming.
As far as possible the questionnaire has been kept the same as in 2008 to allow comparability, however
changes have been made where clarification was needed or technology and consumer options have
moved on.
The definition of a video Gamer has been expanded from 2008 when a Gamer needed to have both
played and bought a video game in the last 6 months. This research includes all those who have played
in the last 6 months regardless of whether or not they have bought a game. It is therefore a more
complete picture of all those enjoying gaming.
This inclusion of all Gamers in the sample and the introduction of a weighting to make the gamer sample
representative of all levels of gaming commitment will reduce the knowledge and rates of gaming activity
measured in the 2010 sample in comparison to previous surveys. Therefore it is not appropriate for
comparison to earlier studies. Future studies will be based on this definition of a gamer and will enable
comparative results.
Figure 8 Countries Included in the Gamer Surveys 2007-2010
Gamer Survey Countries
2007 countries
added in 2008
added in 2010

Non
Table 1 National and Regional Samples Gamer gaming Non
Region Country interviews parents Gamers
UK UK 600 300 200
France France 600 300 200
Germany Germany 600 300 200
Italy Italy 600 300 200
Iberian Peninsula Spain 600 300 200
Portugal 200
Rest of Western Europe Belgium 150 400 200
Netherlands 250
Switzerland 200
Austria 200
Nordics Denmark 200 400 200
Sweden 200
Norway 200
Finland 200
North Eastern Europe Czech Republic 200 500 200
Poland 400
Hungary 200
Latvia 200
All Countries 5800 2800 1600
Figure 9 Number of Gamers (1,000‟s) 16-49 years old By Region
18,000 16,443
16,000
14,000 12,779
11,916
12,000 10,522
10,000 9,059
8,183 7,611
8,000 6,086
6,000
4,000
2,000
-
UK France Germany Italy Spain/ Rest of Nordic Region North Eastern
Portugal Western Europe
Europe
Base: All Video Gamers Spring 2010 aged 16-49 (6,629 video gamers weighted by age, sex, hours of play and gaming spend)

2.2 System Use

In this section some charts show „new console users‟. This is defined as a user of at least one of the
following consoles: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii.
 Across Europe the PC remains the most used games system, (it is the main system for 49% of
Gamers aged 16-49). It is particularly popular in Germany, „Rest of Western Europe‟ and „North
Eastern Europe‟
 The Wii and Mobile Phones are the next most popular systems used as main systems for gaming,
(used by 14% and 10% respectively)
 A lot of DS/DS Lite/DSi systems are used as secondary gaming systems and the PS2 still has
significant use as a secondary machine, (used by 29% and 25% of Gamers)
 If the survey were to cover under 16s we would expect to see many of this age group selecting
handhelds like the DS as their main games system
 The top three main systems in each country show the dominance of PC across Europe
 We have included mobile phones, Smart Phones and iPhones as gaming systems for the first time in
2010 and have recorded substantial use of all these systems for gaming. Mobile phones are
important main systems in all regions outside the UK, France and Germany
 North Eastern Europe is the only region in which the Wii has failed to win market share to date
 Many of the Gamers using the PS3, Xbox 360 or Wii as their main games system, also report making
use of a PC and/or a mobile phone
Figure 10 Reported Platform Use
80.0% 75%
70.0% Some Use

60.0% Most used
49% 51%
50.0% 45%
40.0%
29%
30.0% 25%
18%
20.0% 14% 15% 15% 13%
10% 12%
7% 6% 7%
10.0% 5% 4% 4% 3% 3%
6% 4%
2% 0% 0% 0% 0%
0.0%
PC Wii Other DS/ DS PS3 XBox PS2 Smart iPhone PSP/ Xbox Game PS1 Game
Phone Lite/DSi 360 Phone PSP Go Boy Cube
Ad/SP
Q4 Have you played a video or computer game in the last 6 months on any of the following games systems?
Q5 Which of these game systems do you use most often?
Figure 11 Reported Platform Use by New Console Users (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii)
78%
80.0% 73%
70.0% Some Use
60.0% Most Used
50.0% 46%
38% 37%
40.0%
31%
30.0% 26% 27%
24%
18% 18%
20.0%
12%
8% 7% 7% 8% 8%
10.0% 6% 6% 5%
3% 3% 2% 1% 0% 0% 0% 0%
0.0%
PC Wii PS3 XBox DS/ DS Other iPhone PS2 PSP/ Smart Xbox PS1 Game Game
360 Lite/DSi Phone PSP Go Phone Boy Cube
Ad/SP
Base: All Video Gamers Spring 2010 aged 16-49 (3,814 video gamers who use a PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii as main console)

Figure 12 Reported Platform Use by PS3 Users

100%
100.0%
90.0% 82% Some Use
80.0%
Most Used
70.0% 60%
60.0% 54%
50.0% 41% 40%
40.0% 36%
29% 30% 32%
30.0% 26%
18%
20.0% 12% 15%
12% 11% 9%
10.0% 5% 4% 4% 3% 3% 3% 2% 1% 1% 0% 0%
0.0%
PC PS3 Wii Other XBox iPhone PS2 DS/ DS PSP/ Smart PS1 Xbox Game Game
Phone 360 Lite/DSi PSP Go Phone Boy Cube
Ad/SP
Figure 13 Reported Platform Use by Xbox 360 Users

100%
100.0%
90.0% 82%
Some Use
80.0%
Most Used
70.0%
57%
60.0% 52%
50.0%
39%
40.0% 35% 35% 34%
28% 28% 28%
30.0%
17%
20.0% 10%
14% 11% 12% 12%
7% 5% 5%
10.0% 3% 2% 2% 1% 1% 0% 0% 0%
0.0%
PC XBox Wii PS3 DS/ DS Other iPhone PSP/ PS2 Smart Game Xbox PS1 Game
360 Lite/DSi Phone PSP Go Phone Cube Boy
Ad/SP
Figure 14 Reported Platform Use by Wii Users

100%
100.0%
90.0%
Some Use
80.0% 72%
Most Used
70.0%
60.0%
47%
50.0% 41%
38%
40.0% 30%
27%
30.0% 24%
19% 18% 17%
20.0% 12%
7% 6% 8% 7% 8% 6%
10.0% 5% 4% 4% 3% 2% 1% 0% 0% 0% 0%
0.0%
PC Wii DS/ DS Other PS3 XBox iPhone PS2 Smart PSP/ Game Xbox PS1 Game
Lite/DSi Phone 360 Phone PSP Go Boy Cube
Ad/SP

Figure 15 Three Most Popular Main Systems by Region

100%
90% 2%
5%
80% 19% 4%
5% 7%
70% 9% 9% 10% 10%
9% 12% 12% 17%
60% 9% 14%
17% 14%
50% 27% 10% 11%
40% 73%
30% 58% 55%
45% 45% 43% 49% 49%
20% 33%
10%
0%
UK France Germany Italy Spain/ Rest of Nordic North All Europe
Portugal Western Region Eastern
Europe Europe
PC Wii Other mobile phone DS/DSLite/DSi Xbox 360 PS3

2.3 Handheld Systems

 54% of Gamers are playing a handheld gaming device
 Handheld gaming is most prevalent in the North Eastern Europe Region and the Spain/Portugal
Region
 Gaming activity in the Nordic Region is weaker than in the rest of Europe
 41% of Gamers mostly play games on handheld consoles at home, 26% mostly play while travelling
and 17% mostly when waiting for someone
Figure 16 Proportion of Gamers Using Handheld Devices
70% 67%
64%
60% 56% 54%
52% 53%
50% 48%
50%
40%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Europe Europe
Q22 Do you play games on a portable device such as a mobile phone, PDA, Nintendo DS or Sony PSP?
Figure 17 Where Gamers Play With Their Handheld Games Systems
51%
At home
41%
45%
When I am travelling
26%
37%
When I am waiting for someone
17%
11% Play Mostly Play
Other
5%
10%
At a friends house
2%
9%
At work
4%
9%
At school
3%
7%
At a cafe/bar/restaurant
1%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Base: All Video Gamers who play on a handheld system Spring 2010 aged 16-49 (3,577 video gamers weighted by age, sex, hours
of play and gaming spend)
Q23 Where do you mostly play video games on a portable device?
Q24 Where else do you play video games on a portable device?

2.4 Multimedia Console Use

 Watching DVDs, listening to music, and watching films are the most popular secondary uses of
games systems with multimedia capabilities
 23% and 20% of Gamers use the Social networking and online chat services on their consoles
Figure 18 The Use of Consoles‟ Multimedia Capabilities
70% 63%
60% 55% 58%
53%
49% 50% 52% 50%
47% 48%
50% 44% 43% 46% 45% 46%45%46%
40% 42% 44% 45%
40%
40% 36% 37%37%37% 36%
32%
30% 29%
28%
30% 24% 23%
25%
23%
19% 20% 20%
18%
20% 17% 16%17% 16% 16%
12%
10%
0%
Europe Europe
Watch DVDs Listen to music Watch films Access a social network site Chat online
Base: All Video Gamers with access to a console with multimedia capabilities (PS2, PS3, PSP, Xbox, Xbox 360) Spring 2010 aged 16-
49 (2,021 video gamers weighted by age, sex, hours of play and gaming spend)
Q28 Have you used your games systems (excluding PCs) as a multimedia device in the last 12 months to ....

2.5 Hours of Game Play

 The inclusion in Spring 2010 of all Gamers has led to the identification of Intermittent Gamers who
are not playing games regularly every week. 31% of people who play games do not play regularly
for an hour or more each week
 Other research shows a trend to less dedicated game play in the UFIGS countries (UK, France, Italy,
Germany and Spain)3
 Overall 76% of Gamers play less than 5 hours a week. It is therefore no longer correct to view
gaming as a pastime of a few highly committed participants
 Germans and North Eastern Gamers are the most likely to have long hours of play. This reflects the
higher proportions of PC Gamers in these regions. These groups are more likely to play the strategic
types of game that involve many hours of game play
 The pattern of play among Wii Gamers is very similar to the general profile across Europe, the only
difference is that there are slightly fewer intermittent users
 PS3 and Xbox 360 Gamers are more likely to play for longer than the norm, 25% of Gamers on these
systems play more than 10 hours a week.
Figure 19 Hours of Video Gaming
100% 6% 5% 16+ hours
7% 8% 12% 8% 7% 8%
5% 4% 4% 4% 3% 13%
90% 6% 7% 5% 11-15 hours
9% 9% 9% 10%
80% 11% 8% 11%
15% 6-10 hours
70% 13% 17%
38% 1-5 hours
60% 44% 43% 42%
no hours
50% 45%
55% 49% 28%
40% 49%
30%
20% 40% 45%
36% 38% 34% 31%
10% 22% 17% 22%
0%
Europe Europe
Q6 Thinking now about your use of video games, on average, how many hours per week have your spent playing video games over
the last 3 months? (Include both online and off line play.) (Sense checks were included and where gamers found difficulty in
answering this question they were asked to estimate play in time bands.)
Figure 20 Hours of Video Gaming by New Console Users

100% 16+ hours
9% 16% 16% 9%
6% 5% 11-15 hours
80% 12% 9% 8% 12% 6-10 hours
15% 15% 1-5 hours
60% no hours
46% 48%
40% 41% 38%
20%
27% 19% 24% 26%
0%
All New Console Users A Sony PlayStation 3 User A Microsoft Xbox 360 User A Nintendo Wii User
3
GVE Compass Report: The European Leisure and Software Industry Consumer Intelligence Report Spring 2010

2.6 Purchase Behaviour

 Almost 40% of people playing games have not bought or been given a game for themselves in the
last 12 months, they are playing the games others have bought
 14% of Gamers are buying more than 3 games a year and together this group account for 56% of all
games purchases
 Numbers of purchases are highest in the UFIGS countries:
– These range from 2.7 games per gamer in the UK to 1.4 games per gamer in North Eastern Europe
 Only 40% of the games bought are bought new/at full price
Figure 21 Numbers of Video Games Purchased
1% 1% 2% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1%
100% 3% 2%3% 1% 2% 1% 2% 1% 1% 2% 2%
5% 2% 5% more than 15 games
6% 4% 5% 5% 4%
90% 4% 6% 10% 4% 11-15 games
7% 7%
11% 8%
7-10 games
80%
32% 4-6 games
70% 39% 40%
39% 1-3 games
50% 47%
60% No games
55%
49% 54%
50%
40%
30% 57%
52% 51%
47%
20% 39% 39%
30% 28% 31%
10%
0%
UK France Germany Italy Spain/ Rest of Nordic Region North Eastern All Europe
Europe
Q9 How many games have you bought for yourself, or been given in the last 12 months? (Include online games.) (Options: second
hand, discounted from full price, new full price.)
Figure 22 Type of Video Game Purchase

3.0 New full price
Discounted from full price
2.5
Second hand
1.0
2.0 0.9
1.1
0.7 0.8
1.5
0.9
0.9 0.7 0.7 0.4
0.8
1.0 0.7 0.7 0.7
0.5 0.5
0.5 0.6
0.5 0.9
0.8 0.6 0.6
0.6 0.5 0.5
0.3 0.3
0.0
UK France Germany Italy Spain/ Portugal Rest of Western Nordic Region North Eastern All Europe
Europe Europe

3 Section 3 Attitudes and Motivations

for Video Gaming
Reasons for Gaming, Encouraging New
Gamers

3.1 Motivations for Playing Video Games

 The core motivations for playing games are „fun‟ (61%); „relaxation‟ (53%); and „a way to pass time‟
(53%), i.e. simple pleasures
 These motivations are:
– consistent across all the regions
– both the most popular reasons and the three main motivations for gaming (chosen as the main
reason for playing by; 25%, 23% and 26% of Gamers respectively)
 Other reasons such as „the challenge of the game‟ and „excitement‟ motivate fewer Gamers to play
video games
 Learning new things is the least selected motivation, though other research has shown it as an
important motivation for some of the new entrants to the market 4
Figure 23 Gamers‟ Motivations for Playing Video Games
61%
It's fun
25%
53%
When I'm bored/ to pass time
26%
53%
To relax/ de-stress
23%
32%
For the challenge of the game
6%
24%
To make good use of spare time
5%
20%
It's exciting
2%
To play/socialise with other people in 16%
person 6%
12%
To use my imagination
1%
11% Other Reason
To play/socialise with other people online
3% Main reason
9%
I learn new things
1%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Q11 What is the main reason you play video games? Q12 What other reasons do you play video games for?
4
GVE runs a Gamer Market Segmentation system which identifies 7 groups of gamers. One group „This Lifers‟ is
14.5% of the market and is motivated to play by experiences like; „gives me an opportunity to do something creative‟
and „develops my skills outside gaming‟. Source: GVE Compass 2010.

Figure 24 Three Main Motivations by Region

It's fun
80%
73% To relax/ de-stress
70% When I'm bored/ to pass time
65%
60% 59% 60% 59% 61% 61% 61% 61%
58%
60% 56% 55% 53%
52% 52% 53% 52% 51% 53% 53%
50% 51% 49%
50% 47%
45%
39%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Europe Europe

3.2 Motivations to play with Handhelds Systems

 Handhelds are for many time fillers; „when I‟m bored/to pass the time‟ is the main reason given for
playing Handheld game systems by 52% of Gamers that use them, and a further 8% say they see it
as a good use of spare time
 Relaxing and de-stressing is also an important motivation (13%)
 “It‟s fun” (16%) is much less likely to be the main motivation for Gamers than when they play
Console or online games
 Handheld gaming is not seen as a way to socialise with other gamers in person or online
Figure 25 Handheld Gaming – Motivations for Players
When I'm bored/to pass the time 50%

52%
It's fun 40%
16%
To relax/de-stress 31%
13% Other Reasons
To make good use of spare time 20%
8% Main Reason
For the challenge of the game 15%
4%
It's exciting 12%
3%
To use my imagination 9%
1%
I learn new things 6%
1%
To play/socialise with other people in person 4%
1%
To play/socialise with other people online 3%
1%
0% 20% 40% 60%
Base: All Video Gamers who play on a handheld system Spring 2010 aged 16-49 (3,577 video gamers weighted by age, sex, hours
Q25 What is the main reason why you play video games on a portable device?
Q26 Why else do you play video games on a portable device?

3.3 Reasons for Not Playing Video Games Amongst Non

Gamers
 The main reason Non Gamers don‟t play games is that they do not consider the benefits sufficiently
great and therefore do not make the time to play; 41% of Non Gamers say “I don‟t have the time”
 The second main reason is a lack of interest in or understanding of games;
– 23% say video games are boring
– 9% say games are only for children
 11% of Non Gamers do not believe they are worth the money saying they are too expensive
 Only 7% claim games are too violent as the reason they do not play them
 There is a good deal of agreement across the regions among Non Gamers, though in the UK, France
and North Eastern Europe Non Gamers place less emphasis on the cost of games
Figure 26 Reasons for not Playing Video Games Amongst Non Gamers
32%
I don't have the time
41%
19%
Video games are too expensive
11%
16%
I find video games boring
23%
I find video games too complicated/ 11%

difficult to play 8%
10%
Video games are too violent
7%
Other Reason
9% Main reason
Video games are for children
9%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Base: All Non Gamers Spring 2010 aged 16-60 (1,599 video gamers weighted by age and sex)
NG1 What is the main reason why you don‟t play video games
Figure 27 Main Reasons for not Playing Video Games Amongst Non Gamers: By Region
100%
8%
80% 9%
10% 14% 10% 13% 14%
15% 16% 11%
60% 17% 14%
28% 16% 33% 13% 29% 23%
28%
40% 23%
48% 48% 54%

20% 40% 37% 39% 41%
33% 28%
0%
UK France Germany Italy Spain/ Rest of Nordic North All Non
Portugal Western Region Eastern Gamers
Europe Europe
I don't have the time I find video games boring
Video games are too expensive Video games are for children
I find video games too complicated/difficult to play
NG1 What is the main reason why you don‟t play video games

3.4 Encouraging Non Gamers to Play Video Gamers

 Most of the reasons given for not gaming by Non Gamers, are issues that are not so much matter of
fact as of opinion or knowledge
– 33% of Non Gamers say „being able to play with my children‟ would motivate them to play.
However, there are already many games others consider suitable to play with children
– Non Gamers are attracted by games that can be played for short periods of time (27%), and there
are increasing numbers of titles that can be played in this way
 Therefore, the conclusion is that:
– the types of rewards that motivate Non Gamers are similar to many Gamers‟ motivations for playing
games
– the barriers of disinterest and lack of appreciation of gaming among Non Gamers must therefore be
more significant deterrents to be overcome than the need for new game concepts
– more people can be encouraged to play if the ability of games to meet their interests can be
communicated to them effectively
 The success in recent years of the new consoles and new games like Wii Fit, Guitar Hero and Dr
Kawashima‟s Brain Training to attract new people to gaming demonstrate the possibilities for
expanding further participation in games
Figure 28 Motivations to Encourage Non Gamers to Play Video Games
Being able to play with my children 33%
A game that can be played for short periods of time 27%
Being able to play games that stimulate my imagination/ make me think 24%
If the cost of video games were lower 24%
A game that doesn't take a lot of time to complete 23%
A game that looks easy or fun 20%
Being able to play games that keep me physically active 15%
A game that I can really pick up and play easily 12%
Being able to play with friends other people 9%
A game that gives me the chance to do things I cannot do in real life 4%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
NG3 What would make you more interested in playing video games?

4 Section 4 Video Games in the Family

Playing with children and Parental Supervision of
Gaming

4.1 Video Games as a Family Activity

 In Spring 2010 58% of all Gamers who are parents report playing games with their children
 The UK has the highest figure amongst Europe with 72% of all Gamers who are parents report
playing games with their children
 The likelihood is related to how active a gamer the parent is; the more dedicated a gamer the more
likely they are to play with their children
Figure 29 Proportion of Gaming Parents Who Play Games With Their Children
80%
I play video games with my child
70%
60%
50%
40%
72%
30% 63%
55% 56% 58%
52% 53% 49% 48%
20%
10%
0%
UK France Germany Italy Spain/ Rest of Nordic North All Gaming
Portugal Western Region Eastern Parents
Europe Europe
Base: All Gamers who are also Parents, Spring 2010, aged 16-49 (2,253 gamers, weighted by age, sex, hours of play and gaming
spend)
Q30 Do you ever play video games with your child/children?

4.2 Motivations to Play with Children

 The three main reasons for Parents playing with their children are:
– It‟s fun (27%)
– It allows them to spend time with their children (25%)
– They do it because their children have asked them to (24%)
Figure 30 Gaming Parents' Motivations for Playing with their Children
It's a fun activity for all the family 40%

27%
I can spend time with my child/children 42%
25%
My child/children asked me to play with them 37%
24%
Some of the games I play have educational benefits 21%
9%
Some of the games I play have health and fitness 13%
benefits
6%
I can monitor what games my child/children are playing 21%
Other Reason
5%
Main Reason
I can monitor how long my child/children are playing 17%
video games for
3%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Base: All Gaming Parents who play games with their children, Spring 2010, aged 16-49 (1,507 gamers, weighted by age, sex, hours
Q31 What is the main reason you play video games with your child/children?
Q32 Why else do you play video games with your child/children?

4.3 Monitoring Children‟s Games Purchases and Play

 Many parents are not involved in their children‟s purchases
 31% of Gaming Parents and 42% of Non Gaming Parents never buy games for their children
 14% of Gaming Parents and 17% of Non Gaming Parents never monitor the games that their children
are playing
 Across almost all regions the consistent pattern is for Gaming Parents to be more involved in their
children‟s games purchases than Non Gaming Parents, only North Eastern Europe reverses this
pattern
 North Eastern European Parents are the least likely to be ever involved in buying their children‟s
games
 UK Parents are the least likely to allow their children to buy their games unsupervised
Figure 31 Proportion of Occasions When Parents Buy their Children‟s Games
100% Never
90%
Rarely
23% 22% 24% 22%
29% 31% 35% 31% Sometimes
80% 37% 42% 36% 40%
45% 47% 42%
5% 10% 49% 49% Most of the time
70% 9% 16% 55%
Always
60% 22% 18% 17% 17%
11%
26% 27% 21%
50% 29% 30% 15%
13% 27% 23%
40% 27% 24% 22% 22% 26%
25% 25%
31% 16% 18% 20%
30% 23%
33% 36% 20%
20% 23% 28% 11% 20% 20%
21% 13% 19% 11% 14% 15%
29% 29%
10% 19% 15% 9% 9% 10% 10%
11% 6% 6% 5% 12% 15% 3% 5% 11% 11%
2% 1% 3% 2% 5% 2% 4% 5% 3% 6%
0%
Gamer Non Gamer Non Gamer Non Gamer Non Gamer Non Gamer Non Gamer Non Gamer Non Gamer Non
Parent Gamer Parent Gamer Parent Gamer Parent Gamer Parent Gamer Parent Gamer Parent Gamer Parent Gamer Parent Gamer
Parent Parent Parent Parent Parent Parent Parent Parent Parent
Europe
Base: All Parents, Spring 2010, (Gaming Parents aged 16-49- 2,253, weighted by age, sex, hours of play and gaming spend) and
(Non Gaming parents aged 16+ 2,931 unweighted as no information exists on the age and sex profile of this group by region)
Q33 Thinking about your youngest child, do you buy this child‟s games?
 There is less difference between the two groups of parents over whether children are present when
games are bought
 Only 16% of parents buy their children‟s games, either without their children or rarely with their
children present
 German parents are most likely to be buying their children‟s games without their children present
Figure 32 Proportion of Occasions Children are Present When their Parents Buy their Children‟s Games
Never
100% 2% 4% 2% 3% 5% 4% 5% 4% 3%
8% 8% 7% 9% 7% 6% 7% Rarely
12% 8% 12% 13% 10% 7% 6%
90% 6% 9% 10% 13% 10% 9%
12% 10% 9% 16% 12% Sometimes
13% 8% 14% 12%
80% 9% Most of the time
13% 25% 11% 19% 10% 15%
31% 29% 28% 15% 19% 16% 25% 23%
70% 17% 17% 10% Always
17% 12%
60% 16% 14% 16% Never Buy Games for Child
12% 15% 9%
13% 23% 16% 11% 18% 10%
50% 18% 23% 14% 19%
24% 20% 6% 12% 12%
24% 15%
40% 13% 7%
11% 6% 11%
30% 16% 19%
9% 13% 55%
45% 47% 49% 49%
20% 37% 42% 36% 40% 42%
29% 31% 35% 31%
10% 23% 22% 24% 22%
0%
Europe
(Non Gaming parents aged 16+ 2931 unweighted as no information exists on the age and sex profile of this group by region)
Q34 When you buy games for your child is your child present?

 Gaming Parents are marginally more likely than Non Gaming Parents to monitor the games their
children are playing
 Nordic parents are the least concerned about what their children are playing
Figure 33 Proportion of Occasions When Parents Monitor the Games Their Children are Playing
100% Never
12% 6% 11%
16% 13% 17% 17% 15% 1% 19% 18% 17% 15% 13% 14% 17% Rarely
90% 20% 19% 20%
4% 12% 4% 3%
2% 8% 3% 1% 7% 3% 6% Sometimes
80% 9% 8% 6% 8% 5% 6% 9% 11% 8%
11% 11% 8% 13% Most of the time
70% 14% 11% 24% 18%
12% 22%
9% 27% 10% 13% 13% 14%
Always
23% 29%
60% 23% 12% 19% 25%
29% 20% 18%
50% 28% 22% 20% 25% 21%
26% 25%
40% 23%
30%
54% 52% 54% 54% 49%
42% 46% 45% 47% 46%
20% 37% 39% 39% 35% 38% 40%
28% 34%
10%
0%
Europe
(Non Gaming parents aged 16+ 2931 unweighted as no information exists on the age and sex profile of this group by region)
Q35 Do you monitor what video games your children are playing?


5 Section 5 Video Gamers Broader

Activities and Interests

5.1 Gamers Other Leisure Interests

 In 2010 simple social activities, like chatting with friends are a universally popular pastime (92%)
 Shopping (78%) and eating out (77%) are also enormously popular
 The data is a measure of the things Gamers like to do when they can, not monthly activity rates for
each pastime
 Exercising outdoors has the highest proportion of people who claim this is their favourite activity both
in absolute terms and in relation to the overall popularity of the activity
Figure 34 Leisure Activities Gamers Enjoy Most
34%
Chat or spend time with friends
92%
9%
Go shopping or go out to shopping malls
78%
8%
Go out to eat
77%
10%
Go to the movies
69%
6%
Go out to a cafe, pub or bar
66%
16%
Play sports or exercise outdoors
60%
5%
Go to a party or go out dancing
47%
5%
Go to a concert or a gig
38%
5%
Play sports or exercise at a health centre Favourite Activity
37%
1% All Activities Enjoyed
Go to a museum, art gallery or the theatre
29%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Base: All Gamers Spring 2010 aged 16-49 (6,629 video gamers weighted by age, sex, hours of play and gaming spend)
Q36 If you had a few hours of spare time, what sort of leisure or entertainment-related activities do you usually do at least once a
month, place each activity according to your preferences – Things I do/ Things I don‟t do?
Q36a Please rank in order of preference, your three favourite activities.

5.2 Time spent by Gamers on Leisure and Entertainment

 Gamers are now a group who have many diverse interests; they are as likely to play sport or read
books as game, this is true both of all Gamers and of those using the New Consoles.
 The dominant pastimes remain watching TV, socialising and spending time on the internet
 45% of gamers‟ spend 15 or more hours a week surfing the internet
 There are broad similarities in the pattern of time spent on the reported activities across the regions,
however each region has its own emphasis; for example the Germans are much more likely to
socialise than the British and the French watch more TV than the Italians
Figure 35 Time Spent By Gamers on Selected Leisure Activities

4%
Going to the cinema 38% 57% 1%
Reading newspapers and 15%
magazines
15% 68% 2%
Playing sport / exercising 22% 52% 20% 5%
Reading books 21% 54% 20% 5%
Watching DVDs 22% 61% 14% 3%
Playing console or PC videogames 18% 56% 18% 8%
Listening to the radio 14% 48% 24% 14%
Listening to music on CD / iPod

/other music player
13% 51% 23% 12%
Watching TV 4% 28% 40% 28%
Socialising with friends / family 3% 31% 35% 32%
Surfing the Internet 1% 17% 36% 45%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
None 5 hours or less 6-14 hours 15+ hours
Q37 In an average week how much time would you say you spend on ....?

Figure 36 Proportion of Gamers Spending More than 6 Hours a Week on Activity
Going to the cinema 5%
Reading newspapers and magazines 17%
Playing sport / exercising 25%
Reading books 25%
Watching DVDs 17%
Playing console or PC videogames 25%
Listening to the radio 38%

Listening to music on CD / iPod /other music
player
36%
Watching TV 68%
Socialising with friends / family 66%
Surfing the Internet 81%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Base: All Gamers Spring 2010 aged 16-49 (6,629 video gamers weighted by age, sex, hours of play and gaming spend), 2008
sample as reported in 2008
Table 2 Proportions of Gamers by Country Spending More than 6 Hours per Week on an Activity
Rest of North
Spain/ Western Nordic Eastern All
UK France Germany Italy Portugal Europe Region Europe Gamers
Playing console or PC videogames 24% 23% 32% 30% 24% 20% 17% 31% 25%
Surfing the Internet 83% 84% 82% 84% 77% 78% 78% 82% 81%
Socialising with friends / family 54% 62% 74% 63% 73% 70% 70% 75% 66%
Watching TV 71% 78% 73% 57% 60% 69% 71% 54% 68%
Listening to music on CD / iPod /other music player 38% 30% 34% 35% 32% 37% 36% 49% 36%
Listening to the radio 34% 38% 39% 35% 35% 42% 36% 48% 38%
Watching DVDs 24% 16% 15% 17% 15% 15% 17% 20% 17%
Reading books 28% 20% 29% 28% 23% 27% 24% 23% 25%
Playing sport / exercising 22% 23% 25% 27% 22% 24% 31% 34% 25%
Reading newspapers and magazines 11% 15% 18% 21% 20% 22% 17% 18% 17%
Going to the cinema 5% 5% 4% 10% 7% 1% 1% 3% 5%

Figure 37 Time Spent By Gamers on Selected Leisure Activities by All New Console Users
Going to the cinema 35% 59% 5% 1%
Reading newspapers and

magazines
15% 68% 15% 2%
Playing sport / exercising 21% 53% 21% 4%
Reading books 20% 55% 20% 5%
Watching DVDs 17% 64% 15% 4%
Playing console or PC videogames 14% 58% 19% 9%
Listening to the radio 14% 48% 24% 13%
Listening to music on CD / iPod

/other music player
12% 53% 24% 11%
Watching TV 3% 29% 41% 27%
Socialising with friends / family 3% 30% 34% 33%
Surfing the Internet 2% 19% 36% 44%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
None 5 hours or less 6-14 hours 15+ hours

5.3 The Benefits of Video Gaming and Other Media

 In 2010 Gamers believe that games are the best media for keeping you mentally and physically fit
 TV is the best media for:
– Helping you learn about new technology (49% in 2010 – 12% higher than all other forms of media)
– Teaching you new things (54% - 24%)
 Movies are the best media for:
– Being a fun way to spend time (78% - 16%)
– Stimulating your imagination (47% - 2%)
– Making you think (46% - 3%)
– Constructive way to spend time (34% - 1%)
– Allowing you to spend time with the family (50% - 14%)
 Games are the best media for:
– Keeping you mentally fit (50% - 25%)
– Keeping you physically fit (18% - 11%)
Figure 38 Proportion of Gamers Agreeing to the Benefits of Video Gaming and Other Media
80% 78%
Video Games
TV
70%
62% Movies
60% 55%
54%
50% 49% 50%
50% 47% 46%
45%
43%42%
40% 37%
34% 35%36%
31% 33%
30% 29%
30% 28%
25%
24% 22%
20% 18%
10% 7% 7%
0%
Fun way to Stimulates your Makes you Keeps you fit Helps you learn Teaches you Constructive Allows you to Keeps you fit
spend time imagination think mentally about new things way to spend spend time physically
technology and time with
new media friends/family
Base: All Gamers Spring 2010 aged 16-49 (6,629 video gamers weighted by age, sex, hours of play and gaming spend) (Agree = a
score of 4 or 5)
Q13 Please indicate whether you agree with each statement using a 1-5 rating scale, where a 5 stands for agree strongly and a 1
stands for disagree strongly.

6 Section 6 Online Gaming and

Multimedia

6.1 Prevalence of Online Gaming

 71% of Gamers played some form of Online game in the past 3 months
 Comparing the profile of free online gaming against paid for, free online games make up a large
volume of online games played
 19% of Gamers are playing paid for Online games (e.g. Subscription titles such as World of Warcraft;
or pay to play online games) and 68% of Gamers are playing free Online games
 Free Games on Games Websites (55%) and Games of Social Network Sites (37%) are the most
popular kinds of free games. Games you buy and then play free online is the most popular kind of
paid for online gaming
 Free online gaming activity is strongest in North Eastern Europe, however it has the lowest level of
activity for paid for online gaming
 The Nordic Region and Germany show the highest level of activity for paid for online gaming
 Playing Free online Gambling games is most common in Spain/Portugal
 More than half of all Italian Gamers (52%) play free online games on Social networking sites/non
gaming websites
 Games which you have to buy the software and then play online is the most prevalent form of paid
for online gaming; the highest level of activity is seen in Germany (17%)
 8% of Nordic Gamers are playing online games for which you have to pay a monthly subscription, the
highest in Europe
 Italy and the Nordic Region (10%) show the highest proportion for playing games on a “pay to play”
basis
Figure 39 Free Online Gaming Activity by Region
41%
37%
UK 19%
16%
57%
35%
France 33%
13%
61%
31%
Germany 27%
16%
59%
52%
Italy 28%
21%
53%
36%
Spain/ Portugal 34%
23%
54%
31%
Rest of Western Europe 22%
15%
53%
38%
Nordic Region 21%
18%
67%
46%
North Eastern Europe 36%
27%
55%
37%
All Europe 28%
18%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Free online games on games websites

Free online games on a social networking or other non-game websites
Free massively multiplayer online games
Online gambling games
Q14 What kind of online or WiFi games have you played in the last 3 months (if any)?

Figure 40 Paid For Online Gaming Activity by Region
14%
UK 6%
6%
14%
France 7%
6%
17%
Germany 6%
7%
15%
Italy 5%
10%
11%
Spain/ Portugal 4%
6%
14%
5%
14%
Nordic Region 8%
10%
11%
6%
14%
All Europe 2010 6%
7%
0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 16% 18%
Games for which you have to buy the software and then play free online
Games which you pay a monthly subscription to play online
Games you play online for which you pay on a 'pay per play' basis
Figure 41 Online Gaming Activity by Region
90% 81%82%
75% 76%
80% 73% 71%
69%70% 70% 69%70% 68% 67% 68%71%
70% 65%
58%60%
60%
50%
40%
30% 23% 25%
19% 22% 19% 19%
17% 16% 16%
20%
10%
0%
Portugal Western Region Eastern 2010
Europe Europe
Paid for Online Games Free Online Games Any Online Games

6.2 Genre of Online Games Played

 Puzzle/Board/Game Show/Trivia/Card games are the most played Online Games
 58% of Gamers are playing Puzzle/Board/Game Show/Trivia/Card games online; the Rest of Western
Europe is the most active Region with two thirds of Gamers in the region playing
 26% of Gamers are playing MMO games; they are most popular in France where a third of French
Gamers play MMO games
Figure 42 Genre of Online Games Played by Region
41%
UK 65%
55%
18%
37%
France 58%
56%
33%
48%
Germany 54%
56%
27%
50%
Italy 55%
55%
20%
50%
Spain/ Portugal 47%
52%
30%
48%
57%
25%
44%
Nordic Region 62%
52%
21%
49%
55%
28%
45%
All Europe 58%
55%
26%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Action/Sport/Strategy/Role Play Puzzle/Board/Game Show/Trivia/Card
Mini Games/Shockwave/Flash/Browser Based Massively Multiplayer Online Games
Base: All Video Gamers who play online Spring 2010 aged 16-49 (4,748 video gamers weighted by age, sex, hours of play and
gaming spend)
Q15 What kind of games do you play online?

6.3 Who Online Games are Played With

 Playing online is a largely solitary activity; 68% play all/most of the time online alone
 Over half of French Gamers play online on their own
 Among Gamers who do play with others,
– 20% of Online Gamers play against people in the same room
 UK Gamers are most likely to play online games with other gamers physically present in the same
room (27%), this figure is only 9% in the „Rest of Western Europe‟
Figure 43 How Much Social Gameplay is there Online
100%
5% 6% 7% 7% 6% 9% 9% 7%
90% 10%
80% 20% 16% 19% 20%
26% 17% 22%
70% 26% 33%
60% 25%
37% 36% 23% 30% 33% 31%
50%
40% 33%
30%
30%
51%
20% 35% 36% 41% 41% 38% 37%
10% 27% 23%
0%
Portugal Western Region Eastern 2010
Europe Europe
Always play on my own Play on my own most of the time

Sometimes on my own/sometimes with other people Play with other people most of the time
Always play with other people
gaming spend)
Q16 Do you generally play games online by yourself or with/against other people?
Figure 44 Where Your Friends are Online
100%
90% 14% 22% 20%
31% 26% 28% 26% 25%
80% 36%
70%
60%
50% 49% 69% 60%
36% 44% 65% 55%
40% 59% 65%
30%
20%
10% 27% 25% 25% 20%
13% 17% 18% 15%
9%
0%
UK France Germany Italy Spain/ Rest of Nordic North All
Portugal Western Region Eastern Europe
Europe Europe 2010
Usually physically present in the same room
Usually present via a network
Sometimes they are physically present and sometimes present via a network
Base: All Video Gamers who play online against other gamers Spring 2010 aged 16-49 (481 video gamers weighted by age, sex,
hours of play and gaming spend)
Q16 Do you generally play games online by yourself or with/against other people?
Q17 When you play games online against other people are they usually physically present in the same room or present via a
network?

6.4 Where Gamers Play Online

 95% of Online Gamers play games online at home
 21% play games online at friends houses
 9% of Gamers who play online do so whilst travelling; this has only become possible via WiFi and the
online capabilities of the new handhelds
Figure 45 Where Online Gamers Play Online
95%
At home
89%
21% Play
At a friend's house
3%
11% Mostly play
When I am waiting for someone
1%
9%
At work
2%
9%
When I am travelling
1%
7%
At school
1%
5%
Other
2%
3%
At a cafe/bar/restaurant
1%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
gaming spend)
Q18 Where do you mostly play video games online?
Q19 Where else do you play video games online?

6.5 Why Gamers Play Online

 „It‟s fun‟ is the most quoted reason for playing gamers online (49%), but „to pass the time‟ is the
main reason most often given by Gamers (29%)
 Other important reasons include:
– To relax/de-stress (40% - 19% as a main reason)
– The challenge of the game (23% - 7%)
Figure 46 Motivations for Playing Online Games
It's fun 49%

23%
When I'm bored/to pass the time 44%
29%
19%
23% Other Reasons
20% Main Reason
It's exciting 5%
6%
5%
To play/socialise with other people in person 11%
4%
1%
1%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
gaming spend)
Q20 What is your main reason for playing video games online?
Q21 What other reason do you have for playing online video games?


7 Section 7 Awareness and Perceptions

of PEGI

7.1 Awareness of Age Rating Systems

 Across Europe awareness is remarkably consistent among Gamers and Non Gaming Parents within
each country
 Only in Italy and North Eastern Europe are Non Gaming Parents less aware
 Awareness is strongest in UK and the „Rest of Western Europe‟ (NL, B, CH, AUT)
 There is little differentiation by console, awareness is highest amongst PS3 users at 61%
5
Figure 47 Awareness of an Age Rating System for Video Games
70% 62%
64%
60% 61%
60% 53% 52%
52%
48% 47%
50% 45% 43% 44%
43% 41%
40% 35%
30% 23%
20%
10%
0%
Gamers Non Gamers Non Gamers Non Gamers Non Gamers Non Gamers Non Gamers Non Gamers Non
Gaming Gaming Gaming Gaming Gaming Gaming Gaming Gaming
Parents Parents Parents Parents Parents Parents Parents Parents
UK France Italy Spain/Portugal Rest of Western Nordic Region North Eastern All Europe
Europe Europe
Base: All Video Gamers Spring 2010 aged 16-49 (5,685 video gamers weighted by age, sex, hours of play and gaming spend) and
Q38/NG8 As I am sure you know, DVDs and videos have age ratings applied to them. Are you aware of or have you heard of a
European age ratings system for video games?
6
Figure 48 Awareness of an Age Rating System for Video Games by New Console Users
70%
61% 60%
60% 56% 56%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
All New Console A Sony PlayStation 3 A Microsoft Xbox 360 A Nintendo Wii User
Users User User
Q38 As I am sure you know, DVDs and videos have age ratings applied to them. Are you aware of or have you heard of a European
age ratings system for video games?
5
Germany is not included in this figure as it has its own national and well established age classification system for
video games, and therefore does not contribute to the total figures for all Europe.
6
Germany is not included in this figure as it has its own national and well established age classification system for
video games.

 While there is less awareness of the age rating scheme and of PEGI there is much higher recognition
of the PEGI age rating labels, presumably helped by their consistency with other rating systems for
films etc. Therefore there is a practical understanding of the system of rating even if there is less
awareness of the details or management of the system
 Awareness is in most regions 15-20 percentage points lower among Non Gaming Parents than
Gamers; the largest gaps are in Germany (31%) and North Eastern Europe (24%)
 Fewer Germans recognise the labels than people in any other region; this is because they are more
likely to see their own national system
 New console users are more likely to be aware of the PEGI age ratings than other Gamers, 85% of
PS3 and Xbox 360 users are aware of the PEGI age rating labels
7
Figure 49 Recognition of the PEGI Age Rating Labels
89%
90% 77% 78% 74% 76% 75%
80% 71% 71% 69%
70% 64% 61% 61%
59% 58% 55% 59%
60%
50% 45%
40% 28%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Gamers Non Gamers Non Gamers Non Gamers Non Gamers Non Gamers Non Gamers Non Gamers Non Gamers Non
Gaming Gaming Gaming Gaming Gaming Gaming Gaming Gaming Gaming
Parents Parents Parents Parents Parents Parents Parents Parents Parents
UK France Italy Spain/Portugal Rest of Nordic Region North Eastern All Europe Germany
Western Europe
Europe
Q40 Are you aware or have you ever seen the following symbols on games or games boxes?
Figure 50 Recognition of the PEGI Age Rating Labels by New Console Users
100%
85% 85%
80% 79%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
All New Console A Sony PlayStation 3 A Microsoft Xbox A Nintendo Wii User
Users User 360 User
Q40 Are you aware or have you ever seen the following symbols on games or games boxes?
Figure 51 PEGI Age Labels Presented in the Research
NB. Portugal uses different age classifications and Portuguese respondents saw an adapted set of symbols
7
Although PEGI is not used in Germany, it still may appear on some of the packaging and is therefore included in this
figure.

7.2 Value of the PEGI System

 76% of Gamers and 89% of Non Gaming Parents who are aware of the system find the PEGI age
rating system quite-extremely useful
 The difference is even more marked among those finding the system very/extremely useful (45%-
66%), reflecting the greater assistance it provides to those less familiar with the games
 It is a pattern consistent across every region
 Italians are keenest on the system
 New Console users tend to share the general view, that the PEGI system is useful
8
Figure 52 The Usefulness of the Age Rating Symbols among those Who Recognise Them
100% 3% 6% 3% 3% 2% 6% 1% 5% 4% 2% 3% 1%
8% 8% 4% 6% 8% 9% 8% 8% 13% 6%
11% 12% 7% 20% 12% 8%
12% 15% 15% 14% 15%
80% 17% 23% 14% 21%
24% 21% 25% 23% 16%
25%
28% 22% 27%
33% 30% 32% 32%
60% 30% 34% 31%
29% 35%
34% 37% 34%
35% 31% 34%
40% 29% 30%
37%
25% 29% 30% 23% 26%
23% 25%
49%
20% 34% 19% 36%
28% 28% 33% 32% 31% 32%
20% 20% 16% 23% 21% 19% 19% 18%
9%
0%
Gamers Non Gamers Non Gamers Non Gamers Non Gamers Non Gamers Non Gamers Non Gamers Non Gamers Non
Gaming Gaming Gaming Gaming Gaming Gaming Gaming Gaming Gaming
UK France Italy Spain/Portugal Rest of Western Nordic Region North Eastern All Europe Germany
Europe Europe
Extremely useful Very useful Quite useful Not very useful Not at all useful
Base: All Video Gamers Spring 2010 aged 16-49 who recognise the PEGI Age symbols (5,429 video gamers weighted by age, sex,
hours of play and gaming spend) and (Non Gaming parents aged 16+ who recognise the PEGI Age 1,612 unweighted as no
information exists on the age and sex profile of this group by region)
Q41 To what degree would you say that these symbols are useful in deciding whether to buy a video game?
NG11 - Thinking about your youngest child, to what degree would you say that these symbols are useful in deciding whether to buy
a video game for your child?
Figure 53 The Usefulness of the Age Rating Symbols among those Who Recognise Them by New Console
Users
100%
10% 12% 12% 9%
15% 13%
80% 18% 18%
60% 32% 33%

30%
34%
40%
25% 23% 26%
20%
20%
19% 18% 16% 19%
0%
All New Console Users A Sony PlayStation 3 User A Microsoft Xbox 360 User A Nintendo Wii User
Base: All Video Gamers Spring 2010 aged 16-49 who recognise the PEGIA Age symbols (3,814 video gamers who use a PS3, Xbox
360 and Wii as main console)
Q41 To what degree would you say that these symbols are useful in deciding whether to buy a video game?
8
Although PEGI is not used in Germany, it still may appear on some of the packaging and is therefore included in this
figure.

7.3 Awareness and Understanding and Use of the PEGI

Content Labels
 Averages awareness across all the labels is 34% for Gamers and 22% for Non
Gaming Parents
 Violence (46%-27%), Sex (38%-29%) and Gambling (38%-25%) are the most
recognised labels, which may in part reflect the use of the widely used symbols
adopted rather than their specific use on games
 UK, Germany and the Nordics had the lowest awareness of the labels; Italy and
North Eastern Europe the greatest awareness
Figure 54 Awareness of the PEGI Content Symbols
50% 46% Gamers
45% Non Gaming Parents
40% 38% 38%
36% 35% 34%
35%
30% 29%
27% 29%
30% 25% 25%
25% 22% 22%
20%
20% 17% 16%
15% 12%
10%
5%
0%
Violence Sex Gambling Nudity Language Drugs Fear Online Discrimination
Base: All Video Gamers Spring 2010 aged 16-49 (6,629 video gamers weighted by age, sex, hours of play
and gaming spend) and (Non Gaming parents aged 16+ 2,931 unweighted as no information exists on the
age and sex profile of this group by region)
Q47/NG14 Are you aware, or have you ever seen the following symbols?
9
Figure 55 Awareness of the PEGI Content Symbols by Region
50% 48% 47%
45%
39%
40%
35% 36%
34%
35%
30% 30%
30% 27% 28%
26%
24%
25% 22%
20%
20% 18% 17%
15%
15%
9%
10%
5%
0%
UK France Italy Spain/ Rest of Nordic Region North Eastern All Europe Germany
Europe
Average Awareness Gamers Average Awareness Non Gaming Parents
Base: All Video Gamers Spring 2010 aged 16-49 (6,629 video gamers weighted by age, sex, hours of play
and gaming spend) and (Non Gaming parents aged 16+ 2,931 unweighted as no information exists on the
age and sex profile of this group by region)
9
Although PEGI is not used in Germany, it still may appear on some of the packaging and is
therefore included in this figure.

Figure 56 Awareness of the PEGI Content Symbols by All New Console Users
50% 49%
All New Console Users
45%
40% 39%
40% 36% 37%
35%
35% 32% 31%
30%
25% 23%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Q47 Are you aware, or have you ever seen the following symbols?
 On average in 93% of cases Gamers aware of a symbol also claim to understand what a game
carrying it would contain
 Non Gamers are almost as confident at 87%
 Both groups are least likely to be confident about „Nudity‟ (83% and 78%)
 Non Gamers are less confident about „Drugs‟ 80% and „Online‟ 83%
 Clearly the descriptive word on each label contributes to the understanding of its meaning
Figure 57 Understanding of the PEGI Content Labels
45% 44%
Gamers
40% 36% 37% Non Gaming Parents
34%
35%
30% 31%
29%
30% 27%
26% 25%
25% 22%
20% 20%
20% 18% 17%
16% 15%
15%
11%
10%
5%
0%
(Non Gaming parents aged 16+ 2,931 unweighted as no information exists on the age and sex profile of this group by region) (Data
is presented as base of all respondents though only those aware of each symbol were asked about their understanding of it.
Q48/NG15 Do you understand what a game carrying these symbols would include?
Figure 58 Understanding of the PEGI Content Labels by All New Console Users
50% 48%
All New Console Users
45%
40% 38% 38% 36%
35% 32% 31%
30% 29%
30%
25% 21%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Q48 Do you understand what a game carrying these symbols would include?

10
Figure 59 Understanding of the PEGI Content Labels by Region
45% 43% 43%
40% 36%
35%
35% 33% 32%
30% 28% 28%
24%
25% 23% 22% 23%
20% 19% 18%

16% 15%
15% 13%
10% 7%
5%
0%
UK France Italy Spain/ Rest of Nordic North All Europe Germany
Europe Europe
Average Awareness Gamers Average Awareness Non Gaming Parents
(Non Gaming parents aged 16+ 2,931 unweighted as no information exists on the age and sex profile of this group by region) (Data
is presented as base of all respondents though only those aware of each symbol were asked about their understanding of it.
Q48/NG15 Do you understand what a game carrying these symbols would include?
10
Although PEGI is not used in Germany, it still may appear on some of the packaging and is therefore included in
this figure.

 Although the vast majority of Gamers claimed they understood the symbols only 70% scored them as
very or extremely clear
 The symbols perform equally well in all regions
 58% of Gaming Parents and 59% of non Gaming Parents consider the labels are very/extremely
useful in helping them to decide upon a games purchase
 The Nordic Region is least interested in the PEGI content labels (37% - 50%), Italians the most (62%
- 71%)
11
Figure 60 Clarity of the Symbols
1% 3% 3% 4% 3% 3% 5% 3% 1%
100% Not at all clear 5
6% 5%
11% 12% 10% 9% 8% 10%
12% 4
80% 16% 13% 21% 24% 3
18% 18% 16% 18%
21%
2
16%
60% 29% 34% Extremely clear 1
28% 28% 32% 29%
37%
31%
40%
55%
20% 43% 39% 41% 41% 38% 41%
33% 33%
0%
UK France Italy Spain/ Rest of Nordic North All Germany
Portugal Western Region Eastern Europe
Europe Europe
Q49 Thinking about whether it is clear what these symbols mean, on a scale of 1-5 where 1 is extremely clear and 5 is not clear at
all, how clear is the meaning of these symbols?
11
Figure 61 Usefulness of Symbols in Deciding on a Game Purchase
3% 4% 3% 3% 2% 3% 1% 4% 2% 4% 6% 8% 2% 5% 3% 5% 5%
100%
4% 8% 7% 9% 6% 8% 8% 5% 9% 8% 13%
7% 8% 7% 8% 12%
16% 10%
80% 21% 29% 22% 12%
32% 30% 28% 26% 29% 32% 26% 26% 27% 31% 27%
32% 34%
60% 41% 32%
30%
33% 28% 33% 34% 33% 42% 34%
40% 39% 32% 38% 39% 35% 32%
33% 29%
24%
18%
20% 40%
26% 31% 32% 29% 31% 28% 28% 27%
21% 22% 20% 19% 25% 23% 21% 20%
17%
0%
Gaming Non Gaming Non Gaming Non Gaming Non Gaming Non Gaming Non Gaming Non Gaming Non Gaming Non
Parents Gaming Parents Gaming Parents Gaming Parents Gaming Parents Gaming Parents Gaming Parents Gaming Parents Gaming Parents Gaming
UK France Italy Spain/Portugal Rest of Western Nordic Region North Eastern All Europe Germany
Europe Europe
Q50/NG16 To what degree would you say that these symbols are useful in deciding whether to buy a video game for your children?
11 & 10
Although PEGI is not used in Germany, it still may appear on some of the packaging and is therefore included
in this figure.

8 Section 8 The Socio-Demographics

of Video Gaming Behaviour

This section incorporates additional insight into Gamer behaviour based on an analysis of age, sex, and
system ownership. Only those tables that add additional understanding have been included.
8.1 System Use

 Females show a higher profile of users on the DS/DS Lite/DSi and the Wii than males
 Female users of the DS is more than double the number of males at a ratio of 5:2
 All of the Sony platforms show a higher profile of Male users than female
 PS3 has a male to female user ratio of 3:1
 Xbox 360 also shows a strongly male profile (5% of males are users and 3% of females)
 Phones and the PC are evenly split by gender
Figure 62 Reported Use of Main System: Europe, By Gender
50%
50% 48%
Male
Female
40%
30%
20% 18%
10% 11% 10%10%

10% 6% 5% 3%
5% 3% 4% 4%
2% 2% 1% 3% 2%
0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 1%
0%
PS1 PS2 PS3 PSP/ Xbox Xbox Game DS/ DS Game Wii iPhone Other Smart PC
PSP Go 360 Boy Lite/DSi Cube Phone Phone
Ad/SP
Figure 63 Handheld Gaming Activity By Age and Gender

60%
51%
50% 46%
43%
40%
33%
29% 29%
30% 26%
22%
19% 19%
20% 17% 17% 18%
15% 16% 15% 15% 15%
14% 14% 13%
11% 11% 10%
10% 9%
10% 8% 7%
0%
Male Female 16-19 20-24 25-29 30-39 40-49
PC Gamer Handheld Gamer Console Gamer Phone Gamer

Q22 Do you play games on a portable device such as a mobile phone, PDA, Nintendo DS or Sony PSP?

 Males and Younger Gamers are more likely to spend longer gaming and buy more games
 Handheld gamers buy more games, phone gamers the least games
 Female Gamers are much less likely to buy discounted games
Figure 64 Reported Hours of Play: Europe by Age, Gender and System
100% 5% 6% 6%
10% 4% 12% 9% 9% 10% 9% 9% 8%
90% 5% 4% 5%
6% 9% 6% 6% 7% 5% 6%
6% 10% 11%
80% 11% 12% 12% 13% 11%
13% 12% 13%
70%
60% 45%
43% 40% 51% 48% 45%
50% 45% 38% 45% 44%
47%
40%
30%
20% 38% 31% 32% 33% 28% 31% 28% 28% 31%
10% 26% 22%
0%
Male Female 16-19 20-24 25-29 30-39 40-49 PC Gamer Handheld Console Phone
Gamer Gamer Gamer
no hours 1-5 hours 6-10 hours 11-15 hours 16+ hours
Figure 65 Numbers of Video Games Purchased: Europe by Age, Gender and System
100%
4% 2% 4% 4% 4% 3% 4% 4% 4%
7% 7% 5%
90% 7% 9% 9% 7% 6% 8%
8% 9% 9%
80% 11%
70%
42%
47% 43% 43%
60% 49% 50% 46% 47%
49% 51%
50% 50%
40%
30%
46% 41% 43% 41%
20% 36% 38% 38%
35% 34% 31%
27%
10%
0%
Gamer Gamer Gamer
No games 1-3 games 4-6 games 7-10 games 11-15 games 16-20 games more than 20 games
Figure 66 Type of Video Game Purchase by Age, Gender and System

3.5
3.0
1.3
2.5
2.0 1.0 1.0

0.9 1.0 1.0 0.9
0.8 0.8
1.5 0.7 1.0
0.7
0.8 0.8 0.8
1.0 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7
0.6 0.7
0.5
0.5 1.0 0.8
0.7 0.7 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.6 0.8 0.7
0.5
0.0
Gamer Gamer Gamer
Second hand Discounted from full price New full price

8.2 Attitudes and Motivations for Video Gaming

 Similar proportions of both genders emphasise the same main reasons for gaming though there is
greater diversity in the secondary reasons for playing.
 Males are more interested in:
– passing the time (35% main - 27% other)
– the challenge of the game (24% - 14%)
– playing with others (14% - 7%)
 Females give fewer secondary reasons but are slightly more likely to emphasise „relaxation/de-
stressing‟
 Older gamers are also likely to place more emphasis on de-stressing – whereas younger gamers want
to fill the time when they are bored
 More Committed gamers are more likely to emphasise positive game aspects, „its fun‟ or „it‟s exciting‟,
whereas less committed gamers emphasise non gaming motivations like „filling time‟ or „playing with
friends‟
 Reasons for not gaming also vary little by gender:
– Males are more likely to say they „lack the time to game‟ (43% main - 39% other)
– Females that games are too violent (9% - 5%)
 Females give more ideas about what would encourage them to game, but the priorities are similar to
Males. Females want games that:
– „stimulate their imagination‟ (36% - 29%)
– „play for short periods of time‟ (30% - 25%)
– „look easy or fun‟ (26% - 19%)
– „pick up and play easily‟ (22% - 16%)
Figure 67 Motivations for Playing Video Games by Gender
53%
It's fun 23%
53%
26%
56%
51%
22%
27%
When I'm bored/ to pass time 28%
35%
25%
22%
25%
3%
14%
24% Female Other Reasons
6%
16% Female Main Reason
16% Male Other Reasons
1%
7% Male Main Reason
To play/socialise with other people in 7%
person 14%
6%
11%
It's exciting 2%
13%
3%
11%
9%
1%
9%
9%
6%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Figure 68 Motivations for Playing Video Games by Gamer Commitment
I learn new things Committed

To make good use of spare time Magpies
Loyalists
To play/socialise with other people online Dabblers
Marginals
To play/socialise with other people in person Intermittant
To use my imagination
It's exciting
For the challenge of the game
When I'm bored/ to pass time
To relax/de-stress
It's fun
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

Figure 69 Reasons for not Playing Video Games Amongst Non Gamers
30%
39%
I don't have the time 35%
43%
15%
22%
I find video games boring 16%
24%
20%
11%
Video games are too expensive 17% Female Other Reasons
11%
Female Main Reason
9%
9% Male Other Reasons
Video games are for children 10%
9% Male Main Reason
12%
I find video games too 9%
complicated/difficult to play 9%
7%
10%
9%
Video games are too violent 9%
5%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
NG1 What is the main reason why you don‟t play video games?

Figure 70 Motivations to Encourage Non Gamers to Play Video Games
Being able to play games that stimulate my imagination/ make 36%

me think 29%
30%
A game that can be played for short periods of time
25%
24%
A game that doesn't take a lot of time to complete
24%
25%
If the cost of video games were lower
23%
26%
A game that looks easy or fun
19% Female
22%
A game that I can really pick up and play easily Male
16%
17%
Being able to play games that keep me physically active
13%
14%
Being able to play with friends other people
11%
A game that gives me the chance to do things I cannot do in real 8%
life 10%
4%
Being able to play with my children
4%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%
NG3 What would make you more interested in playing video games?

8.3 Video Games in the Family

 Gamers that spend the most time gaming (Committed and Loyalist) also spend the most time playing
games with their children (79% and 76%)
 Female Non Gaming Parents are the group least likely to buy their children‟s games; in contrast
Female Gamers are the group most likely to always buy their children‟s games
 Females are more likely to „always‟ monitor the games their child plays
 Whether parents are Gamers or Non Gamers, attitudes towards monitoring a child playing games is
near identical
 Approximately 80% of Parents monitor games played by 4-7 year olds, this drops as the age of the
child gets older; 50% (Gamer Parents) and 37% (Non Gaming Parents) monitor games played by
their children aged 16-17
 Gamer Parents are clearly more aware of the content that can appear in games and therefore are
more likely to monitor to an older age than Non Gaming parents
Figure 71 Proportion of Gaming Parents Who Play Games With Their Children – By Gamer Commitment
Index
80%
I play video games with my child
70%
60%
50%
40%
76% 79%
30% 58% 61% 58%
48% 48%
20%
10%
0%
Intermittent Marginals Dabblers Loyalists Magpies Committed All Gaming
Parents
Base: All Gamers who are also Parents, Spring 2010, aged 16-49 (2,253 gamers, weighted by age, sex, hours of play and gaming
spend)
Q30 Do you ever play video games with your child/ children?
Figure 72 Proportion of Occasions When Parents Buy their Children‟s Games – By Gender
100%
Never
90%
31% 30% Rarely
80% 39% 45% Sometimes
70% Most of the time
60% 18% 15%
Always
50% 25%
26% 21%
40%
26%
30%
21% 15% 19%
20%
15%
10% 10% 10%
14%
10% 5% 6%
0%
Gamer Parent Non Gamer Parent Gamer Parent Non Gamer Parent
Male Female
Q33/NG5 Thinking about your youngest child, do you buy this child‟s games?

Figure 73 Proportion of Occasions Children are Present When their Parents Buy their Children‟s Games –
By Gender
100% 4% Never
8% 7% 6%
90% 8% 9% Rarely
12% 10%
80% Sometimes
25% 14%
16% Most of the time
70% 21%
16% Always
60% 15% Don"t buy Games for children
50% 17% 22% 11%
13%
40%
11% 11%
30%
20% 39% 45%
31% 30%
10%
0%
Male Female
Q34/NG6 When you buy games for your child is your child present?
Figure 74 Proportion of Occasions When Parents Monitor the Games Their Children are Playing – By
Gender
100%
Never
90% 14% 18% 14% 16% Rarely
5% 2% Sometimes
80% 8% 6%
70% 11% Always
17% 25%
60%
26% 21%
50%
22%
40%
30%
52% 47%
20% 42%
33%
10%
0%
Male Female
Q35/NG7 Do you monitor what video games your children are playing?
Figure 75 Proportion of Occasions When Parents Monitor the Games Their Children are Playing – By Age
of Youngest Child
100% Never
6% 3%
3% 5% 5%
2% 12% 9% 14% Rarely
90% 6% 8% 8%
27% 28% 5% 14% 10% 25%
Sometimes
80% 9% 18% 12%
70% 2% 3% 22%
8% 6% 18% 18% Always
60% 39% 24%
15% 11%
31%
50%
36% 21%
40% 32%
29%
30% 61% 56%
48% 53% 22%
20% 42% 38%
29% 27%
10% 21%
15%
0%
Gamer Non Gamer Gamer Non Gamer Gamer Non Gamer Gamer Non Gamer Gamer Non Gamer
Parent Parent Parent Parent Parent Parent Parent Parent Parent Parent
Child aged 0-3 Child aged 4-7 Child aged 8-12 Child aged 13-15 Child aged 16-17
Q35/NG8 Do you monitor what video games your children are playing?

8.4 Video Gamers Broader Activities and Interests

 Generally there is little to distinguish between Gamers in their other Leisure interests
 Females are more likely to prefer shopping more, Males more likely to prefer sports and exercise
 More dedicated gamers are also more interested in other entertainment like the movies, or going out
for a dance or to a gig etc (though the differences are not large, they clearly disprove the view that
Committed Gamers as a group focus only on gaming)
 Differences are even not large by age; older Gamers are more likely to like museums/theatre etc,
eating out and shopping, younger gamers dancing and the movies
Figure 76 Leisure Activities Gamers Enjoy Most - Gamer Commitment Index
Go out to eat
Go to the movies
Play sports or exercise at a health centre Committed

Loyalists
Go to a party or go out dancing
Magpies
Go to a concert or a gig Dabblers
Marginals
Go to a museum, art gallery or the theatre Intermittant
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Figure 77 Leisure Activities Gamers Enjoy Most - Age
Go to a museum, art gallery or the theatre
Go to a concert or a gig
Play sports or exercise at a health centre
Go to a party or go out dancing 40-49

30-39
25-29
Go out to eat
20-24
16-19
Go to the movies
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Q36 If you had a few hours of spare time, what sort of leisure or entertainment-related activities do you usually do at least once a
month, place each activity according to your preferences – Things I do/ Things I don‟t do?
Q36a Please rank in order of preference, your three favourite activities.

8.5 Online Gaming

 16-19 year olds are most likely to play online (83% have played at least one type of online game in
the last 3 months)
 24% of Males are playing paid online games in comparison to 12% of Females
 PC gamers show the highest level of gaming activity by system user types
 Handheld gamers are the most active on paid for online games; this is likely due to multiple
ownership of different systems and using other systems like the PC to play paid for online games
 Puzzle games are the most popular type of online games for females and ages 40-49
Figure 78 Online Gaming Activity by Age, Gender and System
90% 83% 83%
81% 81%
77% 77%
80% 73% 74% 75%
71% 73%
70% 69% 69% 70%
67% 68%
70% 65% 65% 65% 66%
63%
60%
50%
40%
30% 24% 24% 24% 23%

26%
22% 22% 23%
20% 15% 15%
12%
10%
0%
Male Female 16-19 20-24 25-29 30-39 40-49 PC Handheld Console Phone
Gamer Gamer Gamer Gamer
Paid for Online Games Free Online Games Any Online Games
Figure 79 Online Gaming – Genre of Online Games played by Age, Gender and System
51%
Male 48%
54%
31%
35%
Female 75%
57%
18%
54%
16-19 44%
61%
32%
52%
20-24 51%
59%
29%
45%
25-29 63%
60%
29%
38%
30-39 61%
50%
24%
38%
40-49 73%
45%
17%
48%
PC Gamer 60%
58%
28%
48%
Handheld Gamer 59%
57%
30%
48%
Console Gamer 57%
55%
27%
48%
Phone Gamer 59%
58%
29%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Action/Sport/Strategy/Role Play Puzzle/Board/Game Show/Trivia/Card
Mini Games/Shockwave/Flash/Browser Based Massively Multiplayer Online Games
gaming spend)
Q15 What kind of games do you play online?

8.6 Awareness and Perceptions of PEGI

 Male Gamers (58%) are more aware of an age rating system for video games than Female Gamers
(51%)
 Awareness of an age rating system for video games decreases with age among Gamers but increases
among non gamers
 Awareness of the PEGI age rating system and recognition of the age labels is highest amongst
Gamers aged 16-19 (38% and 86%)
 Awareness of the PEGI age rating system is higher among Male Gamers (31%) than Female Gamers
(21%)
 Close to 50% of Non Gaming Parents aged 20-29 find the age rating system extremely useful
 Very few find the age rating system “not useful at all”, however more Gamers find it not useful, than
Non Gaming Parents
Figure 80 Awareness of any Age Rating System for Video Games by Gamers/Non Gaming Parents, Age
and Gender
70% 62%
58% 57% 55%
60% 51% 53%
48% 50% 50% 50%
48% 45%
50% 41%
44%
40%
30%
20%
Not
10% asked
0%
Male Female 16-19 20-24 25-29 30-39 40-49 50+
Q38/NG8 As I am sure you know, DVDs and videos have age ratings applied to them. Are you aware of or have you heard of a
European age ratings system for video games?

Figure 81 Recognition of the PEGI Age Rating Symbols by Gamers/Non Gaming Parents, Age and Gender
86%
90% 80% 78%
76%
80% 73% 70%
70% 62% 64%
57% 55% 54% 56%
60% 53% 54%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Male Female 16-19 20-24 25-29 30-39 40-49 50+
Q40/NG10 Are you aware or have you ever seen the following symbols on games or games boxes?
Figure 82 The Usefulness of the Age Rating Symbols among those Who Recognise Them
100% 3% 4% 3% 0% 0%
4% 4% 4% 5% 3% 4%
11% 6% 14% 11% 9% 5% 10%
10% 14% 17% 12% 7% 10%
14% 22% 16%
80% 15% 22% 20% 11%
24% 21% 30% 27% 28%
32% 32%
60% 22% 32% 25%
31% 36%
32% 29% 33%
37% 32% 33%
40% 29% 35%
29% 24%
25%
23% 22% 50% 49%
20% 37% 40%
26% 22% 21% 23% 27% 27% 23%
18% 12% 15%
0%
Male Female 16-19 20-24 25-29 30-39 40-49 50+
Base: All Video Gamers Spring 2010 aged 16-49 who recognise the PEGI Age symbols (5,429 video gamers weighted by age, sex,
hours of play and gaming spend) and (Non Gaming parents aged 16+ who recognise the PEGI Age 1,612 unweighted as no
information exists on the age and sex profile of this group by region)
Q41/NG11 To what degree would you say that these symbols are useful in deciding whether to buy a video game?

 Awareness of the violence is highest amongst both Males and Females

 Both Gaming and Non Gaming Parents are most aware of the symbol for sex
Figure 83 Awareness of PEGI Symbols by Gamers/Non Gaming Parents and Gender
48%
50%
42% 41%
39% 39%
40% 37% 37% 37%
34% 34%
32% 32% 31%
28% 29% 30%
28%
30% 25% 26% 27%
25% 25% 24%
24% 22% 22%23%
19% 21% 19%
20% 16% 18% 16% 16%
12% 12%
10%
0%
Language Fear Drugs Violence Gambling Discrimination Sex Online Nudity
Male Gamers Female Gamers Male Non gaming Parents Female Non gaming Parents


9 Section 9: Demographic Info

Figure 84 Profiling Gamers: Income

60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
UK France Germany Italy Spain/ Rest of Nordic North
Europe Europe
Below Average Average Above Average
Q51 In which of the following brackets does your annual household income (before taxes) fall? Average calculated for each country
Figure 85 Profiling Gamers: Education

35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Europe Europe
Have not completed school/still in school Left school with no qualifications
School qualification Advanced school qualification
Uncompleted university education Graduate
Post graduate study Prefer not to say
Q52 What was the last level of education you completed?

Figure 86 Profiling Gamers: Occupation

35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Europe Europe
Students (full time/part time) Specialist/technician (lawyer, nurse, doctor, pharmacist)
Administrative/public workers Services (trading, bank, insurance)
Unemployed Sales related
Management Entrepreneur
Freelance Housewife (not employed)
Housewife (part time employed) Other
Q53 What is your current occupation?

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Video Gamers in Europe Spring 2010

Page 2 Copyright © Interactive Software Federation of Europe

Page 3 Copyright © Interactive Software Federation of Europe

Page 4 Copyright © Interactive Software Federation of Europe

Section 3 Attitudes and Motivations for Video Gaming

Page 5 Copyright © Interactive Software Federation of Europe

Section 5 Video Gamers Broader Activities and Interests

Page 6 Copyright © Interactive Software Federation of Europe

Section 7 Awareness and Perceptions of PEGI

Page 7 Copyright © Interactive Software Federation of Europe

Section 8 The Socio-Demographics of Video Gaming Behaviour

Page 8 Copyright © Interactive Software Federation of Europe

Page 9 Copyright © Interactive Software Federation of Europe

Page 10 Copyright © Interactive Software Federation of Europe

6.5 Why Gamers Play Online 54

Page 11 Copyright © Interactive Software Federation of Europe

Page 12 Copyright © Interactive Software Federation of Europe

Figure 54 Awareness of the PEGI Content Symbols 60

Page 13 Copyright © Interactive Software Federation of Europe

1 Section 1: Market Size

Page 14 Copyright © Interactive Software Federation of Europe

1.1 European Market Profile

Omnibus countries Countries Using each Omnibus for Weighting

Sweden Norway, Finland, Denmark

Netherlands Belgium, Switzerland, Austria

Poland Latvia, Czech Republic, Hungary

Page 15 Copyright © Interactive Software Federation of Europe

1.2 Market Size

Figure 3 Gamers by Country

Page 16 Copyright © Interactive Software Federation of Europe

1.3 Proportions of Gamers by Age and Gender

GENDER Age GENDER Age

GENDER Age GENDER Age

GENDER Age GENDER Age

Page 17 Copyright © Interactive Software Federation of Europe

1.4 Gamer Commitment

One hour per day

Page 18 Copyright © Interactive Software Federation of Europe

Page 19 Copyright © Interactive Software Federation of Europe

2 Section 2 System Use

Page 20 Copyright © Interactive Software Federation of Europe

2.1 The Sample

Page 21 Copyright © Interactive Software Federation of Europe

Figure 9 Number of Gamers (1,000‟s) 16-49 years old By Region

Page 22 Copyright © Interactive Software Federation of Europe

2.2 System Use

70.0% Some Use

Page 23 Copyright © Interactive Software Federation of Europe

Figure 12 Reported Platform Use by PS3 Users

Figure 13 Reported Platform Use by Xbox 360 Users

Figure 14 Reported Platform Use by Wii Users

Page 24 Copyright © Interactive Software Federation of Europe

Figure 15 Three Most Popular Main Systems by Region

Page 25 Copyright © Interactive Software Federation of Europe

2.3 Handheld Systems

Figure 16 Proportion of Gamers Using Handheld Devices

Figure 17 Where Gamers Play With Their Handheld Games Systems

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Page 26 Copyright © Interactive Software Federation of Europe

2.4 Multimedia Console Use

Page 27 Copyright © Interactive Software Federation of Europe

2.5 Hours of Game Play