THE GENERATION GAME: 8 MILLION UK FAMILIES ENJOY GAMING TOGETHER
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• Playing video games now sits alongside days out and cinema trips, as a favourite family activity
• 44% of parents swot up on the latest video games in a bid to impress their kids
• Not just for kids – the average UK gamer is 43 years old
• Father and #LetsPlayMay ambassador, Joe Swash, is encouraging the nation to give gaming a go this month
Playing video games now joins days out (61%) and cinema trips (46%) as a top way to spend time as a family, with almost eight million households (41%) often gaming all together. Half (53%) of parents describe gaming as a joint activity that brings them closer to their children.
A fifth (22%) of parents say video gaming reinforces friendly competition and helps their children to problem solve. Another quarter of adults surveyed (25%) identify gaming as a form of escapism and an effective way to relieve stress. The trend for household gaming sessions is mirrored in data that shows the video games industry has seen a fifth consecutive year of growth.
The study, commissioned as part of the #LetsPlayMay campaign - a UK-wide promotion to encourage the nation to give gaming a go this month - finds 61% of parents in the UK get involved in gaming to have fun, whilst 43% say it's an activity which involves everyone. Adopting a ‘can’t beat them join them’ mentality, 44% of mums and dads also admit to swotting up on the latest game releases to appear cool. Now armed with the right skills and knowledge, half of Dads (46%) quizzed secretly love topping the leaderboard ahead of their children.
Gaming isn’t just an activity for the family, with 70% of adults surveyed claiming gaming is a way for people of all ages, abilities and interests to have fun. Recent research by innovation charity, Nesta, dispelled often-quoted stereotypes of gamers, finding that the average player is 43 and women are more likely to play games than men, although less frequently. The study also identified that someone who games is a greater consumer of culture - such as reading, painting and attending performing arts - than a non-gamer, highlighting that gaming is another form of creativity and escapism.
Swash continues, “For me, gaming is a more than just a family activity. When the kids have gone to bed, playing video games helps me relax and escape into another world. My mum recently shocked us all by unveiling she loves gaming, we had no idea, she then went and knocked me off our leader board.”
Five top reasons on why British parents like to play video games with their child(ren)
A fifth (22%) of parents say video gaming reinforces friendly competition and helps their children to problem solve. Another quarter of adults surveyed (25%) identify gaming as a form of escapism and an effective way to relieve stress. The trend for household gaming sessions is mirrored in data that shows the video games industry has seen a fifth consecutive year of growth.
The study, commissioned as part of the #LetsPlayMay campaign - a UK-wide promotion to encourage the nation to give gaming a go this month - finds 61% of parents in the UK get involved in gaming to have fun, whilst 43% say it's an activity which involves everyone. Adopting a ‘can’t beat them join them’ mentality, 44% of mums and dads also admit to swotting up on the latest game releases to appear cool. Now armed with the right skills and knowledge, half of Dads (46%) quizzed secretly love topping the leaderboard ahead of their children.
"Nothing beats quality time with the family”, says father and #LetsPlayMay ambassador Joe Swash. “It's all about taking a moment to connect with your family and friends, while doing something fun that everyone can get involved in. As a parent, you learn to find a common ground and take an active interest in something your kids enjoy as much as you. I’ve found video gaming was the perfect way to impress my son and complete challenges together, or against each other. What’s better than having a little friendly competition between generations!”
Gaming isn’t just an activity for the family, with 70% of adults surveyed claiming gaming is a way for people of all ages, abilities and interests to have fun. Recent research by innovation charity, Nesta, dispelled often-quoted stereotypes of gamers, finding that the average player is 43 and women are more likely to play games than men, although less frequently. The study also identified that someone who games is a greater consumer of culture - such as reading, painting and attending performing arts - than a non-gamer, highlighting that gaming is another form of creativity and escapism.
Swash continues, “For me, gaming is a more than just a family activity. When the kids have gone to bed, playing video games helps me relax and escape into another world. My mum recently shocked us all by unveiling she loves gaming, we had no idea, she then went and knocked me off our leader board.”
Five top reasons on why British parents like to play video games with their child(ren)
- To have fun (61%)
- To spend more time with my child(ren) (54%)
- I enjoy playing video games too (47%)
- It’s a family activity involving everyone (44%)
- It’s a way to release stress (27%)
THE GENERATION GAME: 8 MILLION UK FAMILIES ENJOY GAMING TOGETHER
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