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Monday, October 24, 2022

Video gaming may be associated with better cognitive performance in children

Additional research necessary to parse potential benefits and harms of video games on the developing brain.

On Monday, April 10, 2023, a Notice of Retraction and Replacement published for the article featured below . The key findings remain the same. The press release has been updated, in line with the retracted and replacement article, to clarify that attention problems, depression symptoms, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) scores were significantly higher among children who played three hours per day or more compared to children who had never played video games.

A study of nearly 2,000 children found that those who reported playing video games for three hours per day or more performed better on cognitive skills tests involving impulse control and working memory compared to children who had never played video games. Published today in JAMA Network Open , this study analyzed data from the ongoing  Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study , which is supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and other entities of the National Institutes of Health.

“This study adds to our growing understanding of the associations between playing video games and brain development,” said NIDA Director Nora Volkow, M.D. “Numerous studies have linked video gaming to behavior and mental health problems. This study suggests that there may also be cognitive benefits associated with this popular pastime, which are worthy of further investigation.”

Although a number of studies have investigated the relationship between video gaming and cognitive behavior, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the associations are not well understood. Only a handful of neuroimaging studies have addressed this topic, and the sample sizes for those studies have been small, with fewer than 80 participants.

To address this research gap, scientists at the University of Vermont, Burlington, analyzed data obtained when children entered the ABCD Study at ages 9 and 10 years old. The research team examined survey, cognitive, and brain imaging data from nearly 2,000 participants from within the bigger study cohort. They separated these children into two groups, those who reported playing no video games at all and those who reported playing video games for three hours per day or more. This threshold was selected as it exceeds the American Academy of Pediatrics screen time guidelines , which recommend that videogaming time be limited to one to two hours per day for older children. For each group, the investigators evaluated the children’s performance on two tasks that reflected their ability to control impulsive behavior and to memorize information, as well as the children’s brain activity while performing the tasks.

The researchers found that the children who reported playing video games for three or more hours per day were faster and more accurate on both cognitive tasks than those who never played. They also observed that the differences in cognitive function observed between the two groups was accompanied by differences in brain activity. Functional MRI brain imaging analyses found that children who played video games for three or more hours per day showed higher brain activity in regions of the brain associated with attention and memory than did those who never played. At the same time, those children who played at least three hours of videogames per day showed more brain activity in frontal brain regions that are associated with more cognitively demanding tasks and less brain activity in brain regions related to vision.  

The researchers think these patterns may stem from practicing tasks related to impulse control and memory while playing videogames, which can be cognitively demanding, and that these changes may lead to improved performance on related tasks. Furthermore, the comparatively low activity in visual areas among children who reported playing video games may reflect that this area of the brain may become more efficient at visual processing as a result of repeated practice through video games.

While prior studies have reported associations between video gaming and increases in violence and aggressive behavior, this study did not find that to be the case. Though children who reported playing video games for three or more hours per day scored higher on measures of attention problems, depression symptoms, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) compared to children who played no video games, the researchers found that these mental health and behavioral scores did not reach clinical significance in either group, meaning, they did not meet the thresholds for risk of problem behaviors or clinical symptoms. The authors note that these will be important measures to continue to track and understand as the children mature.

Further, the researchers stress that this cross-sectional study does not allow for cause-and-effect analyses, and that it could be that children who are good at these types of cognitive tasks may choose to play video games. The authors also emphasize that their findings do not mean that children should spend unlimited time on their computers, mobile phones, or TVs, and that the outcomes likely depend largely on the specific activities children engage in. For instance, they hypothesize that the specific genre of video games, such as action-adventure, puzzle solving, sports, or shooting games, may have different effects for neurocognitive development, and this level of specificity on the type of video game played was not assessed by the study.

“While we cannot say whether playing video games regularly caused superior neurocognitive performance, it is an encouraging finding, and one that we must continue to investigate in these children as they transition into adolescence and young adulthood,” said Bader Chaarani, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Vermont and the lead author on the study. “Many parents today are concerned about the effects of video games on their children’s health and development, and as these games continue to proliferate among young people, it is crucial that we better understand both the positive and negative impact that such games may have.”

Through the ABCD Study, researchers will be able to conduct similar analyses for the same children over time into early adulthood, to see if changes in video gaming behavior are linked to changes in cognitive skills, brain activity, behavior, and mental health. The longitudinal study design and comprehensive data set will also enable them to better account for various other factors in the children’s families and environment that may influence their cognitive and behavioral development, such as exercise, sleep quality, and other influences.

The ABCD Study, the largest of its kind in the United States, is tracking nearly 12,000 youth as they grow into young adults. Investigators regularly measure participants’ brain structure and activity using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and collect psychological, environmental, and cognitive information, as well as biological samples. The goal of the study is to understand the factors that influence brain, cognitive, and social-emotional development, to inform the development of interventions to enhance a young person’s life trajectory.

The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study and ABCD Study are registered service marks and trademarks, respectively, of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

About the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): NIDA is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports most of the world’s research on the health aspects of drug use and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to inform policy, improve practice, and advance addiction science. For more information about NIDA and its programs, visit www.nida.nih.gov .

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov .

NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health ®

  B Chaarani, et al.  Association of video gaming with cognitive performance among children .  JAMA Open Network.  DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.35721 (2022).

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• Front Psychol

The Association Between Video Gaming and Psychological Functioning

Juliane m. von der heiden.

1 Department of Psychology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany

Beate Braun

2 Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany

Kai W. Müller

Boris egloff, associated data.

Video gaming is an extremely popular leisure-time activity with more than two billion users worldwide ( Newzoo, 2017 ). However, the media as well as professionals have underscored the potential dangers of excessive video gaming. With the present research, we aimed to shed light on the relation between video gaming and gamers’ psychological functioning. Questionnaires on personality and psychological health as well as video gaming habits were administered to 2,734 individuals (2,377 male, 357 female, M age = 23.06, SD age = 5.91). Results revealed a medium-sized negative correlation between problematic video gaming and psychological functioning with regard to psychological symptoms, affectivity, coping, and self-esteem. Moreover, gamers’ reasons for playing and their preferred game genres were differentially related to psychological functioning with the most notable findings for distraction-motivated players as well as action game players. Future studies are needed to examine whether these psychological health risks reflect the causes or consequences of video gaming.

Introduction

Video gaming is a very popular leisure activity among adults ( Pew Research Center, 2018 ). The amount of time spent playing video games has increased steadily, from 5.1 h/week in 2011 to 6.5 h/week in 2017 ( The Nielsen Company, 2017 ). Video gaming is known to have some benefits such as improving focus, multitasking, and working memory, but it may also come with costs when it is used heavily. By spending a predominant part of the day gaming, excessive video gamers are at risk of showing lower educational and career attainment, problems with peers, and lower social skills ( Mihara and Higuchi, 2017 ). On the one hand, video game use is widespread, and it may come with certain precursors as well as consequences. On the other hand, little is known about the relations between various video gaming habits and psychological functioning. This study aims to shed light on these important relations using a large sample.

A video game is defined as “a game which we play thanks to an audiovisual apparatus and which can be based on a story” ( Esposito, 2005 ). In the last few years, the amount of scientific research devoted to video game playing has increased (e.g., Ferguson, 2015 ; Calvert et al., 2017 ; Hamari and Keronen, 2017 ). Most scientific studies in this area of research have focused on the extent of video game play and its diverse correlates. While some researchers have emphasized the benefits of game playing and even suggested a therapeutic use of video games ( Primack et al., 2012 ; Granic et al., 2014 ; Colder Carras et al., 2018 ), others have been intrigued by its potential dangers ( Anderson et al., 2010 ; Müller and Wölfling, 2017 ).

Parents and professionals may be worried about their excessively playing children being “addicted.” However, problematic and potentially addictive video game use goes beyond the extent of playing (in hours per week; Skoric et al., 2009 ). It also includes such issues as craving, loss of control, and negative consequences of excessive gaming. While it is still a matter of debate whether problematic video game play should be considered a behavioral addiction , its status as a mental disorder has been clarified since the release of the DSM-5 in 2013. In the DSM-5, the American Psychiatric Association (2013) defined Internet Gaming Disorder with diagnostic criteria closely related to Gambling Disorder. Generally, this decision has been supported by many researchers (e.g., Petry et al., 2014 ) but has also caused controversies. Researchers have criticized the selection of diagnostic criteria and the vague definition of the Internet Gaming Disorder construct, which excludes offline games from being related to addictive use (e.g., Griffiths et al., 2016 ; Bean et al., 2017 ).

Several studies, literature reviews, and meta-analyses have focused on the correlates of problematic video gaming, usually assessed as a continuum with addiction marking the upper end of the scale (e.g., Ferguson et al., 2011 ; Kuss and Griffiths, 2012 ). The degree of addictive video game use has been found to be related to personality traits such as low self-esteem ( Ko et al., 2005 ) and low self-efficacy ( Jeong and Kim, 2011 ), anxiety, and aggression ( Mehroof and Griffiths, 2010 ), and even to clinical symptoms of depression and anxiety disorders ( Wang et al., 2018 ). Potential consequences of video game use have been identified as well, such as a lack of real-life friends ( Kowert et al., 2014a ), stress and maladaptive coping ( Milani et al., 2018 ), lower psychosocial well-being and loneliness ( Lemmens et al., 2011 ), psychosomatic problems ( Müller et al., 2015 ; Milani et al., 2018 ), and decreased academic achievement ( Chiu et al., 2004 ; Gentile, 2009 ). Effect sizes have varied widely across studies ( Ferguson et al., 2011 ). There seem to be sex and age differences with regard to video gaming behavior: potentially problematic video gaming was found to be more likely among males than females (e.g., Greenberg et al., 2010 ; Estévez et al., 2017 ), and among younger gamers ( Rehbein et al., 2016 ).

In addition to looking at problematic video game use and its relation to psychological functioning, it is relevant to also focus on why individuals play video games. Players use video games for very different reasons ( Ryan et al., 2006 ; Yee, 2006 ) such as to distract themselves from daily hassles or because they enjoy the social relationships they have developed in the virtual world. Potentially problematic video gaming has been found to be related to various reasons for playing such as coping and escape ( Hussain and Griffiths, 2009 ; Schneider et al., 2018 ), socialization ( Laconi et al., 2017 ), and personal satisfaction ( Ng and Wiemer-Hastings, 2005 ). Coping ( Laconi et al., 2017 ), social interaction, and competition were among the main reasons for gaming among males but not among females ( Lucas and Sherry, 2004 ). Mixed results emerged concerning age differences ( Greenberg et al., 2010 ), but especially younger gamers seemed to be motivated for video gaming by social interactions ( Hilgard et al., 2013 ). However, so far it remains unclear to what extent people’s various reasons for playing video games are differentially related to their psychological functioning.

Besides investigating the links between potentially problematic video game use and psychological functioning as well as between reasons for playing video games and psychological functioning, it is relevant to also look at which game genres individuals prefer. Correlates of preferences for certain game genres (e.g., simulation, strategy, action, role-playing) are cognitive enhancement ( Dobrowolski et al., 2015 ; Bediou et al., 2018 ), but also the amount of time spent playing ( Lemmens and Hendriks, 2016 ; Rehbein et al., 2016 ) and psychopathological symptoms ( Laconi et al., 2017 ). Males were shown to prefer action and strategy games, whereas females showed a preference for games of skill ( Scharkow et al., 2015 ; Rehbein et al., 2016 ). Younger gamers seemed to prefer action games, older players more so games of skill ( Scharkow et al., 2015 ). However, it is not yet understood to what extent preferences for certain video game genres are differentially related to psychological functioning.

Typically, research has focused merely on violent video games (e.g., Anderson and Bushman, 2001 ; Elson and Ferguson, 2014 ) or one specific game within one specific game genre (frequently World of Warcraft; Graham and Gosling, 2013 ; Visser et al., 2013 ; Herodotou et al., 2014 ), thereby neglecting the variety of possible gaming habits across various game genres.

In the present study, our objective was to examine the relation between video gaming and psychological functioning in a fine-grained manner. For this purpose, we examined psychological functioning by employing various variables such as psychological symptoms, coping strategies, and social support. Likewise, we assessed video gaming in a similarly detailed way, ranging from (a) problematic video game use, (b) the reasons for playing, to (c) the preferred game genres. This strategy prevented us from making potentially invalid generalizations about video gaming in general and allowed us to examine the spectrum of gaming habits and the respective relations between such habits and a diverse set of variables representing psychological functioning.

Playing video games excessively should be appealing to individuals with poor psychological functioning because games allow people to avoid their everyday problems and instead immerse themselves in another environment ( Taquet et al., 2017 ). Moreover, video games offer people a chance to connect with other people socially despite any more or less evident psychological problems they may have ( Kowert et al., 2014b ; Mazurek et al., 2015 ). On the other hand, potentially problematic video game use may also lead to psychological problems because it reduces the amount of time and the number of opportunities gamers have to practice real-life behavior ( Gentile, 2009 ). Thus, we expected to find a negative correlation between problematic video gaming and variables representing psychological functioning such that we expected more potentially problematic video game use to be related to dysfunctional coping strategies ( Wood and Griffith, 2007 ), negative affectivity ( Mathiak et al., 2011 ), and poor school performance ( Mihara and Higuchi, 2017 ). Moreover, we expected to find differential correlates of people’s reasons for playing video games and their psychological functioning: Playing for escape-oriented reasons such as distraction should go along with diverse indices of poor psychological functioning ( Király et al., 2015 ), whereas playing for gain-oriented reasons such as the storyline or the social connections in the game should be related to adequate psychological functioning ( Longman et al., 2009 ). Also, we expected to find people’s preferred game genres (e.g., strategy, action) to be differentially related to their psychological functioning ( Park et al., 2016 ). Finally, we aimed to shed light on the unique contribution of each measure of psychological functioning to the prediction of problematic video game use.

Materials and Methods

Participants 1.

A total of N = 2,891 individuals (2,421 male, 470 female) with a mean age of 23.17 years ( SD = 5.99, Range: 13–65) participated in our study. Of these participants, N = 2,734 (95%) confirmed their use of video games and were thus included in further analyses (2,377 male, 357 female, with a mean age of 23.06 years; SD = 5.91, Range: 13–65). The distribution of participants with regard to sex and age mirrors the findings of past research with males and younger individuals being more likely to play video games (e.g., Griffiths et al., 2004 ). Participants’ place of residence was Germany.

Procedure and Instruments 2

We posted links to our online questionnaire on various online forums as well as on popular online game sites. To achieve heterogeneity of the sample, no exclusion criteria other than having access to the Internet and understanding German were specified. As an incentive to participate in the study, four vouchers of 50€ were raffled.

Video Gaming

Potentially problematic video game use.

The AICA-S, the Scale for the Assessment of Internet and Computer game Addiction ( Wölfling et al., 2016 ), was used to assess participants’ gaming behavior with regard to potential problematic use. Based on the DSM criteria for Internet Gaming Disorder (tolerance, craving, loss of control, emotion regulation, withdrawal, and unsuccessful attempts to cut back), this standardized self-report scale consists of 15 items usually with a five-point scale ranging from 1 ( never ) to 5 ( very often ). The final score (Min = 0, Max = 27 points) is computed using weighted scoring (items with an item-total correlation > 0.55 in the norm sample are weighted double; Wölfling et al., 2011 ). The AICA-S score can be used to differentiate between regular (0–6.5 points) and problematic use of video games (7–13 points: abuse; 13.5–27 points: addiction). In our sample, N = 2,265 (83%) were identified as regular gamers, and N = 469 (17%) as problematic gamers. We used the AICA-S as a continuous variable for all further analyses ( M = 3.98, SD = 3.22, Range: 0–24). The instrument has been validated for different age groups in the general population and in clinical samples ( Müller et al., 2014a , 2019 , but note small sample size; Müller et al., 2014b ). Cronbach’s alpha was α = 0.70. As expected, the AICA-S score was correlated with male sex ( r = 0.17 ∗∗∗ ) and age ( r = –0.15 ∗∗∗ ). On average, participants played video games for M = 4.09 hours per weekday ( SD = 4.44, Range: 0–24), and M = 4.21 h per day at the weekend ( SD = 2.99, Range: 0–24).

Reasons for playing

Gamers indicated how often they played video games for certain reasons. They rated each of 10 reasons separately on Likert scales ranging from 1 ( never ) to 4 ( very often ). The most prevalent reasons were relaxation ( M = 2.96, SD = 0.91), amusement ( M = 2.94, SD = 0.85), and because of the storyline ( M = 2.67, SD = 1.10).

Game genres

Gamers were asked how often they usually played various video game subgenres such as first-person shooter, round-based strategy, massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), life simulations, and others. Ratings were made on Likert scales ranging from 1 ( never ) to 4 ( very often ). Using Apperley’s (2006) classification of game genres, we categorized the subgenres into the main genres action ( M = 2.54, SD = 0.84), strategy ( M = 2.13, SD = 0.80), role-playing ( M = 2.01, SD = 0.73), and simulation ( M = 1.58, SD = 0.44). A cluster for unclassified subgenres ( M = 1.54, SD = 0.39) was added to additionally account for such subgenres as jump’n’runs and games of skill. Descriptive statistics and intercorrelations for all measures (including sex and age) are presented in Supplementary Tables S1–S4 .

Psychological Functioning

Participants provided ratings of their psychological functioning on the following constructs:

General psychopathology

The SCL-K-9 ( Klaghofer and Brähler, 2001 ), a short version of the SCL-90-R ( Derogatis, 1975 ), was administered to assess participants’ subjective impairment regarding psychological symptoms (somatization, obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, and psychoticism). The SCL-K-9 score is strongly correlated with the original score of the SCL-90-R ( r = 0.93). The 9 items were answered on 5-point Likert-type scales ranging from 1 ( do not agree at all ) to 5 ( agree completely ). Cronbach’s alpha was satisfactory (α = 0.77).

We assessed 10 coping strategies with the Brief COPE ( Carver, 1997 ; German version by Knoll et al., 2005 ), which is the shorter version of the COPE ( Carver et al., 1989 ): self-distraction, denial, substance use, venting, self-blame, behavioral disengagement, acceptance, active coping, planning, and positive reframing. The two items per subscale were administered on 5-point Likert-type scales ranging from 1 ( never ) to 5 ( very often ). Intercorrelations of the two items per subscale ranged from r = 0.32, p < 0.001 for positive reframing to r = 0.78, p < 0.001 for substance use (with one exception: r = -0.05, p = 0.01 for self-distraction).

We measured general affect as a trait and affect during video gaming as a state using the German version ( Krohne et al., 1996 ) of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS; Watson et al., 1988 ). On a 5-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 ( not at all ) to 5 ( completely ), participants rated the intensity of 20 adjectives. Cronbach’s alpha was α = 0.78 for general positive affect, α = 0.83 for general negative affect, α = 0.85 for positive affect while playing, and α = 0.83 for negative affect while playing.

The measure for the assessment of shyness in adults ( Asendorpf, 1997 ) consists of 5 items that were answered on a 5-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 ( not at all ) to 5 ( completely ). Cronbach’s alpha was excellent (α = 0.86).

We administered the German version ( Elbing, 1991 ) of the NYU Loneliness Scale ( Rubenstein and Shaver, 1982 ). The 4 items were answered on 5- to 6-point Likert-type scales. Cronbach’s alpha was satisfactory (α = 0.79).

Preference for solitude

A 10-item measure of preference for solitude ( Nestler et al., 2011 ) was answered on a 6-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 ( not at all ) to 6 ( completely ). Cronbach’s alpha was excellent (α = 0.86).

Life satisfaction

Participants answered a one-item life satisfaction measure on a 4-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 ( not at all ) to 4 ( completely ).

Self-esteem

We administered the German version ( von Collani and Herzberg, 2003 ) of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES; Rosenberg, 1979 ). The 10 items were answered on a 4-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 ( not at all ) to 4 ( completely ). Cronbach’s alpha was excellent (α = 0.88).

Self-efficacy

We administered a 10-item generalized self-efficacy scale ( Schwarzer and Jerusalem, 1995 ), which was answered on a 4-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 ( not at all ) to 4 ( completely ). Cronbach’s alpha was excellent (α = 0.86).

Social support and friends

We administered the perceived available social support subscale from the Berlin Social Support Scales (BSSS; Schwarzer and Schulz, 2003 ). The 8 items were answered on a 5-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 ( not at all ) to 5 ( completely ). Cronbach’s alpha was excellent (α = 0.94). Participants indicated how many offline friends and offline acquaintances they had ( r = 0.44, p < 0.001) as well as how many online friends and online acquaintances they had ( r = 0.33, p < 0.001). Due to left-skewed distributions, we logarithmized the data before aggregation.

Participants reported their grade point average. German grades are assessed on a scale that ranges from 1 ( excellent ) to 6 ( insufficient ). Thus, higher scores indicate worse grades.

Participants further reported their sex and age. Both were used as control variables in further analyses.

In a first step, we computed zero-order correlations between the video gaming variables and the measures of psychological functioning. In a second step, we computed partial correlations in which we controlled for sex and age because past research has repeatedly shown that sex and age are correlated with both video gaming ( Homer et al., 2012 ; Mihara and Higuchi, 2017 ) and psychological functioning ( Kessler et al., 2007 ; Nolen-Hoeksema, 2012 ). Finally, we explored the unique contribution of each measure of psychological functioning to the prediction of potentially problematic video gaming. Therefore, we computed regressions with potentially problematic video gaming as the dependent variable and sex, age, and the measures of psychological functioning as predictors (entered simultaneously into the regression equation). By employing this procedure, we were able to determine the effect that each variable had over and above the other ones. For instance, we could identify whether general psychopathology was predictive of potentially problematic video game use when the influence of all other variables (e.g., shyness, loneliness, and others) was held constant.

Additionally, we included analyses regarding sex and age differences in the link between video gaming and psychological functioning. Since we collected a self-selected sample where different sexes and age groups were not represented equally, our findings are only preliminary, but may stimulate future research.

Potentially Problematic Video Game Use and Psychological Functioning

First, we examined whether potentially problematic video game use was related to various psychological functioning variables. As can be seen in Table 1 , the results for the zero-order correlations were similar to those for the partial correlations in which we controlled for sex and age. A medium-sized positive relation to the potentially problematic use of video games emerged for the presence of psychological symptoms including depression, anxiety, and hostility. Furthermore, several coping strategies were differentially associated with the potentially problematic use of video games: Self-blame and behavioral disengagement showed the strongest positive relations to potentially problematic video game use, followed by denial, acceptance, substance use, self-distraction, and venting. Planning, active coping, and, to a lesser extent, positive reframing were negatively associated with the potentially problematic use of video games. Moreover, the association with potentially problematic video game use was negative for general positive affect and positive and larger in size for general negative affect. However, potentially problematic video game use was clearly positively associated with the experience of both positive and negative affect while playing. Further, a preference for solitude, shyness, and loneliness were positively correlated with the potentially problematic use of video games. Lower self-esteem, lower life satisfaction, and, to a lesser extent, poorer perceived social support and lower self-efficacy went along with potentially problematic video game use. There was an association between fewer offline friends and acquaintances but more online connections with potentially problematic video gaming. Finally, poorer performance in school (i.e., higher grades) was related to the potentially problematic use of video games. These results suggest that potentially problematic video gaming goes along with poor psychological functioning and vice versa.

Associations between potentially problematic video gaming and psychological functioning.

Reasons for Playing Video Games and Psychological Functioning

Second, we investigated whether players’ reasons for playing video games were differentially related to the psychological functioning variables. Table 2 presents the partial correlations, controlling for sex and age. Using video games to distract oneself from stress was clearly connected to a high level of psychological symptoms. Distraction-motivated gamers preferred coping strategies such as self-blame, behavioral disengagement, self-distraction, denial, substance use, venting, and acceptance, but they neglected active coping and planning. They showed less general positive affect and more negative affect both in general and while playing as well as more positive affect while playing. These gamers further reported low self-esteem and low life satisfaction, loneliness, a preference for solitude, shyness, a lack of self-efficacy and social support, and poor achievement in school. A similar but somewhat less extreme picture was revealed for gamers who played video games in order to have something to talk about . However, these gamers reported more online connections. Gamers who played video games to improve their real-life abilities also reported more online connections. In addition, these gamers showed higher levels of general positive affect. The strongest association with online friends and acquaintances emerged, as expected, for gamers who played because of the social relations in the virtual world. Although all reasons for playing video games were related to positive affect while playing, the strongest associations emerged for gamers who played because of the social relations , to stimulate their imagination , and for curiosity . It is interesting that, for gamers who played video games because of the storyline and for relaxation , there was a relation only to positive but not to negative affect while playing. Reasons for playing were only weakly related to sex and age (see Supplementary Table S2 ). In sum, several reasons for playing video games were differentially associated with psychological functioning.

Associations between reasons for playing video games and psychological functioning.

Video Game Genre and Psychological Functioning

Third, we examined whether players’ preferences for different video game genres were differentially associated with the measures of psychological functioning. Table 3 shows the partial correlations in which we controlled for sex and age. There was a weak connection between general psychological symptoms and all of the video game genres we investigated except strategy. A preference for action games had the strongest association with affect while playing. Thus, action games seem to be both rewarding and a source of frustration. A preference for action games went along with poorer school performance. Gamers who preferred role-playing games scored higher on shyness and a preference for solitude and lower on self-esteem; they also reported fewer offline connections. By contrast, preferences for games of the unclassified category on average went along with a larger number of offline friends and more positive affect, both while playing and in general. Two game genres (i.e., role-playing and unclassified games) were related to the coping strategy of self-distraction. Because preferred game genre was related to participants’ sex (see Supplementary Table S3 ), we had a more detailed look at the correlations between preferred game genre and psychological functioning separately for both sexes: For males ( n = 2,377), the strongest correlation between general psychopathology and game genre emerged for action ( r = 0.08, p < 0.001), followed by role playing ( r = 0.07, p < 0.01), and unclassified ( r = 0.07, p < 0.01). For females ( n = 357), the strongest relation between general psychopathology and game genre emerged for simulation ( r = 0.17, p < 0.01). Differences were also found regarding the strength of the relation between number of friends online and the genre action: r = 0.06, p < 0.01 for males, and r = 0.27, p < 0.001 for females. Similarly, preferred game genre was related to participants’ age (see Supplementary Table S3 ). However, there were merely differences with regard to the relation of psychological functioning and game genre, when analyzed separately for different age groups (<19 years, n = 557; 19–30 years, n = 1916; >31 years, n = 261). In sum, our results speak to the idea that individuals with different levels of psychological functioning differ in their choices of game genres and vice versa.

Associations between preferred video game genre and psychological functioning.

Predicting Potentially Problematic Video Game Use by Psychological Functioning Variables

In a final step, we entered all of the investigated psychological functioning variables as well as sex and age as predictors of the potentially problematic use of video games. By employing this procedure, we were able to determine the unique contribution of each psychological functioning variable when the influence of all other variables was held constant. As Table 4 shows, the number of online friends and acquaintances as well as positive affect while playing were most predictive of potentially problematic video game use over and above all other variables. General psychopathology, a lack of offline connections, and poor school performance were weaker but still relevant predictors of potentially problematic video game use.

Prediction of potentially problematic video game use by psychological functioning variables.

With this study, we aimed to shed light on the association of diverse video gaming habits with gamers’ psychological functioning. Drawing on a large sample, our results revealed a medium-sized relation between potentially problematic video game use and poor psychological functioning with regard to general psychological symptoms, maladaptive coping strategies, negative affectivity, low self-esteem, and a preference for solitude as well as poor school performance. These findings are in line with those of prior work (e.g., Kuss and Griffiths, 2012 ; Milani et al., 2018 ). Also, reasons for playing video games were differentially related to psychological functioning with the most pronounced findings for escape-oriented in contrast to gain-oriented motives. Specifically, distraction-motivated gaming went along with higher symptom ratings, lower self-esteem, and more negative affectivity, whereas playing to establish social relationships in the virtual world was related to a larger number of online connections and more positive affect while playing. Furthermore, there were only weak relations between the preferred game genres and psychological functioning. The action games genre was associated with the strongest ratings of affect while playing. These results on reasons and genres may help to explain conflicting findings of former studies, because in our work we examined various reasons for playing, several game genres, and various aspects of psychological functioning simultaneously. Finally, positive affect while playing and a larger number of online friends were the strongest unique predictors of potentially problematic video game use, followed by psychological symptoms, a lack of offline connections, and poor school performance. These findings suggest that, on the one hand, independent of one’s psychological conditions, enjoying oneself during gaming (i.e., experiencing positive affect, connecting with online friends) may go along with potentially problematic use of video games. On the other hand, poor psychological functioning seems to be a unique risk factor for potentially problematic video gaming.

The presented results are generally in line with previous work that has identified a connection between video gaming and psychological health, academic problems, and social problems ( Ferguson et al., 2011 ; Müller et al., 2015 ). However, our study moved beyond prior research by providing in-depth analyses of both video gaming habits (including potentially problematic use, reasons for playing, and preferred game genre) and psychological functioning (including psychological symptoms, coping styles, affectivity, as well as variables that are related to individuals and their social environments). In addition, we identified unique predictors of potentially problematic video game use.

How can the findings on differential relations between video gaming and various indices of psychological functioning – ranging from beneficial results ( Latham et al., 2013 ) to unfavorable results ( Barlett et al., 2009 ; Möller and Krahé, 2009 ; Anderson et al., 2010 ) – be integrated? According to Kanfer and Phillips (1970) , problematic behavior (e.g., excessive video gaming) can be understood as a function of the situation (e.g., being rejected by a peer); the organism (e.g., low self-esteem); the person’s thoughts, physical reactions, and feelings (e.g., sadness, anger); and finally, the short- as well as long-term consequences of the behavior (termed SORKC model). In the short run, according to our results, playing video games may be a way to distract oneself from everyday hassles and may lead to positive affect while playing and a feeling of being connected to like-minded people, all of which are factors that have an immediate reinforcing value. In the long run, however, spending many hours per day in front of a computer screen may prevent a person from (a) developing and practicing functional coping strategies, (b) finding friends and support in the social environment, and (c) showing proper school achievement, factors that are potentially harmful to the person. Thus, differentiating between short- and long-term perspectives may help us understanding the differential correlates of intensive video gaming.

When is it appropriate to speak of video game addiction? More and more researchers have suggested a continuum between engagement ( Charlton and Danforth, 2007 ; Skoric et al., 2009 ) and pathological gaming/addiction, instead of a categorical perspective. In part, this recommendation has also been followed in the DSM-5 ( American Psychiatric Association, 2013 ) where Internet Gaming Disorder is classified with different degrees of severity, ranging from mild to moderate to severe, according to the functional impairment associated with it. The AICA-S also allows for a differential perspective on gaming behavior by providing ways to assess both the time spent playing video games and the main DSM criteria that indicate Internet Gaming Disorder. However, in our study we did not aim at making a diagnosis, but at having a closer look at potentially problematic gaming behavior and its correlates in a non-clinical sample.

In sum, it seems relevant to assess not only the extent of video game use but also the reasons behind this behavior (e.g., distraction) and the concrete rewards that come from playing (e.g., the experience of strong affect while playing action games) to fully understand the relation between video gaming and psychological functioning.

Limitations and Future Directions

With the present study, we aimed to uncover the association between video gaming and psychological functioning. Our approach was cross-sectional and warrants interpretative caution because correlations cannot determine the direction of causation. It remains unclear whether potentially problematic gaming is a factor that contributes to the development of psychological dysfunction or whether psychological dysfunction contributes to potentially problematic gaming. Also, a third factor (e.g., preexisting mental difficulties) may produce both psychological dysfunction and potentially problematic gaming. Thus, longitudinal studies that are designed to identify the causal pathway may provide a promising avenue for future research. Future studies may also answer the question whether the link between video gaming and psychological functioning is moderated by sex, age, the reasons for playing, or the preferred game genre. In addition, it is important not to forget that the present results are based on a self-selected sample in which potentially problematic video gamers were overrepresented (e.g., Festl et al., 2013 , for a representative sample). Thus, future research should replicate our findings in a representative sample. Further, we relied on self-reported data, which is a plausible method for assessing inner affairs such as people’s reasons for their behaviors, but it would be helpful to back up our findings with evidence derived from sources such as peers, caregivers, and health specialists. Our work reflects only a first approach to the topic, and future work may additionally collect in-game behavioral data from the players ( McCreery et al., 2012 ; Billieux et al., 2013 ) to objectively and more specifically investigate diverse patterns of use. Furthermore, one must not forget that the used taxonomy to classify video game genres is only one of various possible options and one should “think of each individual game as belonging to several genres at once” ( Apperley, 2006 , p. 19). Finally, some of the effects reported in our paper were rather modest in size. This is not surprising considering the complexity and multiple determinants of human behavior. In our analyses, we thoroughly controlled for the influence of sex and age and still found evidence that video gaming was differentially related to measures of psychological functioning.

The current study adds to the knowledge on gaming by uncovering the specific relations between video gaming and distinct measures of psychological functioning. Potentially problematic video gaming was found to be associated with positive affect and social relationships while playing but also with psychological symptoms, maladaptive coping strategies, negative affectivity, low self-esteem, a preference for solitude, and poor school performance. Including gamers’ reasons for playing video games and their preferred game genres helped deepen the understanding of the specific and differential associations between video gaming and psychological health. This knowledge might help developing adequate interventions that are applied prior to the occurrence of psychological impairments that may go along with potentially problematic video gaming.

Ethics Statement

In our online survey, participants were given information on voluntary participation, risks, confidentiality/anonymity, and right to withdraw. Whilst participants were not signing a separate consent form, consent was obtained by virtue of completion. We implemented agreed procedures to maintain the confidentiality of participant data.

Author Contributions

BB, BE, JH, and KM conceived and designed the study. BB, JH, and KM collected and prepared the data. JH analyzed the data. BE and JH wrote the manuscript.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

1 The data were gathered as part of a larger project ( Stopfer et al., 2015 ; Braun et al., 2016 ). However, the analyses in the present article do not overlap with analyses from previous work.

2 Other measures were administered, but they were not relevant to the present research questions and are thus not mentioned in this paper. The data set and analysis script supporting the conclusions of this manuscript can be retrieved from https://osf.io/emrpw/?view_only=856491775efe4f99b407e258c2f2fa8d .

Supplementary Material

The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01731/full#supplementary-material

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Playing video games could boost brain function in children, suggests new study.

Vincent Acovino

Patrick Jarenwattananon

Juana Summers

NPR's Juana Summers talks to University of Vermont professor Bader Chaarani about why playing video games might actually have some positive effects on a child's cognition.

Copyright © 2022 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

Groundbreaking new study says time spent playing video games can be good for your well being

With the UK in a second national lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Christmas on the horizon, many will stay indoors to play and socially connect through video games. New research from Oxford University has delivered a surprising finding; time spent playing games is positively associated with well-being.

The new study is the first of its kind. Rather than asking players how much they play, it uses industry data on actual play time for popular video games Plants vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The study suggests that experiences of competence and social connection with others through play may contribute to people’s well-being. Indeed, those who derived enjoyment from playing were more likely to report experiencing positive well-being.

These experiences during play may be even more important than the actual amount of time a player invests in games and could play a major role in the well-being of players.

Professor Andrew Przybylski , Director of Research at the Oxford Internet Institute , University of Oxford, and lead-author of the study, says, 'Previous research has relied mainly on self-report surveys to study the relationship between play and well-being. Without objective data from games companies, those proposing advice to parents or policymakers have done so without the benefit of a robust evidence base.

'Our findings show video games aren’t necessarily bad for your health; there are other psychological factors which have a significant effect on a persons’ well-being. In fact, play can be an activity that relates positively to people’s mental health – and regulating video games could withhold those benefits from players.

'Working with Electronic Arts and Nintendo of America we’ve been able to combine academic and industry expertise. Through access to data on peoples’ playing time, for the first time we’ve been able to investigate the relation between actual game play behaviour and subjective well-being, enabling us to deliver a template for crafting high-quality evidence to support health policymakers.'

Our findings show video games aren’t necessarily bad for your health; there are other psychological factors which have a significant effect on a persons’ well-being

The study explored the association between objective game time and well-being, examining the link between directly measured behaviour and subjective mental health. It also explored the roles of player experiences, specifically how feelings of autonomy, relatedness, competence, enjoyment and feeling pressured to play related to well-being.

In their study, the Oxford researchers looked at patterns of player behaviour for two popular video games. More than 3,270 players were asked to complete a survey designed by the researchers to measure well-being, self-reported play, and motivational experiences during play. The survey findings were combined with objective behavioural data for the survey participants, collected by the video game companies.

 Key findings include:

• Actual amount of time spent playing was a small but significant positive factor in people’s well-being

• A player’s subjective experiences during play might be a bigger factor for well-being than mere play time.

• Players experiencing genuine enjoyment from the games experience more positive well-being

• Findings align with past research suggesting people whose psychological needs weren’t being met in the ‘real world’ might report negative well-being from play.

See an extended interview with Professor Przybylski here.  

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The future of video gaming is bright—even as real experiences return, 4 minute read | january 2021.

Globally, the video game industry was likely one of the best equipped to handle the turbulence of 2020. Not only did engagement skyrocket as consumers stayed at home, but the industry pivoted to ensure it was doing everything it could to keep consumers engaged. Branded crossover events, virtual concerts and celebrity influencer participations all fueled a groundswell that shows no signs of receding—even as the COVID-19 vaccine promises to allow people to once again be with each other IRL.

Engagement with video games was growing well before the pandemic , powered by growing mobile connectivity and a surge in free-to-play games. Yet when you add 10 months of time at home, the growing abundance of ways to engage with video games and video game content have further cemented video games in consumers’ lives. And somewhat oddly, many consumers say they’re spending more time engaging via their mobile devices despite global mobility restrictions throughout the year.

At the height of lockdowns, 55% of U.S. consumers were playing video games as a result of COVID-19 and subsequent restrictions. That stat becomes even more impressive when you compare it with the reach of live and time-shifted TV, which stood at 83% among U.S. adults 18 and older, according to the second-quarter 2020 Nielsen Total Audience report.

But consumers didn’t stop at spending more time with video games. They outspent on games as well. That might be underwhelming under normal circumstances, but through the lens of a global pandemic with widespread health and financial ramifications , it’s illuminating. Early in the year (January and February), game earnings were up just 6%—and that was before COVID-19 truly took hold in the U.S. As the year progressed, game earnings nearly doubled, rising to 14% for the rest of the year. 

Importantly, consumers interact with games in ways that go beyond playing them directly. Many audience members watch games as often as they play. Largely popular with Millennials, gaming video content (GVC) is online video content about games. While 71% of Millennial gamers reported watching GVC late last year, the entire audience for GVC grew 18% to 1.2 billion people this year, generating more than $9 billion in revenue. Live stream provider Twitch has played a leading role in furthering engagement with GVC, as it helped battle royale platform Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout become a breakout hit in August, as it went on to sell 8.2 million units on PC in one month. And after Twitch streamers popularized online social deduction game Among Us , it went on to attract the highest monthly player base of any game in history.

But video gaming has even grown to transcended entertainment: today, as a result of global movement restrictions, video games represent a newfound way to stay in touch with people and make new friends. Research from SuperData, a Nielsen company, found that roughly one in four (27%) U.S. residents used video games as a way to stay in touch with other people in 2020. And with many areas around the globe reintroducing lockdown scenarios, video games present a virtual platform for social interaction—and more. With social distancing still very much a factor in daily lives, free-to-play video games like Fortnite and Roblox have become virtual gathering hotspots, aided by increasing presence from musicians and public figures. 

Fortnite enjoyed massive success for its in-game live events in 2020: singer-songwriter Travis Scott held a series of five virtual concerts throughout the year that attracted more than 45 million viewers; in November, Lil Nas X performed a concert in Roblox that gathered more than 33 million views. But the appeal of these gaming platforms spans beyond musicians: For example, in the U.S., Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar streamed Among Us alongside popular Twitch streamers.

Entertainment and political figures aren’t the only ones to bridge connections through the virtual realm of the video game industry in 2020. Realizing the need to do more than use in-game ads and sponsorships, brands continue expanding their reach through an array of popular video games. Animal Crossing: New Horizons, for example, attracted the Biden-Harris campaign, which offered gamers the opportunity to deck out their island homes with official Joe Biden yard signs. Meanwhile, the NFL’s Detroit Lions used Animal Crossing: New Horizons to debut its 2020 game schedule while Fortnite continued building on its crossover success with an epic, several-month-long event with Marvel Comics.

There is no doubt that the unique circumstances of 2020 elevated the video game industry’s ability to engage new and existing users, particularly through a wealth of creativity and collaboration. The arrival of vaccines to combat COVID-19 are very welcome signs of hope, but they will not induce a sudden pullback in video gaming. While the video game industry was trending upward well before the pandemic, research suggests that 10 months of new behavior (during the pandemic) is far longer than it takes for it to become the norm. According to findings from health psychology researcher Phillippa Lally, new behaviors become automatic after an average of 66 days. 2021 will be a welcome new chapter for many around the world, but brands should remain focused on engaging consumers where they spend their time—and money.

For additional video gaming insights, download SuperData’s 2020 Year in Review report .

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Beyond 2021:

Most of the past year’s growth came from veteran players using newfound free time to play more. Within this group:

173M new or returning players took part in gaming in 2020. Within this group:

Product Management Director, Google

Market Lead, Games, Newzoo

Which themes will continue beyond 2021?

Our research suggests that some key themes will continue to play crucial roles in shaping the gaming landscape. to help define their impact, we have split them into three categories..

Novel trends

Examples of consumer behavior towards tech and services evolving in new ways:

Accelerated trends

Behaviors that existed pre-pandemic and were significantly boosted by it:

Temporary setbacks

Challenges caused by the pandemic that will ultimately lead to new opportunities:

Who are tomorrow’s players?

The view by region, latin america.

Latin America shifts to mobile

Latin america is a region in transition. having moved from pc and console to mobile, players want and expect further democratization of access to games.

With the largest gaming audience increase of any region from 2015 through to 2024, Latin America is one of the world’s fastest-growing regions. It also ranks second globally for growth in consumer spending on games (2015-2024), albeit from a small base of 4% of the global games market in 2021.

In 2021, 289.3 million LATAM players will spend a combined $7.2 billion on games, of which 48% will be spent on mobile, 27% on console, and 25% on PC.

Player demographics

With an average age of 34, latin america has the youngest audience of the four major global regions. it also features a higher percentage of new or returning players compared to more mature regions such as north america..

• *Veteran players were already playing before 2020
• Returning players stopped playing at least once but started again during the pandemic
• New players started playing for the first time after February 2020

3 themes that will shape the Latin American region beyond 2021

Mobile gaming is fueling growth in live streaming and esports, along with promoting player growth and consumer spending, mobile gaming is also unlocking the world of esports, with latin american players watching top-tier streamers and esports teams in record numbers. as a result, the audience for live-streamed content is expected to rise to 122.4 million people by 2024, by which point the number of esports enthusiasts will have grown to 25.3 million people..

The opportunity:

Live streaming and esports are more popular in Latin America than in any other region, including Asia. Developers should embrace this aspect of gaming culture and make it a key element of their expansion strategies.

New players and effective monetization strategies will be crucial

Latin america witnessed a huge spike in engagement over the past 18 months. however, this growth is expected to moderate across all platforms in the second half of 2021 and beyond, with a predicted increase of just 8% between 2020 and 2021. with this in mind, publishers and developers should explore other avenues for growing audiences and revenue..

Despite recent growth in audience and engagement, average spend per player in Latin America remains relatively low. Finding more effective ways to monetize new and existing players is the key to continued growth.

Cloud gaming can solve hardware issues and support subscriptions

Cloud gaming is an opportunity to democratize hardware usage in the latin american region where regulation has made ownership difficult. from 2020 to 2021, the number of players paying to use cloud gaming services will grow sixfold, to 1.2 million players who will spend $37.6 million on access to cloud gaming services and content purchased via those services. despite this trend, however, many major cloud gaming service providers have indicated that latam is one of the last regions into which they intend to formally expand..

In a region where the availability of traditional hardware is limited and few subscription providers exist, developers can scale effectively by partnering with or offering a cloud gaming service that’s capable of expansion.

North America

North America is primed for innovation

Established regions such as north america are less likely to witness dramatic growth in numbers of traditional players, but interesting experimentation is taking place around engagement and monetization.

North America is a mature region where gaming has already reached near-universal adoption levels, and this has several implications for how it absorbs external shocks such as the events of the past 18 months.

In 2021, 212.1 million players in North America will spend a combined $42.6 billion on games, with console being the dominant platform. However, like most regions, North America has also seen tremendous growth in mobile gaming.

Our U.S. consumer research found that 83% of respondents were already playing before 2020, the largest such share of all regions we surveyed. Another 13% were returning players (those who stopped playing at least once but started again during the pandemic), and the remaining 4% were new players (those who started playing for the first time after February 2020).

3 themes that will shape the North American region beyond 2021

Games have been normalized as a form of social media, in the past 18 months, we’ve witnessed a significant shift from games incorporating social media-like elements to actually becoming social media platforms themselves. gaming was the second-most popular form of digital socializing in 2020, behind traditional social media. meanwhile, the number of players meeting in-game or via game-related platforms equaled or surpassed the number of people using videoconferencing apps..

In mature regions such as North America, the growth of games culture can be as important or more important than the growth of games themselves. Large-scale socialization and metaverse elements are all rapidly becoming normalized. Additional opportunities lie in further integrating games with social media and streaming platforms.

Mobile offers opportunities to expand and innovate

With the majority of north american gamers already playing on mobile, opportunities for audience growth are limited, but revenue will continue to rise. and as we approach 2024, we expect the total number of mobile players in north america to grow at a cagr of 0.8% to 199 million, and revenue to increase at a cagr of 6.4%. this degree of growth will allow developers to experiment with novel monetization strategies, explore cross-play, and expand beyond mobile audiences..

The future of gaming is platform-agnostic. Developers on mobile, PC, and console will all benefit from making their titles as accessible as possible. This could include publishing on multiple platforms or even joining a subscription service.

The popularity of streaming and esports will continue to soar

The north american live-streaming audience will grow to 91.5 million people in 2021, accounting for almost 13% of the global audience. consumption of game-related content rose by just over 40% in 2020 and is expected to increase by an additional 39% in the future..

Streaming has become an integral social aspect of the gaming experience for North American players, and their interests continue to diversify. With the popularity of mobile game-related content expected to increase, developers who prepare to take advantage of this trend now will be well placed to stay ahead of the curve.

Europe, the Middle East, and Africa

EMEA offers diverse opportunities

Europe, the middle east, and africa (emea) is the world’s most diverse gaming region, with potential for robust growth in certain markets and for extremely high revenue per user in others.

Europe is home to four of the world’s top 10 largest gaming markets (Germany, the U.K., France, and Italy) while the Middle East includes some of the most promising growth markets. Gaming has yet to achieve mainstream status in many African markets.

In 2021, EMEA’s 842.9 million players will spend a combined $37.8 billion on games. Console gaming represents the largest segment as of 2021, but mobile is the fastest growing.

EMEA players tend to spend less time playing than their counterparts in other regions, averaging 2.3 hours per week less than North American players, 3.2 hours less than those in LATAM, and five hours less than those in APAC.

3 themes that will shape the EMEA region beyond 2021

Revenue can rise even as playing time levels off, while emea players are expecting their activity levels to decrease beyond 2021, playing times will still remain higher than they were pre-2020. what’s more, the resilience of game spending habits means emea is still ripe for future revenue generation as spend per player remains among the highest in the world..

Many EMEA players (particularly in Europe) are willing to spend a lot on games even if they don’t expect to devote as much time to the activity. Key initiatives to implement in the region include: offering players shorter core gameplay loops; giving them options to spend money to save time; and not overly focusing on driving up playing time or play-session length.

Platform usage will continue to vary by market

Emea is defined by the diversity of its audiences in different markets, especially with regard to their platform preferences. western europe is dominated by console, but eastern europe turns to pc most frequently. the region’s developing markets are centered around mobile gaming..

EMEA’s high level of market variance doesn’t allow for a one-size-fits-all solution. Developers who can provide a variety of gaming experiences or take advantage of the emerging trend towards cross-platform are most likely to succeed. Also, publishers should note the way platforms dictate the economics of markets: console-first markets tend to have some of the highest spends, while mobile-first markets show the highest growth and potential for in-game advertising.

Esports and live-streamed game content are key for player retention

Our research suggests that european players spend less overall time gaming than their peers in the rest of emea, and are more likely to churn post-pandemic. however, their interest in live-streamed games and esports content is much more in line with other regions, with major european markets such as poland and the u.k. expecting their consumption to increase by 30% and 25% respectively compared to 2020..

Tapping into the community, sharing, and fandom that exists around live streaming and esports offers developers a crucial opportunity to engage and retain European players.

Asia-Pacific

APAC’s importance cannot be overstated

Asia-pacific has been an engine for growth for the global games industry, fueled by diverse and rapidly growing markets, shaped by changing platform dynamics, and defined by agile innovation.

APAC is the world’s largest gaming region, home to 55% of all global players and three of the top four markets by consumer spending (mainland China, Japan, and South Korea). Virtually all of APAC’s 1.62 billion players play on mobile. The $57.9 billion being spent on mobile games in 2021 represents two-thirds of all consumer spending in the region.

Our research found that players in APAC have the highest average weekly playing time of all regions (at 17.4 hours per week) and a relatively low average age of 34.3, driven by younger audiences in growth markets such as Vietnam and India.

3 themes that will shape the Asia-Pacific region beyond 2021

Gaming technology is evolving digital social engagement, for many years, apac markets have set the global standard for social features in games. social multiplayer games dominate, unlike in most western markets, which tend to focus on single-player titles. this social integration with gaming is taking place at a business and operational level. companies such as tencent (which also operates wechat) continue to blur the lines between games and social apps, and publishers recognize the potential for further monetizing large, socially inclined audiences in the region..

With APAC’s social gaming roots, it’s more ready than other regions to adopt proto-metaverses and similar innovations.

Console gaming is starting to take off in mainland China and South Korea

Although console gaming has not been widely adopted in apac, market indicators suggest this is set to change, driven by the mobile-friendly functionality of the nintendo switch and the launch of next-gen playstation and xbox consoles in mainland china (the first to be released concurrently with other regions)..

With PC cafes closed in APAC, players are turning to consoles for AAA and single-player experiences. Developers have an opportunity to target this APAC gaming diaspora with innovative premium/single-player-focused experiences on mobile.

Mobile is highly accessible and offers strong monetization opportunities

Mobile gaming activity continued to increase in apac over the past 18 months. although 97% of regional gamers already play on mobile, engagement per player continues to grow. mobile also accounts for a significant proportion of consumer spending in the region, which has led to fierce competition and monetization innovations among publishers. from cosmetics to battle passes, apac’s mobile players spend their budgets on a much wider range of monetization options than players in other regions..

Developers who embrace experimentation and innovation, particularly around monetization, will be well-placed to take advantage of APAC’s mobile-first, engaged user base.

New Study Reveals the Hidden Health Cost of Video Games: What Every Hardcore Gamer Needs to Know

In the fast-evolving digital entertainment landscape, video games remain a popular leisure activity, drawing millions into increasingly sophisticated and realistic gaming environments. 

While gaming offers many an escape and source of joy, recent research published in  Nature sheds light on a darker aspect of being a hardcore gamer—the potential for significant physical health issues stemming from prolonged video gaming sessions.

Previous studies have largely focused on how excessive gaming affects behavior and mental health. In 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized “ gaming disorder ” in its International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). The WHO describes gaming disorder as a behavior pattern in which people cannot control their gaming, prioritize it over everything else, and let it interfere with their daily activities and interests.

However, research on the impact of excessive gaming on physical health has been scarce. A group of Australian researchers conducted a study investigating the physical health repercussions of long gaming sessions to address this need for more information.

The comprehensive study, conducted as part of the 2022 International Gaming Study (IGS22), revealed a concerning link between extended video game play and various physical health problems. 

Researchers surveyed 955 individuals aged 18 to 94 who identified as gamers and found a striking correlation between long gaming sessions and increased reports of physical ailments such as eye fatigue, neck and back pain, and wrist and hand discomfort.

The research, employing a cross-sectional survey method, highlighted that playing video games for three or more hours in a single session can double the likelihood of experiencing these negative physical symptoms. 

Of study participants, 80% played games daily, with 27.5% indicating they played for three or more hours per session. Using the Internet Gaming Disorder Test-10 (IGDT-10) to evaluate the possibility of gaming disorders, researchers found that 17.9% of participants qualified for having a “gaming disorder,” as defined by the WHO. 

21.7% of respondents said they aspired to become professional video gamers. Researchers found a moderate correlation between aspiring professional gamers and symptoms of gaming disorder.

The most common physical complaint was back or neck pain, reported by 52.1% of study participants. Eye fatigue came in second, with 46.1% of participants mentioning it, and hand or wrist pain was a close third, experienced by 45.4% of the participants.

Intriguingly, researchers found this trend of physical health issues persisted across all demographics, including different age groups and genders, as well as among casual and aspiring professional gamers.

These findings suggest that the adverse physical effects of gaming are not isolated to a specific demographic or type of gamer. Instead, they are a broad concern that affects a wide range of individuals who engage in extended gaming sessions. This challenges the stereotype that gaming-related health issues are limited to young men or professional gamers.

That said, individuals who fit the criteria for internet gaming disorder were found to be at a much higher risk and four times more likely to encounter physical health issues than those without the disorder.

These findings are particularly timely, given the exponential growth of the video gaming industry and the diversification of its consumer base. According to a  2023 market report , the COVID-19 pandemic had an “unprecedented and staggering” impact on the global video game market, with the industry expected to reach a market size of over $307.9 billion by 2029. 

Aside from the obvious concerns related to “gaming disorder,” recent research has also challenged many widely accepted ideas about the harmful effects of video games on mental health.

A 2022 study featured in  Nature  discovered that  playing video games improved children’s general intelligence . Similarly, research conducted by the University of Exeter, Truro, and Penwith College revealed that playing the video game  Red Dead Redemption 2  boosted players’ knowledge of North American wildlife . 

Scientists Succeed in Producing A Durable “Time Crystal”

Dispelling another widely held myth, a recent study by Viennese neuroscientists found that  playing violent video games did not numb users to real-world violence  or lead to an increased lack of empathy. 

Rather than focusing solely on video games’ psychological or behavioral impact, this current research suggests a pressing need for public health strategies to promote better gaming habits related to physical health. 

This includes raising awareness about the potential physical consequences of prolonged gaming and encouraging the adoption of measures to mitigate these risks, such as taking regular breaks and maintaining good posture.

Moreover, the study suggests that public health interventions should not only focus on reducing the duration of gaming sessions but also on educating gamers about the importance of ergonomic practices and self-care to prevent long-term health issues. This is especially pertinent because many gamers may not be aware of the risks associated with their hobby.

In their concluding remarks, the study authors underscored the importance of raising awareness about the physical health risks associated with prolonged video game play. 

“As the number of people engaging in video gaming increases across the world, interventions for healthy gaming habits to prevent negative physical impacts are warranted,” the authors wrote. “Our findings underscore the importance of raising awareness about the potential physical consequences and implementing measures to prevent negative symptoms, strain, and injuries associated with prolonged gaming.” 

Tim McMillan is a retired law enforcement executive, investigative reporter and co-founder of The Debrief. His writing typically focuses on defense, national security, the Intelligence Community and topics related to psychology. You can follow Tim on Twitter:   @LtTimMcMillan.   Tim can be reached by email:  [email protected]  or through encrypted email:   [email protected]  

How Video Games Are Making Research Fun

Gamification and citizen science meet when research projects create video games to make data collection and analysis fun.

The SciStarter Blog

By Nathaniel Scharping

While we might imagine a scientist as a chemist concocting substances in a lab, or a biologist diving with sea creatures, the reality is often far more mundane. Much of science involves collecting and analyzing data, and that process isn’t always very exciting. Think counting bacteria in a petri dish, or noting if two stars look alike in an image of the Milky Way.

But a number of research projects have found a way to buck that trend and turn the grinding work of data collection and analysis into something fun, even rewarding. By creating games that bake the process of data collection into their mechanics, players can contribute data and even uncover new insights just by playing along. Gamification, along with the growing movement known as citizen science, which invites volunteers to take part in real science research, is, in its own way, reshaping what it means to do science.

Gamifying Science

Games that pair citizen science with rewarding play are probing treatments for cancer, helping to cure Alzheimer’s, probing the foundations of language and more. Not only are the games made to be fun, but they address a prevailing issue among crowdsourcing projects: the dropoff rate. Citizen science games tackle the problem with game mechanics that allow players to uncover valuable data through the simple act of playing, keeping them engaged. The results can be striking: Volunteers with the citizen science game Stall Catchers were able to process 50 times as much data as scientists working alone. And research in The Lancet on citizen science volunteers playing the game Cell Slider found that the players were more than 90 percent accurate in classifying images of tumors, nearing the accuracy of trained pathologists.

“The concept is for the player, without actually knowing the background of the problem, without knowing the science of the problem, to be able to do something that helps solve the problem,” says Jay Halderman, the vice president of  BALANCED Media |Technology , a video game company that’s created multiple citizen science video games.

The studio’s most recent game is a pattern-matching challenge called Rocks & Runes . Players place cartoon bombs on a board filled with brightly-colored runes, with the goal of destroying rocks and matching runes together. The game might feel familiar to anyone who’s ever played Candy Crush, and it takes all of five minutes to get the hang of.

But beneath the bursts of color and flurries of point multipliers, players’ decisions are actually sorting through data from FDA-approved drug compounds to identify those that might be useful against multiple-drug-resistant chemotherapy. By eliminating rocks with bombs, players are virtually eliminating the ineffective properties of existing drugs and pointing machine learning algorithms toward more useful compounds, helping to sift out promising candidates from thousands of drugs.

Still, a player doesn’t even need to know the potential scientific benefits to enjoy the game. Adding enough reward to the gameplay to keep players interested in the game itself is a fundamental goal when designing citizen science games, says Nathan Bowden, a senior game designer at BALANCED Media|Technology.

“Everything we do, we’re trying to look at it through the lens of ‘is this fun?’” he says.

The designers often draw from existing video game archetypes — pattern matching, first-person shooters and more — when looking for inspiration. Sometimes the real challenge is simply finding the right paradigm for a particular dataset or scientific problem, Bowden says. When designing Wiley Wizard , a game that works with the same dataset as Rocks & Runes, the designers played around with half a dozen different game ideas before settling on one, a spooky cartoon world where a wizard fights ghosts.

“There’s just so many different ways you can encapsulate one piece of research into a single mechanic,” Bowden says.

Games With an Open Canvas

Another citizen science game, Glyph , takes a different approach. Instead of creating rigid rules or a defined path of gameplay, the project, which studies and compares alphabets from around the world, instead offers players a nearly blank slate.

The simple game asks players to come up with a set of rules to differentiate letters from alphabets around the world. The goal, says Olivier Morin , one of the game’s creators and a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology in Jena, Germany, is to develop a kind of grammar of letter shapes that the researchers can use to study how letters have evolved and how the shapes of letters affect our cognition. The researchers could have paid participants to do the work, like other lab experiments often do, Morin says. But by gamifying the process of data collection, he hopes they’ll be able to reach people who are much more creatively involved in the process, and more likely to come up with unique solutions.

“We need creative players who want to push the boundaries of the game and create unique kinds of data we could never gather in an experiment,” Morin says.

Players get points for coming up with rules for classifying the shapes of letters (think: these are all round, these all have a vertical line), with extra points if they’re the first-ever person to propose a particular rule. The response so far has been encouraging, Morin says, with a few thousand players from around the world. That’s ideal for a small game like theirs, he says, where the real goal is to reach people who might be highly interested in the challenge. Their top player right now has more than 60,000 points, which represents weeks of gameplay.

“That person really spent weeks trying to devise the most elegant, intelligible but innovative classification she could think of to make sense of letter shapes,” Morin says. “There’s no way a paid participant would do that in a few hours.”

At Balanced Media, the designers have been exploring other ways to entice players to participate, including creating games that can be played inside live Twitch streams, which allow gamers to broadcast matches and interact. They created a new game styled like the classic “Asteroids” arcade game that can be played between matches right on Twitch. Players must separate matter from antimatter by drawing a straight line across the screen, a simple task that helps sort the same drug compound data as Rocks & Runes and Wiley Wizard.

Other citizen science games offer even more ways to get involved. The popular Stall Catchers game asks players to find “stalls,” or blocked blood vessels, in images of mouse brains to advance Alzheimer’s research. And in the iPad game NeMO- Net , players classify corals to help train an algorithm that’s watching over the health of coral reefs around the world.

There may be even more ways for gamers to do citizen science soon. Or, to put it another way, we may soon have even more fun citizen science games. The technology and infrastructure supporting the video game industry continues to grow, unlocking new capabilities and audiences as it does so.

“It’s giving us more and more opportunities for ways to present these things to a player,” Bowden says. “That’s incredibly exciting, the potential there.”

Want to try some for yourself? Find dozens of citizen science games on SciStarter .

Do video games affect your mood? Read more about Video Gaming Disorder and Mental Health .

About the Author

Nate is a science writer and editor who has reported everywhere from particle colliders to archaeological digs. He’s also a cofounder of Lunaris Creative, an agency focused on scientific storytelling for brands and nonprofits. You can find clips of his work at nathanielscharping.com.

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Benefits of Play Revealed in Research on Video Gaming

Video gaming leads to improved cognition, creativity, sociability, and more..

Posted March 27, 2018 | Reviewed by Ekua Hagan

In previous posts, and in my book Free to Learn , I described the decline in children’s opportunities to play and explore freely that has occurred over the past several decades. I also presented reasons to believe that this decline is a cause of well-documented declines in mental health ( here ), empathy ( here ), and creativity ( here ) among young people over this same time period.

The one variety of play that has not declined over these decades, but has increased, is video gaming. For the most part, children can no longer go outdoors and find others to play with, freely, away from adults, as they once did; but many of them can and do go onto computers and play video games. Over time, these games have become increasingly varied, complex, creative, and social. This is especially true with the increasing popularity of multi-player online games. If you believe the scare articles in the media, you might believe that the rise of video gaming is a cause of declines in psychological health, but, as I have suggested elsewhere (e.g. here ), the opposite may be true. Video gaming may in fact be an ameliorating factor, helping to counteract the harmful effects of the loss of other forms of play.

If video gaming worsens psychological wellbeing, then we should expect to find more mental health and social problems in video gamers than in otherwise similar people who are not gamers. If video gaming, like other forms of play, generally improves wellbeing, then we should find that gamers are mentally healthier, on average, than non-gamers. By now, many dozens of studies have examined psychological correlates of and consequences of video gaming, and, taken as a whole, the results overwhelmingly support the idea that video gaming produces many of the same kinds of benefits as other forms of play. Here is a review of that research.

Cognitive Benefits

Most of the video gaming research to date has focused on cognition . Correlational studies have consistently revealed that young people who play video games extensively have, on average, higher IQs and perform better on a wide variety of cognitive tests of perceptual and mental ability than do non-gamers. Moreover, a number of experiments have demonstrated improvement in previous non-gamers' cognitive abilities when they take up gaming for the sake of the experiment. I summarized many of those findings in a previous post ( here ). Research more recently has confirmed and extended those findings.

In a recent article in Psychological Bulletin , Benoit Bediou and his colleagues (2018) reviewed all of the recent research (published since 2000) they could find concerning the cognitive effects of playing action video games. They found 89 correlational studies, which related the average number of hours per week of action video games to one or more measures of cognitive ability, and 22 intervention studies (true experiments), in which non-gamers were asked to play action video games for a specified number of hours per week, for a specified number of weeks, and were compared with other non-gamers on degree of improvement over that time on one or more cognitive tests.

Their analysis of the correlational studies revealed, overall, strong positive relationships between amount of time gaming and high scores on tests of perception, top-down attention , spatial cognition, multitasking, and cognitive flexibility (ability to switch strategies quickly when old ones strategies don’t work). Their analysis of the intervention data indicated that even just 10 to 30 hours of video play, over the duration of an experiment, significantly improved performance on tests of perception, attention, spatial cognition, and cognitive flexibility.

Of course, different sorts of video games exercise different kinds of mental abilities. In contrast to fast-paced action games, strategy role-playing and puzzle games exercise problem-solving skills of a more reflective nature. Both correlational and longitudinal research have indicated that play at these games improves general problem-solving ability and may even result in higher academic grades (see Granic et al, 2014).

Most video game research has been conducted with teenagers or young adults as participants, but one large-scale study conducted by Columbia University’s Mailman School of Mental Health examined correlates of video gaming in children ages 6 to 11 (Kovess-Masfety et al., 2016). In this survey, 3195 children and their parents estimated the average number of hours per week that the children played video games, and parents and teachers filled out questionnaires regarding each child’s intellectual, social, and emotional functioning. The primary finding was that those who played video games for 5 hours a week or more evidenced significantly higher intellectual functioning, higher academic achievement, better peer relationships, and fewer mental health difficulties than those who played such games less or not at all.

Creativity Benefits

To date, there has been little research into possible links of video gaming to creativity. An exception is a study by Linda Jackson and her colleagues (2012) in Michigan, in which the participants were 491 12-year-old children. These researchers assessed the hours per week that each child typically spent playing video games, and also assessed time spent on cell phones or on the Internet not playing games. They assessed various aspects of creativity in each child using the well-validated Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (see here for more on this battery of tests).

They found significant positive correlations between amount of time playing video games and every aspect of creativity measured by Torrance’s Tests, which for some aspects were quite large and which held regardless of the child’s gender or race. In contrast, they found no significant correlations between creativity and non-gaming computer use.

Other research has shown significant positive correlations between amount of video gaming and the personality characteristic referred to as openness to new experiences (Chory & Goodboy, 2011), which itself correlates with creativity. The results indicate either that highly creative children are drawn to video gaming or that video gaming increases creativity (or both).

In a quite different sort of study, David Moffat and his colleagues (2017) assessed the immediate effect of video game play on creativity. They assessed young adults for creative thinking, using the Torrance Tests, before and right after 30 minutes of playing a computer game. The game used, for different groups, was Serious Sam (a shooter game), Portal-2 (a problem-solving game), or Minecraft (a sandbox game involving building and destroying whatever the player wishes).

The result, overall, was a large, significant gain in creative thinking, especially in that aspect of creative thinking referred to as flexibility . The gain occurred for all three types of computer games, but was greatest for Portal-2 . This study shows that even a short period of video gaming can put one, at least temporarily, into a highly creative frame of mind. This finding is quite similar to findings in previous research that other forms of play can also boost creativity (see Ch. 7 of Free to Learn ; also Gray, 2018).

Motivational Benefit

Video games are structured in such a way that the level of difficulty can be continuously increased, so players are challenged to solve ever more difficult problems. A general lesson from video games, reported by many gamers themselves, is that persistence pays off. If you keep trying, using various strategies, you will eventually succeed in meeting your goal within the game.

On the basis of this, Matthew Ventura and his colleagues (2013) hypothesized that gamers would be more persistent—less likely to give up early—in solving difficult problems than would non-gamers. They subsequently confirmed this hypothesis in an experiment with college students. They found that those who played video games many hours a week persisted significantly longer at attempting to solve very difficult anagrams and riddles than did those who played video games less or not at all. This gain in persistence may help explain the positive correlations between video gaming and school grades, noted earlier.

Emotional Benefits

A very general theory of play, which I have discussed in previous posts and articles ( here and here ), is the emotion regulation theory . According to this theory, children (and also other young mammals) deliberately put themselves into fear -inducing and sometimes frustration- or anger -inducing situations in play, and by doing so learn how to regulate their fear and anger.

I have heard from many parents who curtail their child's video gaming because they see the intense excitement and emotions, including negative emotions, the child experiences during and sometimes for a period of time after the gaming, and they are worried that this is not good for the child. But research supporting the emotion regulation theory indicates that a major purpose of play is to provide practice at dealing with fear and anger in the relatively safe context of play (Gray, 2018).

In play, children learn that they can experience these emotions and can subsequently calm themselves. They don’t have to panic or have a tantrum. There is evidence that children who have been “protected” from experiencing such emotions in play are subsequently less able to deal with the inevitable fear-and anger-producing situations of real life, outside of play (see, for examples, here and here ).

Consistent with the hypothesis that video gaming helps children learn to regulate their emotions is the evidence (mentioned earlier) that children who played video games for more than five hours a week exhibited fewer mental health difficulties, outside of play, than children who played such games less or not at all (Kovess-Masfety et al., 2016). Also, in studies in which they describe their own perceptions of benefits of gaming, gamers often talk about how video play helps them to deal better with the stress and frustrations of their non-play life (see here , and also Granic et al, 2014).

Social Benefits

There are many ways by which video play might be expected to produce social gains for players. As noted earlier, many of the most popular games today are social in nature, as players interact online with other players. Moreover, whenever possible, friends enjoy playing the same game together, at the same computer or at least in the same room. And when they are not gaming, children frequently discuss their games and gaming strategies with their friends.

Play has always provided the major context through which children make and interact with friends, and there is reason to think that video gaming serves that function for many children today. Children deprived of video gaming are likely to be left out of conversations among their peers, because so many of those conversations focus on games. Thus, it is not surprising that research, such as the study mentioned earlier involving children 6-11 years old, has revealed positive correlations between video gaming and social competence (Kovess-Masfety et al, 2016; for other studies, see Granic et al, 2014; and Olson, 2010; & Stevens et al, 2008).

Many games today are played cooperatively, with two or more players working together to achieve a common goal. John Valez and his colleagues have conducted several experiments showing that such cooperative play leads to at least a temporary increase in the players’ likelihood of cooperating with or helping other people, outside the realm of play (Ewoldsen et al, 2012; Valez et al, 2012).

If you are wondering why so many people continue to disparage computer gaming, despite the weight of contrary research evidence, you might read the new book, Moral Combat , by Patrick Markey and Christopher Ferguson. The book describes how moral panics tend to emerge whenever young people develop passionate interests that older people don’t understand.

These moral panics lead the media and people in general to attend to and exaggerate anything about the new passion that seems negative and ignore anything that seems positive. The result, often, is absurd claims of harm, such as that New York Post article about “digital heroin” that I referred to in my last post .

And now, what do you think about this? … This blog is, in part, a forum for discussion. Your questions, thoughts, stories, and opinions are treated respectfully by me and other readers, regardless of the degree to which we agree or disagree. Psychology Today no longer accepts comments on this site, but you can comment by going to my Facebook profile, where you will see a link to this post. If you don't see this post at the top of my timeline, just put the title of the post into the search option (click on the three-dot icon at the top of the timeline and then on the search icon that appears in the menu) and it will come up. By following me on Facebook you can comment on all of my posts and see others' comments. The discussion is often very interesting.

Bediou, B., et al (2018). Meta-analysis of action video game impact on perceptual, attentional, and cognitive skills. Psychological Bulletin, 44 , 77-110.

Chory, R. M., & Goodboy, A. K. (2011). Is basic personality related to violent and non-violent video game play and preferences? Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 14 , 191–198.

Ewoldsen, D. R., et al (2012). Effect of playing violent video games cooperatively or competitively on subsequent cooperative behavior. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 15 , 1-4.

Granic, I., Lobel, A., & Engels, R. (2014). The benefits of playing video games. American Psychologist, 69 , 66-78.

Gray, P. (in press for 2018 publication). Evolutionary functions of play: Practice, resilience, innovation, and cooperation. In P. K. Smith & J. Roopnarine (Eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Play: Developmental and Disciplinary Perspectives .

Jackson, L, et al (2012). Information technology use and creativity: Findings from the children and technology study. Computers in Human Behavior, 28 , 370-379.

Kovess-Masfety, V., et al (2016) Is time spent playing video games associated with mental health, cognitive and social skills in young children? Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 51 , 49-357.

Moffat, M., et al 2017). Some video games can increase the player’s creativity. International Journal of Game-Based Learning, 7 , 35-46.

Olson, C. K. (2010). Children’s motivation for video game play in the context of normal development. Review of General Psychology, 14 , 180-187

Stevens et al. (2008). “In-game, in-room, in-world: reconnecting video game play to the rest of kids’ lives. pp 41-66 in K. Salen (Ed.), The ecology of games: Connecting youth, games, and learning . The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation series on digital media and learning. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Valez, J. A., et al (2012). Ingroup versus outgroup conflict in the context of violent video game play: The effect of cooperation on increased helping and decreased aggression. Communication Research, 20 , 1-20.

Ventura, M., Shute, V., & Zhao, W. (2013). The relationship between video game use and a performance-based measure of persistence. Computers & Education, 60 , 52-58.

Peter Gray, Ph.D. , is a research professor at Boston College, author of Free to Learn and the textbook Psychology (now in 8th edition), and founding member of the nonprofit Let Grow.

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Can You Really Be Addicted to Video Games?

The latest research suggests it’s not far-fetched at all — especially when you consider all the societal and cultural factors that make today’s games so attractive.

Credit... Concept by Pablo Delcan. Photo illustration by Justin Metz.

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By Ferris Jabr

• Published Oct. 22, 2019 Updated Oct. 23, 2019

Charlie Bracke can’t remember a time when he wasn’t into video games. When he was 5, he loved playing Wolfenstein 3D, a crude, cartoonish computer game in which a player tries to escape a Nazi prison by navigating virtual labyrinths while mowing down enemies. In his teenage years, he became obsessed with more sophisticated shooters and a new generation of online games that allowed thousands of players to inhabit sprawling fantasy worlds. Ultima Online, World of Warcraft, The Elder Scrolls — he would spend as much as 12 hours a day in these imaginary realms, building cities and fortifications, fighting in epic battles and hunting for treasure.

During his childhood, Bracke’s passion for video games, like that of most young Americans, didn’t cause him any serious problems. At school, he got along with just about everyone and maintained straight A’s. His homework was easy enough that he could complete it on the bus or in class, which allowed him to maximize the time he spent gaming. After school, he would often play video games for hours with his cousin and a small group of close friends before going home for dinner. Then he would head to the den and play on the family computer for a few more hours before bed. When his parents complained, he told them it was no different from their habit of watching TV every night. Besides, he was doing his homework and getting good grades — what more did they want? They relented.

When Bracke went to Indiana University Bloomington, everything changed. If he skipped class or played games until 3 in the morning, no one seemed to care. And only he had access to his grades. After a difficult breakup with a longtime high school girlfriend and the death of his grandmother, Bracke sank into a period of severe depression. He started seeing a therapist and taking antidepressants, but by his junior year, he was playing video games all day and seldom leaving his room. He strategically ignored knocks at the door and text messages from friends to make it seem as though he were at class. Eventually, he was failing most of his courses, so he dropped out and moved back in with his parents in Ossian, Ind., a town of about 3,000 people, where he got a job at Pizza Hut.

His life there fell into a familiar rhythm: He woke up, went to work, returned home, played video games until late and repeated the whole cycle. “It did not strike me as weird at all,” he recalls. It felt a lot like high school, but with work instead of classes. “And the time I used to spend hanging out with friends was gone, because they had moved to different areas,” he says. “And I kind of just thought that was the way of the world.”

When Bracke was 24, he decided to get his real estate license and move from Indiana to Virginia to work at the same brokerage as his brother Alex, a decision that led to another breakup with another girlfriend and a deep sense of loneliness in a town where, once again, he had no friends. He eventually got in touch with his ex, hoping she would take him back, only to find out that she was dating someone else. “At that point, I lost it,” he says. By his estimate, he started playing video games about 90 hours a week. He did the bare minimum amount of work required to pay his bills. When it was time to log his progress in the brokerage’s internal system, he would just make something up: sent an email to this client; left a voice mail message for that one.

His employer got wise to the scheme and put Bracke on probation. Realizing he had a problem, Bracke dismantled his computer, stashed the pieces among a bunch of storage boxes in the garage and tried to focus on work. About a month later, after making a big sale, he talked himself into celebrating by playing League of Legends for an evening. He retrieved the components of his computer, reassembled them and started gaming around 6 p.m. Ten hours later, he was still playing. The week slipped away. He kept playing.

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Google DeepMind’s new generative model makes Super Mario–like games from scratch

Genie learns how to control games by watching hours and hours of video. It could help train next-gen robots too.

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OpenAI’s recent reveal of its stunning generative model Sora pushed the envelope of what’s possible with text-to-video . Now Google DeepMind brings us text-to-video games .

The new model, called Genie, can take a short description, a hand-drawn sketch, or a photo and turn it into a playable video game in the style of classic 2D platformers like Super Mario Bros. But don’t expect anything fast-paced. The games run at one frame per second, versus the typical 30 to 60 frames per second of most modern games.

“It’s cool work,” says Matthew Guzdial, an AI researcher at the University of Alberta, who developed a similar game generator a few years ago. 

Genie was trained on 30,000 hours of video of hundreds of 2D platform games taken from the internet. Others have taken that approach before, says Guzdial. His own game generator learned from videos to create abstract platformers . Nvidia used video data to train a model called GameGAN , which could produce clones of games like Pac-Man.

Nvidia trained GameGAN with input actions (such as button presses on a controller), as well as video footage: a video frame showing Mario jumping was paired with the Jump action, and so on. Tagging video footage with input actions takes a lot of work, which has limited the amount of training data available. 

In contrast, Genie and Guzdial's model were both trained on video footage alone. Guzdial's model learned level layouts and game rules, represented in code. In Genie's case, the generative model learned a visual representation, which allows it to turn starter images into game levels. This approach turns countless hours of existing online video into potential training data. 

Genie learned which of eight possible actions would cause the game character in a video to change its position. It generates each new frame of the game on the fly depending on the action the player takes. Press Jump, and Genie updates the current image to show the game character jumping; press Left and the image changes to show the character moved to the left. The game ticks along action by action, each new frame generated from scratch as the player plays. 

Future versions of Genie could run faster. “There is no fundamental limitation that prevents us from reaching 30 frames per second,” says Tim Rocktäschel, a research scientist at Google DeepMind who leads the team behind the work. “Genie uses many of the same technologies as contemporary large language models, where there has been significant progress in improving inference speed.” 

Genie learned some common visual quirks found in platformers. Many games of this type use parallax, where the foreground moves sideways faster than the background. Genie often adds this effect to the games it generates.  

While Genie is an in-house research project and won’t be released, Guzdial notes that the Google DeepMind team says it could one day be turned into a game-making tool—something he’s working on too. “I’m definitely interested to see what they build,” he says.

Virtual playgrounds

But the Google DeepMind researchers are interested in more than just game generation. The team behind Genie works on open-ended learning, where AI-controlled bots are dropped into a virtual environment and left to solve various tasks by trial and error (a technique known as reinforcement learning). 

In 2021, a different DeepMind team developed a virtual playground called XLand , in which bots learned how to cooperate on simple tasks such as moving obstacles. Sandboxes like XLand will be crucial for training future bots on a range of different challenges before pitting them against real-world scenarios. The video-game examples prove that Genie could be used to generate such virtual playgrounds.

Others have developed similar world-building tools. For example, David Ha at Google Brain and Jürgen Schmidhuber at the AI lab IDSIA in Switzerland developed a tool in 2018 that trained bots in game-based virtual environments called world models . But again, unlike Genie, these required the training data to include input actions. 

The team demonstrated how this ability is useful in robotics, too. When Genie was shown videos of real robot arms manipulating a variety of household objects, the model learned what actions that arm could do and how to control it. Future robots could learn new tasks by watching video tutorials.  

“It is hard to predict what use cases will be enabled,” says Rocktäschel. “We hope projects like Genie will eventually provide people with new tools to express their creativity.”

Artificial intelligence

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• Melissa Heikkilä archive page

An AI startup made a hyperrealistic deepfake of me that’s so good it’s scary

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Is robotics about to have its own ChatGPT moment?

Researchers are using generative AI and other techniques to teach robots new skills—including tasks they could perform in homes.

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29 Amazing Video Game Industry Statistics (2023)

Top Video Game Industry Statistics to Know

1. the united states gaming market sits at $106.8 billion., 2. by 2023, active gamers will be 3 billion., 3. the united states and china are the top leaders in the global gaming market., 4. out of the people playing video games in the us, 79% are adults., 5. three males out of five people are gamers., 6. over half of the total gaming revenue is brought about by mobile gaming., 7. in 2021, the mobile game that earned more than any other 2021 was pubg mobile., 8. the revenue reached by the global home console in 2021 was $49.2 billion., 9. xbox live users are more than 100 million worldwide., 10. the number of people using playstation plus was expected to hit 50 million., 11. the nintendo switch has sold 100 million units to date., 12. over $70 billion of market revenue per year was generated by free-to-play (f2p) games., 13. streamers support and in-game downloads are what gamers prefer to spend their money on than on full games., 14. the best-selling game of all time by some margin is wii sport., 15. the switch’s best-selling game is mario kart 8 deluxe., 16. grand theft auto v is twitch’s most popular video game., 17. the most-played type of video game worldwide is the casual single-player game., 18. the acquisition of most video games is made digitally in the us., 19. the estimated worth of video games worldwide in 2021 was $7.5 billion., 20. the global revenue gotten from online gaming is over $23 billion., 21. the global value of the virtual reality (vr) gaming industry is approximately $6.26 billion., 22. the global electronic sports esports generate over $1 billion in revenue annually., 23. the world’s top sports event obtains a prize pool exceeding $30 million., 24. by 2024, the global audience for electronic sports esports will rise above half a billion spectators., 25. over $100 million is the value of some esports organizations., 26. people playing video games globally are about 3 billion., 27. in 2025, over 1.3 billion people will play video games online., 28. available on steam are more than 50,000 games., 29. people who spend one or few hours on video games in the us are up to 227 million..

Few industries have captured the hearts and minds of people worldwide like the video game business in the ever-changing world of technology. Over several decades, gaming has evolved from simple pixelated delights to awe-inspiring virtual landscapes that blur the barriers between truth and fantasy.

With innovative advancements, tremendous growth, and an insatiable thirst for innovation, the gaming sector is primed for even greater heights as we enter 2023.

These statistics provide a thorough look at the present and future of gaming, from the exponential expansion of esports and the astronomical revenue earned by gaming titans to the revolutionary impact of virtual reality and the ever-increasing diversity of players. Let’s dive in.

• $100 billion is the value of the United States gaming market.
• Active gamers in the world are one-third of the world’s population.
• The United States and China rule the global gaming industry .
• Acquiring video games is now digital in the US.
• By 2024, the global audience for electronic sports Esports will rise above half a billion spectators.

Video Game Industry Growth Statistics

The worth of the gaming industry in the US has grown to $31.23 billion from 2012 till now. It has increased by 3x in value since 2012. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of people playing video games at home in the US increased, contributing to its market growth. An average of 49% of US gamers played video games during the first week of the lockdown period. As such, global video game sales also increased.

(Source: IBIS World )

In 2020, there were 2.69 billion active gamers , rising from 1.99 billion gamers in 2015, representing approximately a 35% increase in 5 years. About 2.5 billion out of 2.69 billion gamers played games on mobile devices. Researchers predict that the overall growth will increase continually to pass 3 billion gamers in 2023

(Source: Exploding Topics )

According to statistics, the Chinese gaming business was predicted to generate $50.18 billion in 2022, while the US gaming market was expected to generate $47.62 billion in the same year. The combined gaming businesses of the United States and China will generate more earnings than the top ten global gaming markets. Japan, the third largest gaming market, generates $22.01 billion , less than half of China’s earnings.

(Source: New Zoo )

Video Game Industry Demographic Statistics

In the United States, 79% of gamers are adults, whereas gaming is considered an activity for children and teenagers . According to studies, only one in every five gamers is a child. 38% of US gamers are between 18 and 34, while 6% are 65 and older.

(Source: Entertainment Software Association )

According to statistics on video game consumption by gender, only 41% of gamers are female.

Mobile Gaming Statistics

Research indicated that in the past decade, revenue from just mobile gaming has significantly increased the total gaming revenue. In 2021, mobile gaming contributed only 18% of the overall gaming industry revenue. But after five years, in 2018, the figure has grown year-over-year, exceeding the 50% spot. In North America, the worth of the mobile gaming market is predicted to grow beyond $25 billion .

The highest-grossing mobile game in 2021 was PUBG (Player’s Battlegrounds), bringing in $2.01 billion. Notably, the app’s popularity has increased since then. Honor of Kings was the second-highest mobile game in 2021; it earned $1.65 billion. By bringing in $1.34 billion, Genshin’s Impact game ranked third on the list. The confectionery-themed puzzle game Candy Crush Saga, which will turn 10 in 2023, was 7th on the list and brought in $856.57 in 2021.  

(Source: AppMagic )

Home Gaming Console Statistics

Selling games, game items, and accessories that accompany home consoles created by Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft will account for 28% of total gaming revenue in 2021. Data and research show that games played on the PC platform earned $35.9 billion, while games played on the console platform earned $49.2 billion. In comparison, annual revenue from mobile device gaming was $90.7 billion . Mobile gaming generated more revenue than PC and console gaming combined. During the COVID-19 outbreak, sales of all sorts of gaming increased.

There are over 100 million Xbox Live subscribers worldwide, increasing by more than twofold between the first quarter of 2016 and the fourth quarter of 2020. The number of Xbox Live users increased from 39 million in the first quarter to 49 million in the fourth quarter of 2016. It increased year after year, reaching 100 million in December 2020.

(Source: Microsoft )

According to research, 47.4 million PlayStation customers will be in March 2022. The figure increased from 5.9 million in March 2020 to 11 million in March 2019. Between October 2014 and March 2021, PlayStation Plus subscribers climbed by 39.5%.

(Source: Sony )

The Nintendo Switch has sold 107.6 million units since its second release in March 2017, improving on the 3.9 million units sold on its earlier release in 2014. Nintendo properties include Super Mario, Legend of Zelda, and Pokémon.

(Source: Video Games Chronicle )

2018 research figures show that F2P generated $15 billion, which grew to 73.8 billion in 2020.  The F2P games in recent years have become more popular.

(Source: Super Data  Research )

Research has found that an average of $123.54 is spent by gamers globally. Video game players 2018 spent $49.14 on full game releases, while $36.31 was spent on in-game downloads and $38.09 on streamer support.

(Source: Super Data Research )

Popular Video Game Industry Statistics

According to research, Wii Sports has sold more units than any of its closest competitors. Wii Sports sold 82.65 million copies worldwide in January 2021, 2x more than other games.

(Source: VG Chartz )

With 45.33 million copies sold, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was the best-selling Switch game in March 2022.

( Source: NintendoLife )

Research shows that by November 2021, Grand Theft was the top-streamed video game on Twitch.

According to a research survey, 87.9% of people played casual single-player games in 2021. Mobile app games like Clash of Clans and Candy Crush Saga are popular in casual single-player games. 93.8% of people in China played casual single-player games, 93.6% in China, and 92.6% in Vietnam.

(Source: Animation Xpress )

Video Game Innovations Statistics

In the US, the procurement of video games is through digital platforms. Researchers illuminate the rapid increase in the number of video games sold digitally. 2009 one out of five video games were sold digitally in the US. The percentage of digital video games sold has gone up year-over-year ever since. Yearly digital sales outgrew physical sales in 2013. In 2018, the % of all video games sold digitally in the US was 83% .

The fastest-growing section within the gaming industry is video game subscriptions. According to researchers, an estimated 13.5% annual growth in 2021 was possible. In 2022 a more negligible 4.5% growth was predicted, while a 9.4% growth was expected in 2023. In 2023 the growth rate is predicted to grow further, reaching 13.7%. And it is expected to increase further in the successive year to 14.7%

(Source: Juniper Research )

A recent report showed that in 2022, online gaming revenue constantly improved to reach $23.56 billion. The increased expenditure on home entertainment during the pandemic is mainly responsible for increased gaming revenue. By 2027, online gaming revenue will surpass $32.98 billion.

(Source: Statista )

Virtual reality gaming (VR gaming) offers a three-dimensional (3D) artificial environment for players of computer games. The game is played on virtual reality hardware. As presented by researchers, VR gaming is growing tremendously and has consistently increased its revenue year-on-year . In 2017, VR gaming generated $0.4 billion; in 2018, the figure went up to $0.6 billion and $0.8 billion in 2019. Between 2021 and 2028, the VR gaming revenue is predicted to grow by a CAGR of 31.4%. It will reach $53.44 billion in revenue in 2028.

(Source: Fortune Business Insights )

Esports Growth Statistics

Esport, short for Electronic sports , is a type of competition using video games. According to research, the Global revenue generates yearly by Esport is over $1 billion. From 2019 to 2020, the global market revenue from Esport dropped from $957.5 million to $947.1 million, mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic when Esport events were canceled. But in 2021, the global market revenue increased, surpassing $1.08 billion. In 2024, the esports industry is predicted to produce $1.62 billion in revenue.

(Source: Dot eSports )

Research has found that from $18.43 million in 2015 to $34.33 million in 2019, the prize pool in the Esports space has grown year over year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, cancelation in 2020 led to zero income, but in 2021, the International returned with a prize pool surpassing $40 million . The Fortnite World Cup Finals in 2019 enhanced the large prize pool in Esport.

(Source: e-Sports Earnings )

Research has revealed that the high number of viewers and spectators of Esports is making it the fastest-growing part of the gaming industry . In 2019, the number of people who watched an Esports event was 397.8 million. In 2023, the number of spectators during Esport events is 474 million. 2024 predicted that the number of spectators will be 577.2 million, exceeding the 100 million mark.

(Source: Venture Beat )

According to research, the increased value of Esports organizations is due to people’s increased interest in Esports. The elite Electronic sport organization matches significant sports teams in terms of value. The most valuable Esport Organization in 2020 was TSM , worth $410 million. Other Esport organizations with high value over $300 million: Cloud with $350 million, Team Liquid with $310 million, and FaZe Clan with $305 million.

(Source: Forbes )

Some Gaming Statistics

Data from 2021 research shows that the number of people who play games on smartphones, tablets, consoles, and PC will exceed and reach 3.32 billion by 2024.

(Source: Truelist )

Research reports that online gamers will exceed 1.3 billion by 2025. The highest section of gamers globally is from China, Japan, and South Korea.

Over 50,000 games are accessible on Steam, an online platform for playing, downloading, discussing, and creating games. The Steam platform enables creators to publish their games on their websites for a set fee and a revenue cut.

(Source: Steam Powered )

According to video game research figures, 74% of families in the United States have someone who plays video games, 76% of people under 18 , and 67% of adults play games. Furthermore, 7% of persons over 65 like playing video games.

(Source: ESA )

Statistics show that the gaming industry is growing higher and higher with no sign of slowing down.  $100 billion is the estimated value price of the United States gaming market. Active gamers in the world are one-third of the world’s inhabitants. The United States and China rule the global gaming industry. With new gaming platforms like the PS5 and the latest gaming technology like AR/VR, it is evident that the industry will see upward growth in the next five or more years.

What is the video game industry’s other name?

Media and Entertainment, Video Games Sector, refers to the video game industry as interactive entertainment involving the marketing, development, and sale of computers and video games to people worldwide.

What is the difference between gaming and the gambling industry?

Gaming is taking part in legal wagering, risking a sum of money or a valued item against someone based on the outcome of an unpredictable event. Gambling is illegal wagering at different locations or online platforms.

Which country has the best gaming industry?

The biggest gaming market worldwide is the United States; the second is China.

Our Editorial Process

Susan Laborde Tech Writer

Susan Laborde researches the latest technology trends in an ever-changing tech landscape to provide comparisons, guides, and reviews that are easy to understand for readers. When taking a break from being a tech word wizard, she plays games with her baby.

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Gaming Industry Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends & Forecasts (2024 - 2029)

The Global Gaming Market is Segmented by Gaming Type (Console, Tablet, Smartphone, Downloaded/Box PC, and Browser PC) and Geography. The Market Sizes and Forecasts are Provided in Terms of Value (USD Billion) for all the Above Segments.

• Gaming Market Size

Single User License

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Need a report that reflects how COVID-19 has impacted this market and its growth?

Gaming Market Analysis

The Gaming Market size is estimated at USD 272.86 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 426.02 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 9.32% during the forecast period (2024-2029).

Due to nationwide lockdowns implemented because of the COVID-19 pandemic, some people turned to game platforms to pass the time. Thus, these platforms attracted hundreds and thousands of new visitors to online traffic. Video gaming trends are experiencing a massive surge in players and revenue.

• Continuous technological advancements in the gaming industry are significantly propelling the industry's growth. They are enhancing the way games are created and improving the overall gaming experience of the users.
• Game developers across emerging economies are continually striving to enhance the gaming experience by launching and rewriting codes for diverse console/platforms, such as PlayStation, Xbox, and Windows PC, incorporated into a standalone product provided to gamers through a cloud platform.
• The rising internet connectivity, increasing adoption of smartphones, and the advent of high bandwidth network connectivity, such as 5G, have further increased the demand of the gaming market across the globe. According to the GSMA report, as of November 2021, 170 mobile operators launched commercial 5G services with 7% population penetration at the end of 2021, thereby opening new opportunities for the mobile vendors to introduce 5G smartphones in the market.
• According to the statistics published by DataReporal, the number of internet users increased by 7.7% in 2021 compared to 2020. Moreover, the number increased by 4% to 4,950 million in January 2022 compared to January 2021, when the users totaled 4,758 million.
• Cloud gaming services focus on leveraging hyper-scale cloud capabilities, streaming media services, and global content delivery networks to build the next generation of social entertainment platforms. These factors have an anticipated positive impact on market growth.
• Leveraging cloud technology in the gaming market is likely to drive the demand and engagement of multi-players for different games, boosting the market growth during the forecast period.
• Gaming Market Trends

Mobile Gaming Expected to Witness Growth during the Forecast Period

• The number of mobile players globally reached USD 2.7 billion in 2022, resulting in 90 billion mobile game downloads during the year.
• In terms of the mobile gaming genre worldwide, RPG was the frontrunner, accounting for 31% of in-app purchase spending in 2022, driven by MMORPG. In contrast, Hypercasual was leading in downloads contributing to 29% of all mobile game downloads.
• Furthermore, 21% of Android apps and 25% of iOS apps downloaded are mobile games, with 55% of mobile gamers being female. Puzzle and matching genres seemed to be favorites among female audiences, whereas strategy, sports, and shooting interested male gamers.
• For the past couple of years, Tencent, a Chinese multinational tech conglomerate, has grown its gaming empire. In 2021, it was the most extensive iPhone gaming app publisher globally in terms of revenue and the third biggest in downloads. The company still held the top spot in 2022.
• Free-to-play games have undergone many changes since the early days of Flappy Bird. The most recent is the rise of Play & Own (P&O) in 2023. P&O allows players to play the games they want for free and the assets or in-game rewards they purchase. Developers would get new ways to monetize their games through value, stronger communities, longer players, and more rooms, contributing to the growth of the mobile gaming industry in the forecast period.

Asia-Pacific to Dominate the Market

• The Asia-Pacific region held the highest market share in 2022. China spends the most, but Japan spends more per capita than any other country. Both countries are home to some of the biggest mobile games, such as Honor of Kings and Genshin Impact.
• However, the gamer population has shown a positive trend in the region, accounting for more than 52% of gamers worldwide.
• Crackdowns on limiting playtime by the Chinese government in recent years and regulators issuing almost no gaming licenses until the end of 2022 have further put pressure on the gaming industry in the region. The embargo on imported gaming titles only ended toward the end of the year, inviting developers outside the country but at cost and compliance.
• On a positive note, Q1 2023 alone recorded 288 game approvals by NPPA, and over 1100 games are predicted to be approved by the end of 2023, compared to mere 468 approvals in 2022.
• Factors such as China, Japan, and South Korea being part of the top 10 global game spending, the region being a hotbed for mobile gaming, and the increasing gamer population are poised to drive significant growth in the APAC region during the forecast period.

Gaming Industry Overview

The market studied is highly consolidated with prominent contenders like Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo. The gaming industry has experienced tremendous growth in recent years. This growth can be attributed to several factors, including the rise of mobile gaming, the popularity of online multiplayer games, and the increasing use of virtual and augmented reality technologies. Virtual reality and augmented reality technologies have also impacted the gaming industry significantly. VR headsets like the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive allow players to immerse themselves in virtual worlds. AR technologies like Pokemon Go and Minecraft Earth overlay digital content onto the real world. The gaming industry is poised for continued growth in the coming years, with new technologies and platforms creating new opportunities for developers and publishers.

• In December 2022, Enthusiast Gaming Holdings Inc. partnered with Netflix, the global leader in subscription streaming service and production company, to launch and support the Geeked: Toon-in live stream weekly on Netflix's Twitch account.
• In November 2022, Mysten Labs, a web3 infrastructure company and Sui Layer 1 blockchain developer, entered into a strategic partnership with NCSOFT, a global premier game developer and publisher. Under the terms of the partnership, NCSOFT invested USD 15 million in Mysten as part of the company's USD 300 million Series B funding round, which valued Mysten at more than USD 2 billion.

Gaming Market Leaders

Sony Corporation

Microsoft Corporation

Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)

Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.

*Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order

Gaming Market News

• February 2023: Vi entered into e-sports in partnership with Gamerji. Partnering with e-sports start-up Gamerji, Vi, under the umbrella of Vi Games, launched an e-sports platform on the Vi App.
• September 2022: Fnatic and ASOS signed a three-year deal to bridge the worlds of fashion with gaming. Both brands will develop and deploy multiple offline and online activations as part of the deal, bringing the gaming and fashion worlds together.

Gaming Market Report - Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Study Assumptions and Market Definition

1.2 Scope of the Study

2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

4. MARKET INSIGHTS

4.1 Market Overview

4.2 Industry Attractiveness - Porter's Five Forces Analysis

4.2.1 Bargaining Power of Suppliers

4.2.2 Bargaining Power of Consumers

4.2.3 Threat of New Entrants

4.2.4 Threat of Substitutes

4.2.5 Intensity of Competitive Rivalry

4.3 Technology Snapshot

4.4 Assessment of the Impact of COVID-19 on the Market

5. MARKET DYNAMICS

5.1 Market Drivers

5.1.1 Rising Internet Penetration

5.1.2 Emergence of Cloud Gaming

5.1.3 Adoption of Gaming Platforms, such as E-sports Betting and Fantasy Sites

5.2 Market Restraints

5.2.1 Issues such as Piracy, Laws and Regulations, and Concerns Relating to Fraud during Gaming Transactions

6. MARKET SEGMENTATION

6.1 By Gaming Type

6.1.1 Mobile Games

6.1.2 Console Games

6.1.3 Downloaded/Box PC Games

6.1.4 Browser PC Games

6.2 By Geography

6.2.1 North America

6.2.1.1 United States

6.2.1.2 Canada

6.2.2 Europe

6.2.2.1 Germany

6.2.2.2 United Kingdom

6.2.2.3 France

6.2.2.4 Russia

6.2.2.5 Spain

6.2.2.6 Italy

6.2.2.7 Rest of Europe

6.2.3 Asia-Pacific

6.2.3.1 China

6.2.3.2 Japan

6.2.3.3 South Korea

6.2.3.4 Rest of Asia-Pacific

6.2.4 Latin America

6.2.4.1 Brazil

6.2.4.2 Argentina

6.2.4.3 Mexico

6.2.4.4 Rest of Latin America

6.2.5 Middle East and Africa

6.2.5.1 United Arab Emirates

6.2.5.2 Saudi Arabia

6.2.5.3 Iran

6.2.5.4 Egypt

6.2.5.5 Rest of Middle East and Africa

7. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

7.1 Company Profiles

7.1.1 Sony Corporation

7.1.2 Microsoft Corporation

7.1.3 Apple Inc.

7.1.4 Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)

7.1.5 Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc.

7.1.6 Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.

7.1.7 Nexon Company

7.1.8 Nintendo Co. Ltd

7.1.9 Activision Blizzard Inc.

7.1.10 Electronic Arts Inc.

7.1.11 Ubisoft Entertainment SA

7.1.12 Square Enix Holdings Co. Ltd

7.1.13 ZeptoLab OOO

7.1.14 Tencent Holdings Ltd

7.1.15 Sega Games Co. Ltd

7.1.16 Capcom Co. Ltd

7.1.17 NetEase Inc.

7.1.18 Interactive Entertainment

7.1.19 Beijing Kunlun Technology Co. Ltd

• *List Not Exhaustive

8. INVESTMENT ANALYSIS

9. FUTURE OF THE MARKET

Gaming Industry Segmentation

The reported market sizing reflects the consumer spending on games that covers games purchased in physical storage/boxed and digital forms (for consoles, PC, and mobile devices), subscribed services for consoles, and in-app purchases during mobile gaming, although the numbers exclude gaming hardware and accessories, console hardware, advertising revenues, and third-party commissions. However, we do have similar off-the-shelf publications catering to the gaming hardware and gaming ecosystem.

The gaming market is segmented by gaming type (mobile games, console games, downloaded/boxed PC games, and browser PC games) and key geographies (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa). The gaming market spending and forecasts are provided in terms of value (USD) in addition to gamer demographics such as gender, gamer population, and genre.

By Geography
		North America United States Canada Europe Germany United Kingdom France Russia Spain Italy Rest of Europe Asia-Pacific China Japan South Korea Rest of Asia-Pacific Latin America Brazil Argentina Mexico Rest of Latin America Middle East and Africa United Arab Emirates Saudi Arabia Iran Egypt Rest of Middle East and Africa Gaming Market Research FAQs How big is the gaming market. The Gaming Market size is expected to reach USD 272.86 billion in 2024 and grow at a CAGR of 9.32% to reach USD 426.02 billion by 2029. What is the current Gaming Market size? In 2024, the Gaming Market size is expected to reach USD 272.86 billion. Who are the key players in Gaming Market? Sony Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, Apple Inc, Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.) and Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. are the major companies operating in the Gaming Market. Which is the fastest growing region in Gaming Market? Asia Pacific is estimated to grow at the highest CAGR over the forecast period (2024-2029). Which region has the biggest share in Gaming Market? In 2024, the Asia Pacific accounts for the largest market share in Gaming Market. What years does this Gaming Market cover, and what was the market size in 2023? In 2023, the Gaming Market size was estimated at USD 247.43 billion. The report covers the Gaming Market historical market size for years: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. The report also forecasts the Gaming Market size for years: 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2029. What are the key regulatory challenges in the Global Gaming Industry? The key regulatory challenges in the Global Gaming Industry are: a) Increasing concerns over loot boxes b) Combatting piracy and protecting intellectual property rights Our Best Selling Reports Adhesives Market Automotive NVH Materials Market Bowel Management Systems Market Coiled Tubing Services Market Europe In-Vitro Diagnostics Market Gas Engine Market Global Ethical Pharmaceuticals Market Global Wound Dressings Market Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Market United Kingdom Power Market Gaming Industry Report This comprehensive report offers a deep dive into the gaming industry, providing a detailed analysis of key market drivers and market segments. Mordor Intelligence offers customization based on your specific interests, including: 1. Device Type: Tablet 2. Game Type: Shooter, Action, Sports, Role Playing, and Others 3. Type: Offline & Online 4. End-User: Male, Female Gaming Market Report Snapshots Gaming Market Share Gaming Companies Please enter a valid email id! Please enter a valid message! Gaming Market Get a free sample of this report Please enter your name Business Email Please enter a valid email Please enter your phone number Get this Data in a Free Sample of the Gaming Market Report Please enter your requirement Thank you for choosing us for your research needs! A confirmation has been sent to your email. Rest assured, your report will be delivered to your inbox within the next 72 hours. A member of our dedicated Client Success Team will proactively reach out to guide and assist you. We appreciate your trust and are committed to delivering precise and valuable research insights. Please be sure to check your spam folder too. Sorry! Payment Failed. Please check with your bank for further details. Add Citation APA MLA Chicago ➜ Embed Code X Get Embed Code Want to use this image? X Please copy & paste this embed code onto your site: Images must be attributed to Mordor Intelligence. Learn more About The Embed Code X Mordor Intelligence's images may only be used with attribution back to Mordor Intelligence. Using the Mordor Intelligence's embed code renders the image with an attribution line that satisfies this requirement. In addition, by using the embed code, you reduce the load on your web server, because the image will be hosted on the same worldwide content delivery network Mordor Intelligence uses instead of your web server. Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World Read our research on: Full Topic List Regions & Countries Publications Our Methods Short Reads Tools & Resources Read Our Research On: Teens and social media: Key findings from Pew Research Center surveys For the latest survey data on social media and tech use among teens, see “ Teens, Social Media, and Technology 2023 .”  Today’s teens are navigating a digital landscape unlike the one experienced by their predecessors, particularly when it comes to the pervasive presence of social media. In 2022, Pew Research Center fielded an in-depth survey asking American teens – and their parents – about their experiences with and views toward social media . Here are key findings from the survey: Pew Research Center conducted this study to better understand American teens’ experiences with social media and their parents’ perception of these experiences. For this analysis, we surveyed 1,316 U.S. teens ages 13 to 17, along with one parent from each teen’s household. The survey was conducted online by Ipsos from April 14 to May 4, 2022. This research was reviewed and approved by an external institutional review board (IRB), Advarra, which is an independent committee of experts that specializes in helping to protect the rights of research participants. Ipsos invited panelists who were a parent of at least one teen ages 13 to 17 from its KnowledgePanel , a probability-based web panel recruited primarily through national, random sampling of residential addresses, to take this survey. For some of these questions, parents were asked to think about one teen in their household. (If they had multiple teenage children ages 13 to 17 in the household, one was randomly chosen.) This teen was then asked to answer questions as well. The parent portion of the survey is weighted to be representative of U.S. parents of teens ages 13 to 17 by age, gender, race, ethnicity, household income and other categories. The teen portion of the survey is weighted to be representative of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 who live with parents by age, gender, race, ethnicity, household income and other categories. Here are the questions used  for this report, along with responses, and its  methodology . Majorities of teens report ever using YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat. YouTube is the platform most commonly used by teens, with 95% of those ages 13 to 17 saying they have ever used it, according to a Center survey conducted April 14-May 4, 2022, that asked about 10 online platforms. Two-thirds of teens report using TikTok, followed by roughly six-in-ten who say they use Instagram (62%) and Snapchat (59%). Much smaller shares of teens say they have ever used Twitter (23%), Twitch (20%), WhatsApp (17%), Reddit (14%) and Tumblr (5%). Facebook use among teens dropped from 71% in 2014-15 to 32% in 2022. Twitter and Tumblr also experienced declines in teen users during that span, but Instagram and Snapchat saw notable increases. TikTok use is more common among Black teens and among teen girls. For example, roughly eight-in-ten Black teens (81%) say they use TikTok, compared with 71% of Hispanic teens and 62% of White teens. And Hispanic teens (29%) are more likely than Black (19%) or White teens (10%) to report using WhatsApp. (There were not enough Asian teens in the sample to analyze separately.) Teens’ use of certain social media platforms also varies by gender. Teen girls are more likely than teen boys to report using TikTok (73% vs. 60%), Instagram (69% vs. 55%) and Snapchat (64% vs. 54%). Boys are more likely than girls to report using YouTube (97% vs. 92%), Twitch (26% vs. 13%) and Reddit (20% vs. 8%). Majorities of teens use YouTube and TikTok every day, and some report using these sites almost constantly. About three-quarters of teens (77%) say they use YouTube daily, while a smaller majority of teens (58%) say the same about TikTok. About half of teens use Instagram (50%) or Snapchat (51%) at least once a day, while 19% report daily use of Facebook. Some teens report using these platforms almost constantly. For example, 19% say they use YouTube almost constantly, while 16% and 15% say the same about TikTok and Snapchat, respectively. More than half of teens say it would be difficult for them to give up social media. About a third of teens (36%) say they spend too much time on social media, while 55% say they spend about the right amount of time there and just 8% say they spend too little time. Girls are more likely than boys to say they spend too much time on social media (41% vs. 31%). Teens are relatively divided over whether it would be hard or easy for them to give up social media. Some 54% say it would be very or somewhat hard, while 46% say it would be very or somewhat easy. Girls are more likely than boys to say it would be difficult for them to give up social media (58% vs. 49%). Older teens are also more likely than younger teens to say this: 58% of those ages 15 to 17 say it would be very or somewhat hard to give up social media, compared with 48% of those ages 13 to 14. Teens are more likely to say social media has had a negative effect on others than on themselves. Some 32% say social media has had a mostly negative effect on people their age, while 9% say this about social media’s effect on themselves. Conversely, teens are more likely to say these platforms have had a mostly positive impact on their own life than on those of their peers. About a third of teens (32%) say social media has had a mostly positive effect on them personally, while roughly a quarter (24%) say it has been positive for other people their age. Still, the largest shares of teens say social media has had neither a positive nor negative effect on themselves (59%) or on other teens (45%). These patterns are consistent across demographic groups. Teens are more likely to report positive than negative experiences in their social media use. Majorities of teens report experiencing each of the four positive experiences asked about: feeling more connected to what is going on in their friends’ lives (80%), like they have a place where they can show their creative side (71%), like they have people who can support them through tough times (67%), and that they are more accepted (58%). When it comes to negative experiences, 38% of teens say that what they see on social media makes them feel overwhelmed because of all the drama. Roughly three-in-ten say it makes them feel like their friends are leaving them out of things (31%) or feel pressure to post content that will get lots of comments or likes (29%). And 23% say that what they see on social media makes them feel worse about their own life. There are several gender differences in the experiences teens report having while on social media. Teen girls are more likely than teen boys to say that what they see on social media makes them feel a lot like they have a place to express their creativity or like they have people who can support them. However, girls also report encountering some of the pressures at higher rates than boys. Some 45% of girls say they feel overwhelmed because of all the drama on social media, compared with 32% of boys. Girls are also more likely than boys to say social media has made them feel like their friends are leaving them out of things (37% vs. 24%) or feel worse about their own life (28% vs. 18%). When it comes to abuse on social media platforms, many teens think criminal charges or permanent bans would help a lot. Half of teens think criminal charges or permanent bans for users who bully or harass others on social media would help a lot to reduce harassment and bullying on these platforms.  About four-in-ten teens say it would help a lot if social media companies proactively deleted abusive posts or required social media users to use their real names and pictures. Three-in-ten teens say it would help a lot if school districts monitored students’ social media activity for bullying or harassment. Some teens – especially older girls – avoid posting certain things on social media because of fear of embarrassment or other reasons. Roughly four-in-ten teens say they often or sometimes decide not to post something on social media because they worry people might use it to embarrass them (40%) or because it does not align with how they like to represent themselves on these platforms (38%). A third of teens say they avoid posting certain things out of concern for offending others by what they say, while 27% say they avoid posting things because it could hurt their chances when applying for schools or jobs. These concerns are more prevalent among older teen girls. For example, roughly half of girls ages 15 to 17 say they often or sometimes decide not to post something on social media because they worry people might use it to embarrass them (50%) or because it doesn’t fit with how they’d like to represent themselves on these sites (51%), compared with smaller shares among younger girls and among boys overall. Many teens do not feel like they are in the driver’s seat when it comes to controlling what information social media companies collect about them. Six-in-ten teens say they think they have little (40%) or no control (20%) over the personal information that social media companies collect about them. Another 26% aren’t sure how much control they have. Just 14% of teens think they have a lot of control. Despite many feeling a lack of control, teens are largely unconcerned about companies collecting their information. Only 8% are extremely concerned about the amount of personal information that social media companies might have and 13% are very concerned. Still, 44% of teens say they have little or no concern about how much these companies might know about them. Only around one-in-five teens think their parents are highly worried about their use of social media. Some 22% of teens think their parents are extremely or very worried about them using social media. But a larger share of teens (41%) think their parents are either not at all (16%) or a little worried (25%) about them using social media. About a quarter of teens (27%) fall more in the middle, saying they think their parents are somewhat worried. Many teens also believe there is a disconnect between parental perceptions of social media and teens’ lived realities. Some 39% of teens say their experiences on social media are better than parents think, and 27% say their experiences are worse. A third of teens say parents’ views are about right. Nearly half of parents with teens (46%) are highly worried that their child could be exposed to explicit content on social media. Parents of teens are more likely to be extremely or very concerned about this than about social media causing mental health issues like anxiety, depression or lower self-esteem. Some parents also fret about time management problems for their teen stemming from social media use, such as wasting time on these sites (42%) and being distracted from completing homework (38%). Note: Here are the questions used  for this report, along with responses, and its  methodology . CORRECTION (May 17, 2023): In a previous version of this post, the percentages of teens using Instagram and Snapchat daily were transposed in the text. The original chart was correct. This change does not substantively affect the analysis. Age & Generations Age, Generations & Tech Internet & Technology Platforms & Services Social Media Teens & Tech Teens & Youth Emily A. Vogels is a former research associate focusing on internet and technology at Pew Research Center . Risa Gelles-Watnick is a former research analyst focusing on internet and technology research at Pew Research Center . Teens and Video Games Today As biden and trump seek reelection, who are the oldest – and youngest – current world leaders, how teens and parents approach screen time, who are you the art and science of measuring identity, u.s. centenarian population is projected to quadruple over the next 30 years, most popular. 1615 L St. NW, Suite 800 Washington, DC 20036 USA (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax (+1) 202-419-4372 |  Media Inquiries Research Topics Email Newsletters ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER  Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of  The Pew Charitable Trusts . © 2024 Pew Research Center How to watch the 2024 PC Gaming Show: our 10th annual summer showcase Our 10th annual showcase with over 70 trailers and reveals will premiere on June 9. Summer gaming showcase season is upon us, and the PC Gaming Show returns as part of the pack on Sunday, June 9. It's a big year: Our 2024 event is the 10th summertime PC Gaming Show, and so of course we've outdone ourselves with two hours of reveals, interviews, and trailers for over 70 games. As tradition dictates, hosts Mica Burton, Sean "Day [9]" Plott, and Frankie Ward are returning to deliver all the exclusive reveals. And oh the exclusives there shall be: from Stormgate, to Still Wakes the Deep, to Killing Floor 3. We'll also be indulging in a bit of nostalgia this year, looking back at some of the best moments in PC gaming that have happened since the inception of our PC-centric summer showcase. 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Gaming does not appear harmful to mental health, unless the gamer can't Societies may tremble when a hot new video game is released, but the hours spent playing popular video games do not appear to be damaging players' mental health, according to the largest-ever survey of nearly 40,000 gamers and their gaming habits, which was conducted over six weeks by a team from Oxford's Internet Institute.That does not mean, however, that the research did not throw up ... The Association Between Video Gaming and Psychological Functioning Introduction. Video gaming is a very popular leisure activity among adults (Pew Research Center, 2018).The amount of time spent playing video games has increased steadily, from 5.1 h/week in 2011 to 6.5 h/week in 2017 (The Nielsen Company, 2017).Video gaming is known to have some benefits such as improving focus, multitasking, and working memory, but it may also come with costs when it is used ... Setting the Game Agenda: Reviewing the Emerging Literature on Video Research on the social and psychological impacts of video gaming has changed over time in response to the aging demographic of video game players, the growing diversity of video game players, increasing complexity and diversity of video games, and their growing entrenchment in the culture (Dale & Shawn Green, 2017).Scholarship on video gaming accelerated in the early 2000s, with common topics ... Video gaming may have some cognitive benefits for kids, study finds 02:47 - Source: CNN. CNN —. Some parents fear that video games might be detrimental to children's well-being, but a new study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health finds that gaming ... Neuro-Gaming: How Video Games Shape the Brain's ... Abstract. Neuro-Gaming: How Video Games Shape the Brain's Cognitive Landscape is a comprehensive research survey that investigates the impact of video games on cognitive processes and the brain's ... Playing video games could boost brain function in children ... A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that video games may actually have a positive effect on children's cognitive skills. And here to break down exactly what all of ... Video game playing causes no harm to young children's cognitive Nov. 5, 2021 — As the latest Call of Duty video game is released in the UK today, and with Battlefield 2042 and a remastered Grand Theft Auto trilogy to follow later this month, new research ... Groundbreaking new study says time spent playing video games can be With the UK in a second national lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Christmas on the horizon, many will stay indoors to play and socially connect through video games. New research from Oxford University has delivered a surprising finding; time spent playing games is positively associated with well-being. The Future of Video Gaming Is Bright—Even as Real ... But video gaming has even grown to transcended entertainment: today, as a result of global movement restrictions, video games represent a newfound way to stay in touch with people and make new friends. Research from SuperData, a Nielsen company, found that roughly one in four (27%) U.S. residents used video games as a way to stay in touch with ... Global Frontier Report The new frontier of gaming. 2020 saw the global games market increase 23.1% year over year, the highest growth rate in more than a decade. For astute industry observers, this is a chance to reassess where gaming will go next. Globally, the industry is expected to reach $218.7 billion in 2024, passing the coveted $200-billion threshold in 2023. Video games News, Research and Analysis January 29, 2024. 60% of Australian English teachers think video games are a 'legitimate' text to study. But only 15% have used one. Amanda Gutierrez, Australian Catholic University; Kathy ... Teens and Video Games Today Key findings from the survey. Video games as a part of daily teen life: 85% of U.S. teens report playing video games, and 41% say they play them at least once a day. Four-in-ten identify as a gamer. Gaming as a social experience: 72% of teens who play video games say that a reason why they play them is to spend time with others.And some have even made a friend online from playing them - 47% ... New research suggests playing video games has lots of benefits Video games often get a bit of bad rap. You may have heard about gaming addictions and dodgy in-game purchases, but some new research suggests playing video games might actually be good for you ... New Study Reveals the Hidden Health Cost of Video Games: What Every Dispelling another widely held myth, a recent study by Viennese neuroscientists found that playing violent video games did not numb users to real-world violence or lead to an increased lack of empathy. Rather than focusing solely on video games' psychological or behavioral impact, this current research suggests a pressing need for public health strategies to promote better gaming habits ... How Video Games Are Making Research Fun By creating games that bake the process of data collection into their mechanics, players can contribute data and even uncover new insights just by playing along. Gamification, along with the growing movement known as citizen science, which invites volunteers to take part in real science research, is, in its own way, reshaping what it means to ... Video gaming News, Research and Analysis Video gaming is often seen as a distraction for students. So the challenge is to distract students back towards learning - and video games provide the perfect model. Paulo O/Flickr September 25 ... Benefits of Play Revealed in Research on Video Gaming Most of the video gaming research to date has focused on cognition. Correlational studies have consistently revealed that young people who play video games extensively have, on average, higher IQs ... Gaming In the U.S., four-in-ten women and roughly a quarter of adults ages 65 and older say they play video games at least sometimes. Why join the gig economy? For many, the answer is 'for fun'. Nearly a quarter of Americans say they've earned money in the digital "platform economy" in the past year, according to a new Pew Research Center ... Can You Really Be Addicted to Video Games? Last year, the psychologist Daria J. Kuss, part of the International Gaming Research Unit at Nottingham Trent University, and her colleagues published a review of 27 studies investigating the ... Google DeepMind's new generative model makes Super Mario-like games The new model, called Genie, can take a short description, a hand-drawn sketch, or a photo and turn it into a playable video game in the style of classic 2D platformers like Super Mario Bros. But ... The Health Impact of Prolonged Video Gaming: Navigating the Nexus ... - New research finds that engaging in video gaming sessions exceeding 3 hours in a single stretch is associated with a range of physical problems. Eye fatigue was reported by 46.1% of ... 29 Amazing Video Game Industry Statistics (2023) Research shows that by November 2021, Grand Theft was the top-streamed video game on Twitch. (Source: New Zoo) 17. The Most-played Type of Video Game Worldwide is the Casual Single-player Game ... Gaming Industry Growth Gaming Market Analysis. The Gaming Market size is estimated at USD 272.86 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 426.02 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 9.32% during the forecast period (2024-2029). Due to nationwide lockdowns implemented because of the COVID-19 pandemic, some people turned to game platforms to pass the time. Great news, parents: You do have power over your tweens' screen use For many parents, it can feel like curbing kids' screen use is a losing battle. But new research from UC San Francisco (UCSF) has found the parenting practices that work best to curb screen time ... NVIDIA Brings AI Assistants to Life With GeForce RTX AI PCs June 2, 2024. COMPUTEX— NVIDIA today announced new NVIDIA RTX ™ technology to power AI assistants and digital humans running on new GeForce RTX ™ AI laptops. NVIDIA unveiled Project G-Assist — an RTX-powered AI assistant technology demo that provides context-aware help for PC games and apps. The Project G-Assist tech demo debuted with ... Teens and social media: Key findings from Pew Research Center surveys Girls are more likely than boys to say it would be difficult for them to give up social media (58% vs. 49%). 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