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New York (pte039/20.05.2003/15:43) - Online gaming is rapidly gaining popularity around the world, as the Internet becomes a virtual playground for people from all ages and walks of life. Contrary to stereotype, online gamers are no longer just game freaks and pimply teenagers.
This comes from an analysis carried out by Ipsos market researchers http://www.ipsos-insight.com in the United States. The study looked at 1,350 US households equipped with gaming consoles or computers and showed that by 2003 up to 37 per cent of these households will be active on the Internet playground - nearly twice as many as in 1999 (18 per cent).
The age of online gamers has also changed dramatically. About 41 per cent of players are older than 36, and only 30 per cent are younger than 18. The remaining 29 per cent are between the ages of 18 and 35.
The Britain-based Entertainment & Leisure Software Publisher's Association (ELSPA) http://www.elspa.com has reported similar developments in Europe among offline gamers. According to the ELSPA, the majority of computer game players are between the ages of 25 and 34.
The game branch expects the offline gaming market to boom in the next years, driven by game console producers. ELSPA statistics show that sales of Sony Playstation 2, Microsoft Xbox and Nintendo Gamecube were 30 per cent higher than sales of the previous generation. The upcoming generation of PS2, Xbox and Gamecube will most likely focus on the Internet.
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