A new, definitive games industry study claims that over a quarter of all console gamers are women.
While it is not the most surprising news, particularly taking into account the phenomenal growth of the Nintendo Wii and the casual gaming sector more generally in recent years, the fact that the latest NPD Group survey claims 28 per cent of all gamers are women is certainly proof positive that gaming is no longer a boy's club.
NPD's Gamer Augmentation 2009 report is published this week, which shows that the proportion of female console players is up 23 per cent from last year.
NPD unsurprisingly attributed the increase to the Nintendo Wii, with Wii usage has up 19 per cent since last year across the board.
Hardcore chicken and egg
Elsewhere in the NPD study, it is reported that "extreme gamers" make up 4 per cent of all gamers.
This "extreme gaming" minority play for an average of 39 hours per week, down from 46 hours last year. Does this indicate the slow erosion of the so-called 'hardcore' demographics?
Or does it merely indicate that there were not as many 'hardcore-friendly' games released over the last year?
NPD's Gamer Augmentation 2009 study involved over 20,000 American participants ages 2-65 and took place in January 2009.
Via Gamespot.com
