155M Americans play video games, and 80% of households own a gaming device

We are a country of gamers.

New research from the Entertainment Software Association says that 155 million Americans play video games and that four-out-of-five households own a gaming device of some sort. Every year, the ESA compiles a report on the state of the game industry, sharing data on the audience and its growth, and this year’s report gives some new insights on the $22.41 billion dollar total in consumer spending on games in 2014.

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This report,  2015 Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry, says that 42 percent of Americans play video games regularly (more than 3 hours a week), and that each U.S. household has two gamers. A traditional game console is in 51 percent of U.S. households.

The PC is the most popular gaming device in America, says the study, with 62 percent of the most frequent gamers using it to play. Dedicated consoles follow at 56 percent, and then smartphones at 35 percent. Dedicated handheld systems like the PlayStation Vita and Nintendo 3DS are the least popular, at 21 percent.

The report’s demographics research shows that the average gamer is 35 years old, is male, and has been playing for 13 years. The most frequent female game player is 43 on average, and women 18 years or older make up a greater portion of gamers than boys 18 or younger.

As for what these gamers play, the report says 39 percent of the most frequent players play social games, though action and puzzle games are nearly as popular. The list of the top 20 selling games of 2014 has plenty of familiar names, with Activision’s Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and Electronic Arts’ Madden NFL 15 taking the two top spots. But multiplayer newcomer Destiny ranked at No. 3, above Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto V.

Online multiplayer games continue to be popular in America: 56 percent of the most frequent gamers play with others, and 54 percent say that they play a multiplayer game at least weekly.

The full report, which also shows data on the gaming habits of children, is on the ESA’s website.