53 per cent say they are gaming on a mobile more now than a year ago.
The changes in the way children aged between two and 17 now play computer games is largely due to mobile devices, reports the NPD Group.
Ages 12 – 17 are playing on their mobile devices for around seven hours a week compared to five hours in 2011 and over half of kids overall spend more time than last year as well.
Liam Callahan, industry analyst at the NPD Group, said: “Kids embrace change, adopting new devices and technologies, for the experience of gaming and accessing other entertainment content and it is critical to understand the current mindset of the highly engaged two to 17 year old gamer.”
Laptops, desktops and consoles remain the main devices for gaming, however mobile is rapidly becoming increasingly important for a dedicated gamer. Now almost as many kids are gaming on mobile devices as they are on anything else.
The age children are starting to game on a mobile is getting lower and lower, and as the gaming industry proceeds in embracing mobile technology, the age is expected to continue to drop. Games developer Gameforge is seeing the potential in mobile devices as mobile games become its main focus, and plan on doubling its portfolio of titles.
Callahan continued: “The question becomes whether this mobile usage will continue to grow for two to 17 year olds, and if usage will become more prevalent than gaming in consoles and computers as time progresses.”