NPD Group Study Finds Increase In Kids’ Digital Habits

On January 7th, the NPD Group revealed that more kids aged 9 to 14 are obtaining their entertainment content digitally. The information comes from a report titled Kids & Digital Content III, with the study primarily looking at how digital content is used by kids aged 2 to 14. What does this study mean for gaming?

NPD Group industry analyst Anita Frazier commented to GameDaily BIZ that though the industry talks about the “core 18 to 34 year old gamer,” 20% of U.S. games industry sales are to children below age 12 and another 22% of sales are to teenagers. The study found that the majority of video games are still acquired physically but that there was a 10% increase in music acquired digitally rather than physically among kids aged 2 to 14.

Today, they download music. Tomorrow, they download games?

The study doesn’t distinguish between video game consoles and PCs when it mentions how video games are acquired, a key reason why the study finds that video games rely heavily on physical distribution while so much music is acquired digitally. After all, one can’t simply download the hottest new Wii or Xbox 360 title. However, since the study finds more kids are receiving their music digitally, this portends that kids may one day be compelled to use digital distribution methods such as Steam to receive their PC games. This of course assumes that additional costs rendered by some distributors don’t crush kids’ desire to do so.

The study also found that video games have become more of an introduction to the digital world than ever before. Frazier states that game playing seemed to be an activity that first engaged kids with the digital world, with the study finding that 82 percent of kids aged 2 to 5 played games on at least one of the digital devices surveyed, be it game console, computer, cell phone, or digital music and/or video players. Digital device usage for non-gaming activities such as music and movies then increases dramatically at age 9.

Some other game-related findings from the study:
• Gaming was by far the most popular activity among kids aged 2 - 14, with 85 percent usage penetration among device users. Music was at 60 percent and video at 33 percent.
• Girls have shown significant increases in gaming since last year. In contrast, boys’ digital gaming habits remained the same.
• Though the use of video game systems is driven by boys, increased use is driven by growth among girls, going from 50 percent in 2006 to 57 percent in 2008.

If nothing else, the study shows that the seeds for the next generation of gamers are planted at an early age. Older gamers may pass off some titles as too cute, not violent/mature enough, and the like, but with a full 20% of the U.S. video game market being made up of young kids, there will still be demand and justification for kid-friendly titles.