A new report from ISFE-Nielsen claims that 37 per cent of UK residents aged between 16 and 49 describe themselves as active gamers.

The news comes from the Video Gamers in Europe 2008 report from ISFE-Nielsen, which also throws up some interesting stats regarding the playing habits of gamers across Europe.

Females are said to represent a growing chunk of gamers across the continent, with 29 per cent of women aged 16 to 49 in the UK claiming to enjoy the hobby.

Also, over six in ten respondents claim to play games online either on PC or through a console network such as Xbox Live, PSN or Wii Connect. Of these players, 62 per cent claimed online gaming was a key part of their gaming experience.

Across Europe, 17 per cent of gamers classified themselves as professionals in their work life whilst a further 12 per cent claimed to work in sales, management or entrepreneurial areas.

72 per cent of European gamers said they used their games consoles as a multimedia device, doing things such as accessing the internet, playing DVDs or listening to MP3s.