A new report entitled Media Democracy from research firm Deloitte claims that gaming is no longer a popular pursuit for just lonely teens, and has now become a significant family activity.

It claims that the average media-consuming Brit now spends 6.6 hours per week playing games either on consoles or online. 55 per cent of those surveyed preferred consoles, whilst 30 per cent gamed on PC or Mac.

A quarter of respondents already claimed to own a Nintendo Wii, whilst the same proportion again said they intended to buy one by the end of this year.

“Gaming has been traditionally frowned upon by parents,” head of technology, media and telecoms at Deloitte Jolyon Barker stated. “However it is now considered family time for many people aged between 26 and 42. Although interest declines after the age of 40 this could change as a generation of gamers grows up.”

Media Democracy examined British consumers aged between 14 and 75 and was conducted between September and October last year.