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NPD Group has revealed details from its 2013 Gamer Segmentation report, including survey results that indicate which markets are on the rise.
The organization’s online survey polled nearly 9,000 individuals, and found that the ‘free & mobile gamers” group lead the pack with 29 per cent of participants falling under the classification – a year-on-year increase of 2 per cent.
Casual, core, family and social segments, on the other hand, all saw year-on-year declines.
The core console gamer group hit its lowest total yet at 10 per cent this year, though the segment is clearly still an important one to the industry. The contingent spent more money on games than any of the other segments, and played on an average of five different platforms – the Xbox 360 being the most common.
Core console players were also more likely to use their game systems for non-gaming purposes, such as streaming video content.
The only other segment to see growth outside "free & mobile gamers" was the "avid omnigamer" (classified as frequent players on multiple systems who list consoles or PCs as their preferred platforms). The group represented 16 per cent of the respondent pool.
