"Bigger than the box office"

The videogame industry in New Zealand is bigger than the cinema box office, grossing more than $170 million in 2009 and growing by 12 percent year on year. That’s according to iGEA, an industry association representing Australian and New Zealand companies in the computer and videogame industry.

This morning, Dr Jeffrey Brand of Bond University, QLD, Australia, presented Interactive New Zealand 2010, a report providing data on who is playing games in New Zealand. The first research of its kind to be carried out here, it reveals how gamers and non-gamers compare both demographically and on their attitudes towards gaming.

The key findings of Interactive New Zealand 2010 follow. The full report can be found here.

Key Findings:

• In 2010, 88.5% of New Zealand households have a device for playing computer games.
• All homes with children under the age of 18 have a device for playing computer games.
• The average age of video game players in New Zealand is 33 years.
• 78% of gamers in New Zealand are aged 18 years or older.
• 91% aged 6 to 15 years compared with 43% of those aged 50 or older play video games.
• The average gamer has been playing video games for 12 years.
• Females make up 44% of the total game population.
• As many as 46% of gamers play online and 59% with others in the same room.
• Across New Zealand, PCs are in 82% of game households, consoles in 69%.
• 63% of parents play computer games and 59% play games with their children to spend time with them.
• 64% of parents use computer games to help educate their children.
• 95% of parents say they are aware of the games that are played in their homes.
• 82% of parents say an adult is present when games are purchased for their children.
• 60% of New Zealanders mainly purchase games from a local retailer.
• More than half of all gamers play either daily or every other day.
• Playing habits are moderate with 60% playing for up to an hour at one time and only 4% playing for five or more hours in one sitting.
• Most gamers play for fun and relaxation.
• The pattern of media leisure among gamers and non-gamers makes clear that computer games do not compete with non-media and outdoor activities. Instead they compete with older media.
• Family and action games account for nearly 40% of all game software sold in 2009.
• The New Zealand computer games industry is growing at an annualised rate of more than 12% and conducted over $170 million in 2009 according to GfK OzToys point of sale data.