The videogame market is changing. An undoubted statement that little by little is becoming more widespread due to the mobile platforms But we are not referring to the video consoles , but to smartphones and tablets, which are increasingly attracting more users to enjoy entertainment, leaving aside the hitherto undoubted champion in this field: the computerOr at least that's what a report says that studies the gaming habits of the youngest members of the household, finding significant changes compared to previous years and outlining what which is already the present of videogames.
Thus, the analysis group NPD has concluded that 63 percent of the minors between the ages of 2 and 17 prefer mobile platforms to play Something that replaces the PC or computer as the hegemonic platform for games . Something that seems to come from the substitution that many parents have made of the computer by mobile platforms for their own enjoyment or for working from home. A more than remarkable paradigm shift, since not even video consoles, even those that are portable (Nintendo 3DS or PlayStation Vita ), had achieved the same in many years of existence. And it is that, the compatible ones (computers), were still the best option to access all kinds of titles.Until now. Even so, 45 percent of those surveyed among those ages continue to bet on the computer A figure that has decreased a remarkable 22 percent compared to 2013. Is it for this reason that Nintendo has finally decided to commit to developing mobile games?
But what about video consoles? According to the study, the youngest seem to have lost interest in these gaming devices in a similar way to what happened on the computer Of course, there is a age bracket between 9 and 11 years old that continues to bet on them, with 41 percent of respondents who spend more time on these devices for leisure.
And precisely the use time is another of the aspects that this study analyzes, knowing which platforms spend more hours of fun on . As is logical, in relation to the other data, the time spent on mobile phones is increasing At the moment the average is at 6 hours of play a week on mobiles and tablets And the fact is that 41 percent of children say they play more on these platforms compared to last year However, playtime on video game consoles remains static, with the time spent on the latest generation consoles growing slightly. Or what is the same, in PlayStation 4 and Xbox One
Lastly, this report collects some data about spending on video games and, about another trend in this market: microtransactionsand in-app purchasesAn economic model that continues to grow, or at least two out of ten children claim to have spent more than last year Thus, there would have been a increase of 5 dollars (about 4.5 euros) compared to last year, being the children who spend the most on video games. A leisure platform that continues to be somewhat sexist, although it seems to close the gap between genders.
