59% of those quizzed in the BBC`s State of Play survey defined as gamers...

The UK is a nation of gamers according to a survey carried out by the BBC. The report, entitled State of Play, discovered that 59% of those taking part in the survey were defined as ‘gamers’, meaning that they’d played at least one game on any platform (Console, PC, Handheld, iTV) in the previous six months. Whether the term can be pinned upon anybody who’s played any sort videogame in the timescale of six months is another matter entirely, but the statistical breakdown that the survey provides certainly makes for an interesting read.

Statistically the average age of a gamer in the UK is 28, with 65% of people in the 25-35 age bracket defined as gamers. 100% of those aged between 6 and 10 years old were defined as gamers, whilst the figure drops to 51% between the ages of 36 and 50. Perhaps more surprising is the stat that says nearly one in five adults ages between 51 and 65 were gamers…

Across the gender divide there was a higher percentage of male gamers, though in most age groups the gap was less than 10%. According to the State of Play report females account for around 48% of gamers.

So what platforms to the age groups play? According to State of Play, most of the under 35s played on consoles, whilst the PC market stood as the domain for the over 35s. Young gamers also played on handheld system too with web-based games proving popular across the ages.

The question of whether the UK is a nation of gaming addicts comes into focus when the surveyed were asked whether they considered themselves to be heavy use gamers: 81.5% said yes with 43.3% of those male. 77% of gamers aged between 25 and 35 years said that they played at least once a week, whilst the under 10s tended to play daily.

So what games reign supreme in the UK? The report states that 63% of the games played were puzzle/quiz titles, whilst action titles and racing titles were second and third popular with 43% and 40% respectively. At the other end of the spectrum, only 8% of those surveyed played MMOs.

Where games were played were also looked at in the survey and it was found that the 6-10 year old bracket and the 25-65 year old bracket mostly played in the lounge, whilst those aged between 11 and 24 were more likely to play in their bedrooms.

The exact number of those who took part in the survey is not mentioned.

We’ll have more news shortly…