NPD: Gaming Population in the US has Declined by 5%

Gaming has gotten so big now that there are companies whose jobs entail that they keep track of game sales, videogame metrics and whatnot. Chief among these companies is the NPD Group.

The NPD Group has revealed that there are an astounding 211.5 million gamers across the US alone. While this is an impressive number, the firm also reveals that this figure is lower by five percent compared to the figure last year. 

In NPD's latest report, Gamer Segmentation 2012: The New Faces of Gamers, they note that only the mobile and digital sector saw an increase in the six segments they tallied. Digital gamers went up four notches from 12 percent now to 16 percent, while mobile gamers saw a healthy increase to nine points to reach 22 percent compared to 2011.

In addition, the mobile gaming sectore is now the biggest segment. Yes, even ahead of the "core" gamer segment which was the largest segment in 2011. 

Anita Frazier, industry analyst for the NPD Group shares, "Given the long lifecycles of the current consoles and the increasing installed base of smartphones and tablets, it's not surprising to see a slight decline in the Core Gamer segment." However, the core gamer demographic is still the one fueling the industry, as Anita adds, "It's the revenue contribution of the Core Gamer segment that continues to outpace all other segments, and remains vital to the future of the industry."

So, there you have it. Now you know why more and more companies are targeting that sweet casual/mobile gaming pie. Of course, this is just for the US so we don't know how this data holds up compared to other territories.

What kind of a gamer are you? Can you be both a mobile and core gamer? 

Source: GamesIndustry