This indicates that gaming does not necessarily have to be a computer- or console-bound activity.

Furthermore, contemporary video gaming (that will simply be called “gaming” for the rest of this paper) can be engaged in using a variety of platforms, including personal computers, dedicated game consoles as well as portable devices, including tablets, laptops, and smartphones, with multiplatform gaming use comprising about 50% of US console gamers. On average, they spend more than 6 hr on gaming during an average week. Moreover, the Entertainment Retailers Association indicated that video games were more popular than videos and music with regards to sales in 2014 ( UKIE, 2015), again highlighting the mass appeal of gaming.Īccording to the Nielsen 360° Gaming Report (The Nielsen Company, 2014), gamers spend 12% more time on gaming now than they did in 2012. Sales of video games in the US created $15.4 billion in revenue in 2014, and the total consumer spend on the games industry in the same year (including content, accessories, and hardware) amounted to $22.4 billion ( Entertainment Software Association, 2015). Video gaming is a fast-growing leisure activity, and has seen significant increases in revenue within the entertainment industry.

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