The Entertainment Software Association (ESA, equivalent to the American Game Industry Association) report states that there are benefits to playing games.
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At the recent Games for Change 2022 event held in the US, Stanley Pierre-Louis, CEO of ESA talked about the influence of games in the US. They also know why the ESA has spent 15 years working with the US government and legislature, calling for respect for the game.
As an organization similar to the Game Affairs Commission of China, ESA’s influence in the US gaming industry goes without saying much. The conversation of the CEO of the organization, to some extent, we can also see the overall attitude of American society towards the game.
American gamers spend 13 hours a week playing games.
97% of Americans find gaming beneficial, with 2 out of 3 being a gamer, the report said. Like elsewhere in the world, the rapidly growing impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on the gaming industry is all too evident in the United States. More and more people are becoming gamers during the pandemic, and playing games to relieve stress.
Interestingly, in 2019, before the pandemic, WHO, the organization that often talked about gaming addiction and defined it as a mental illness, also changed its attitude during the pandemic. They started talking about the mental health benefits of gaming together.
This contrast comes as no surprise to Louis, who cited ESA’s annual US Gaming Industry Report released a few weeks ago, stating that 97% of Americans play and don’t play games. now believe that video games have benefits. This number is a notable change from what the ESA surveyed 10 or 15 years ago.
Additionally, Louis addressed the fundamentals of the US gaming market, where 66% of Americans or 215.5 million people of all ages play games at least once a week. While three-quarters of gamers are over 18, and the average age of gamers in the United States is 33.
Reportedly 97% of Americans find games beneficial.
“Players of all ages have become more active about gaming during the pandemic, and even now that the pandemic has slowed, Americans are spending more time gaming than in the past. the peak of the pandemic,” Louis explained.
When it comes to research on the benefits of games, Louis has given very positive data all opinions about the benefits of games to humans without exception, are high. For example, compared with pre-epidemic, the perception that it is beneficial to “exercise the brain” has increased by about 4%, and the feeling of comfort has increased by about 3%.
On the social side, Louis mainly refers to the game’s ability to connect people who are isolated during the pandemic. He said that in 2020, before the pandemic, only 65% of gamers were gaming with friends in person or online, but today that number has increased to 83%, a rapid increase of 18% in two years.
“We think there is some correlation with the increase in popularity of the game. Because it’s not just about the game, it’s about the community that’s formed around it. Those communities can have your family, friends, and the game itself. Those factors together, it promotes psychotherapeutic, social and other functions that games can trigger,” Louis said.
