The NPD Group has released a new report, Kids and Gaming 2015, which shows that the mobile revolution has really hit the younger generation of gamers. More than half of kids surveyed said they play video games on mobile devices regularly, while less than half of those kids reported playing games on a PC. You’re far more likely to see a 16-year-old these days using their phone for schoolwork or navigation-or gaming-in addition to socializing.
The reasons for favoring mobile devices over PCs could be numerous. Gaming console sales remain strong, based on NPD’s data. This is a pretty significant change from the past, when computer gaming made up a much higher percentage.
“The largest and most surprising shift in the 2015 gaming ecosystem was kids’ move away from the computer”, NPD analyst Liam Callahan said.
He reasoned that the change is likely due, in part, to the fact that families are increasingly using smartphones and tablets for tasks formerly tended to on desktop or laptop computers so children adapted to new fields for play. Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo all have reasons to worry, too. Older kids are most favorable toward traditional consoles.
The report also dives into the amount of money spent in the past three months. However, physical games are still in the lead, scooping $27 on average over the same period. First they receive low satisfaction scores for the third year in a row, and now kids are giving up on them for gaming.
NPD’s online survey elicited responses from children ages 2 through 17, with one of their parents sitting with them to help complete the survey.