"Australian gamers are parents and grandparents"

A new study of Australian households by the IGEA reveals that nine out of ten homes now have some sort of gaming device.

It also showed that 75 per cent of gamers are now 18 years or older, and 47 per cent are female. Of the gamers studied, one in five played social games.

"The average Australian gamer is 32 years old and we've moved well away from the traditional teenage boy stereotype of a gamer. Australian gamers are parents and  grandparents 'snacking' on games when they're commuting to work on the bus or train, or while they're filling in that little bit of time  between meetings," says Dr Jeff Brand, report author.

"Research shows people who play video games on a mobile or tablet computer are trying to pass time and the majority play games  between 30 minutes to an hour at a time every other day, instead of playing long periods of time every day."

Retail habits were also included, and of those studied 43 per cent still relied on local shops, with 22 per cent using PSN and XBLA, and 14 per cent heading online for their gaming purchases.

"Four in five parents are playing video games with their children and most believe it's a great way to educate and spend time with their children," added Ron Curry, IGEA CEO.

"Australian gamers are growing up and 43 per cent of people aged over 50 now play video games."

Dr Brand is associate professor at Bond University, and the report is based on a study of 1200 randomly selected Australian households. The full report is available here.