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© INTERACTIVE GAMES & ENTERTAINMENT ASSOCIATION 2019
Suite 145 National Innovation Centre Australian Technology ParkGarden Street, Eveleigh, NSW 2015
https://igea.net
AUTHORS Jeffrey E. BrandJan JervisPatrice M. HugginsTyler W. Wilson
Faculty of Society & Design Bond University Gold Coast, QLD 4229 https://bond.edu.au
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERRaelene Knowles IGEA https://igea.net
GRAPHIC DESIGN Mike C. Morphett, Design Director M:29creative M29creative.com.au
Graph designs & infographic design: Jan Jervis
Suggested citation:Brand, J. E., Jervis, J., Huggins, P. M., & Wilson, T. W. (2019). Digital Australia 2020. Eveleigh, NSW: IGEA.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Video: The Power of Games 4FOREW0RD 5 Video: DA20 Highlights 6KEY FINDINGS 8
POWER OF GAMES 10 Video: What Type of Games do People Play? 14 JOHN: THE STRESS RELIEF PLAYER 20
POWER OF PLAY 21 Video: Why Do People Play Games? 25 Video: I Play Games but I also ... 29 REBECCA: THE EMPOWERED PLAYER 31
POWER OF CONNECTION 32 Video: What Do Games Mean to People? 34 HARRY: THE CONNECTED PLAYER 44
POWER OF COMMUNITY 45 MATI: THE COMMUNITY PLAYER 48
POWER OF CREATIVITY 49
POWER OF LIVING WELL 50 LOTTIE: THE RETIRED PLAYER 52
POWER OF EDUCATION 53 Video: How Have Games Improved Your Life? 54 GERI: THE INSPIRED PLAYER 57
POWER OF ECONOMICS 58 IN THEIR OWN WORDS 62 PHIL: THE ACHIEVING PLAYER 63 IN THEIR OWN WORDS 64
ABOUT 65
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Video: The Power of Games
Digital Australia (DA20) is the culmination of over 14 years of research on how, why, and by whom video games are played in Australia.
(11:31 minutes)
POWER OF GAMES
5
FOREW0RDImagine not having video games. What would be
lost?
On the surface, video games entertain us when we
play. However, games have proven themselves to be
a powerful medium through which people connect
from all over the world; even people in the same
home connect through video games.
THE POWER OF VIDEO GAMES
Today, games are used to educate in schools and
train at work. Video games are used to help us live
well through mental and physical stimulation in a
range of contexts, including hospital care, aged
care, and psychological care. Video games have
produced one of the most vibrant and active
communities of fans who gather together at major
international popular culture festivals, and who play
together online in competitive esports. Video games
are designed and produced in a digital economy
that promotes creativity and, in turn, enhances the
economic gift of nations.
Video games are a surprisingly old medium. The
first patent for a “cathode-ray tube amusement
device” was filed in the United States Patent Office
on 25 January 1947.
The first experimental video game was displayed
in the late 1950s and the first commercial video
game, Computer Space, was launched in 1971. The
first home console video game system to begin
widespread consumer access to games was sold
in 1975.
Since then, video games have sold billions of copies
to billions of players who enjoy them on billions of
electronic computing devices. There are thousands
of titles and hundreds of platforms on which to play
them. There are many genres of video games and
multiple objectives and motivations for playing them.
THE POWER OF PLAY
There are many ways to play: we play sport, we
play-act, we play music, we play with toys, we play
with language, we play with ideas and so on.
Austrian scholar Johan Huizinga claimed in the
1930s that play is older than culture. Academics
have demonstrated over time that play is a powerful
tool not only for human culture, but for human
productivity, creativity, and knowledge. They have
shown that by engaging in amusement and sport
we explore who we are and what we can be.
Games are a powerful vehicle for play and we play
many types of games. We play card games, games
of chance, board games, driving games, games of
strategy, simulation games, tactical games, timed
games, learning games, memory games, puzzle
games, adventure games, silly games and on the
list goes. One researcher divided games into four
major types that promote play, including competitive,
chance, simulation and movement.
THE POWER OF KNOWING GAMES AND PLAY
Digital Australia 2020 (DA20) is the culmination
of over 15 years of research on how, why, and by
whom video games are played in Australia.
In this edition of the research, we explore the Power
of Games. In doing so, we observe the power of
connection, community, creativity, living well,
education, and economics through this remarkable
medium.
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT NEXT TO HOMO
FABER, AND PERHAPS ON THE SAME
LEVEL AS HOMO SAPIENS, HOMO
LUDENS, MAN THE PLAYER, DESERVES
A PLACE IN OUR NOMENCLATURE.
Johan Huizinga, 1938
6
Video: DA20 Highlights
(4:04 minutes)
In this edition of the research, we explore the Power of Games. In doing so, we observe the power of connection, community, creativity, living well, education, and economics through this remarkable medium.
POWER OF GAMES
POST GAMEPLAY
VIDEOS
28% 27%
COSPLAY
THE POWER OF EDUCATION
GAMES PROMOTE STUDENT CREATIVITY60%
52%
THE POWER OF ENTERTAINMENT
THE POWER OF COMMUNITY
66% READ OR WATCH WALKTHROUGHS SHARED BY OTHERS
41% WATCH ESPORTS
31%
38%ATTEND GAME EVENTS
THE POWER OF PLAY
THE POWER OF CREATIVITY
OLDER PLAY
TO KEEP THE MIND ACTIVE
YOUNGER PLAY
TO HAVE FUN
HAVE FUNDE-STRESSPASS TIMEKEEP MIND ACTIVEBE CHALLENGED
5 TOP REASONS TO PLAY
AVERAGE DAILY TOTAL PLAY FOR MALES
89MINUTESAVERAGE DAILY
TOTAL PLAY FOR FEMALES
71MINUTES
PARTICIPATE IN
COSPLAY
ENJOY THE CULTURE OF ESPORTS
THE POWER OF GAMES
2/3
OF PL AYERS
OF THOSE AGED AND OVER PLAY VIDEO GAMES
9/10HOMES HAVE A DE VICE ON WHICHGAMES HAVE BEEN PL AYED
USE GAMES FOR WORK TRAINING
SAY THEIR CHILDREN USE GAMES FORSCHOOL
78%18YEARS
AND OVER
42%
ARE AGED
FAMILY FUN
CHILDREN ASK
A WAY TO SPEND TIME TOGETHER
59%
25%
89%
3 TOP REASONS PARENTS PL AY WITH CHILDREN
PLAY WITH CHILDREN IN THE SAME ROOM
PLAY WITH PARTNERS ONLINE
FAMILIAR WITH PARENTAL CONTROLS
THE POWER OF CONNECTION
34YEARS AVERAGE AGE OF VIDEO GAME PLAYERS
2/3 PL AY VIDEO GAMES
47% OF ALL PLAYERS ARE
FEMALE
SAY MAKINGVIDEO GAMESBENEFITSAUSTRALIANECONOMY
15%CAGR DIGITAL GAME SALES IN AUSTRALIA 2013-2018
$
THE POWER OF ECONOMICS
74%
THE POWER OF LIVING WELL
VIDEO GAMES MAY...
73%
58%
84%
IMPROVE LIFE SATISFACTION
MANAGE PAIN
PROMOTE GENERAL KNOWLEDGE
65 YE ARS
8
Top 3 reasons parents play with children
1. Family fun
2. Children ask
3. A way to spend time together
59% of parents play with their children in the same room
43% of parents play online games with their children
54% are mostly or completely familiar with family controls on game systems
83% of parents say they have talked with a child about playing games online
Parents mainly play video games with children to connect with them
25% play with partners online
The top 5 reasons Australians play video games
have fun, pass time, de-stress, take a break from daily lifekeep the mind active
Younger and working age adults play to have fun, pass time, and de-stressOlder adults play to keep the mind active
Average daily total of play for Australians of all ages who play video games is 81 minutes
Male video game players play on average for 89 minutesFemale video game players play on average for 71 minutes
The typical daily casual game play is 10 minutes, twice a day
The typical daily in-depth game play is 1 hour. Children play on average 100 minutes a day
Working age adults play on aver-age 83 minutes a day
Retirement age adults play on average 59 minutes a day
2/3 of Australians play video games
Most homes have a device for playing video games
21% of households have a virtual reality headset
70% use mobile phones for playing games
65% use consoles for playing games
The average age of video game players is 34 years
Almost 1/2 of video game players are female
78% of Australian video game players are aged 18 years or older
42% aged 65 and over play video games
The average Australian adult has been playing video games for 12 years
2/3 have used walkthroughs, wikis
or forums to help their gameplay
Over 1/2 of players watch YouTube
videos of gameplay
Over 1/3 have watched esports
Of these,over 1/3 watch to
improve their own gameplay
Nearly a 1/4 watch to follow
an esports team
38% enjoy the culture of esports
KEY FINDINGSPOWER OF GAMES POWER OF PLAY POWER OF CONNECTION POWER OF COMMUNITY
METHODS
Digital Australia 2020 (DA20) is
a study of 1,210 Australian house-
holds and 3,228 individuals of all
ages in those households.
9
85% say video games can help thinking skills
74% say video games can help emotional wellbeing
66% say video games can help social wellbeing
87% say video games may increase mental stimulation
81% say video games may help fight dementia
67% say video games may help maintain social connections
73% say video games may improve
life satisfaction
58% say video games may help
manage pain
84% say video games may promote
general knowledge
83% of players say video games can
be effective in stress reduction
1/2 of parents say their children’s
schools use video games for
education
61% of parents believe video games
can be effective for learning STEM
53% of parents believe video
games can give students greater
confidence at school
31% of adults have used games
at work for health and safety
training
29% have used video games at
work for new skills training
61% of players say video games
can be effective in motivating
people to get fit
60% say games promote student
creativity
3/4 of adults believe making video games in Australia benefits the economy
Video games sales (CAGR) in Australia grew at a rate of 15% between 2013 and 2018
Australian video games retail industry sales in 2013 were $2.04 Billion
In 2018, total retail industry sales for video games were $4.03 Billion
In 2018, digital sales reached $2.85 Billion
Physical sales in the Australian retail industry were $1.18 Billion
65% have made in-game purchases for themselves
40% have made in-game purchases for others
More than a 1/4 of players have
shared videos of their own game
play online
Almost a 1/4 have competed in
esports
Of these, 1/2 compete because
of social connections
A 1/3 compete because they
enjoy the challenge
28% participate in cosplay
Participants were drawn randomly
from the Nielsen Your Voice Panel in
March 2019; research was designed
and conducted at Bond University. The
margin of error ranges from ± 2.3% to
± 3.3%.
KEY FINDINGSPOWER OF LIVING WELL POWER OF EDUCATION POWER OF ECONOMICS
METHODS
POWER OF CREATIVITY
10
POWER OF GAMES
92%93% 93% 93% 91%
88%
79%
Game Households Over Time
200920072005 2011 2013 2015 20192017
60%
80%
100%
NB: ALL HOUSEHOLDS
This report provides evidence for the power of games: video games are not only mainstream, they are now normalised in everyday Australian culture.
In 2005, we observed that just under eight out of ten Australian households had at least one device on which video games were played.
That rose quickly to nine out of ten by 2009 and has remained stable at this peak since then.
THEY [GAMES] LET ME HAVE FUN WITH MY FAMILY AND CREATE
MEMORABLE MOMENTS.
Female, 46, Queensland.
Male, 24, Perth, Western Australia.
IT [PLAYING GAMES] DE-STRESSES YOU, TO [sic] HAVE FUN AND FORGET
EVEN IF AN HOUR, ABOUT THE DIFFICULTIES OF LIFE.
Female, 51, Adelaide, South Australia.
I AM NOT A SOCIAL PERSON SO PLAYING GAMES HELPS ME CONNECT
WITH OTHERS.
11
1 x game device28%
2 x game devices
4 x game devices
26%
23%
13%
6%
5%
5 x game devices
3 x game devices
6 x game devices+
Number of Game DevicesPOWER OF GAMES
For many years, nine out of ten Australian households have had at least one device on which video games are played. There is near symmetry in the proportion of households with roughly a quarter each
having of one, two, three, and four or more game devices, meaning that most (72%) have more than one device. Households with children are slightly more likely than households without children to have a game
device and child homes are more likely to have a greater number of devices.
We refer to these as game households throughout this report.
NB: ALL HOUSEHOLDS
GROWN [sic] UP PLAYING GAMES ON ONE PLATFORM NINTENDO, FROM GAME AND WATCH, GAME CUBE TO THE LATEST SWITCH.
LOVE THE MASTERY I HAVE OVER SOME GAMES, ENJOY THE THRILL,
KEEPS MY MIND ACTIVE - LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT IT.
Male, 59, Sydney, New South Wales.
HAVE MORE THAN 1 DEVICE72%Households
12
83 83 82
2015
2017
2019
66
666670
2015
2017
2019
63 61 6520
1520
1720
1955 57
51
2015
2017
2019
16 1320
1520
1720
19
15
Type of Game Devices Over Time
PC Mobile Console Tablet Handheld
%
%%
%
%
The devices used for playing in game households include PCs or personal computers including laptops, consoles such as Sony PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Xbox One X, mobile phones such as iOS
and Android phones, tablet computers running iOS and Android systems, and dedicated handhelds including devices such as Nintendo Switch.The prevalence and mix of broad types of game devices in Australian game households
has changed little in recent years. In order of common use are: PCs, mobiles, consoles, tablets and handhelds.The ongoing and consistent presence of these platforms invokes a sense of the power of games.
NB: ALL HOUSEHOLDS
POWER OF GAMES
I ENJOY PLAYING GAMES ON BOTH MY LAPTOP AND MOBILE PHONE. I DON’T THINK I AM OBSESSED WITH THEM OR THEY HAVE MUCH POWER OVER MY LIFE, BUT I ENJOY PLAYING THEM TO RELAX AND ESCAPE
REALITY SOMETIMES. I GENERALLY PLAY MIND GAMES e.g: SUDUKO OR TETRIS, BUT I ALSO PLAY
THE SIMS OR VIRTUAL REALITY GAMES ON THE INTERNET.
Female, 23, Melbourne, Victoria.
13
Importance of AR and VR
Use Virtual Reality (VR)
Use Augmented Reality (AR)77%
21%
87%
Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality
Given the relative novelty and apparently increasing ways in which augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) may be used, we measured both the use of the technologies and their perceived importance to the future of games.
One in five game households have players who have used a VR headset.
However, because AR (as opposed to VR) may be used as a service on a mobile phone without additional headset hardware, it is not
surprising that three in four game house-holds have players who have used AR. Asked whether AR and VR are important for future game play experiences, nearly nine out of ten confirmed the technology will play an important role.
NB: ALL HOUSEHOLDS
POWER OF GAMES
Augmented Reality (AR)
3/4
GAME HOUSEHOLDS USE
14
Video: What Type of Games do People Play?
This video is a snapshot of the type of games people play and why they play them.
(4:01 minutes)
POWER OF GAMES
15
28yrs30yrs
32yrs 32yrs33yrs 34yrs 34yrs
Player Age Over Time
200920072005 2011 2013 2015 20192017
35 yrs
30 yrs
20 yrs
25 yrs
Based on our analysis of all household members, video games are played by two thirds of Australians and, of those who
play, the average age in this sample remains 34 years, the same as it was in the DA18 report.
Over the years, we have observed a slow and steady, stepped increase in the average age of Australian video game players.
NB: ALL PLAYERSPLAYVIDEO GAMES
2 out of 3Australians GAMES ALLOW YOU TO ESCAPE AND ENJOY
ANOTHER WORLD TEMPORARILY
Female, 33, Perth, Western Australia.
POWER OF GAMES
16
NB: ALL PLAYERS
We provided participants with the option to identify other. However, all participants identified either as male or as female and
they identified other members of their households using this binary. Nearly half of all video game players in Australia
are female (47%). When we started this series of studies in 2005, we observed the proportion was 38%.
Female Players
Male Players
200920072005 2011 2013 2015 20192017
30%
40%
50%
60%
Player Gender Over Time
POWER OF GAMES
17
As a proportion of all players, children under the age of 18 constitute 22% of those who play video games, working-age adults 68%, and retirement-age adults 10%; the proportion of players who are older has increased modestly but steadily since each of the DA16 and DA18 reports
(from 7% and 8%, respectively) and will continue to do so.
The proportion of those who play video games within simple age groups has re-mained relatively stable, showing modest
consolidation across the board since the 2018 report, with 69% of all children under the age of 18 playing, 62% of working-age adults playing and 42% of retirement-age adults playing.
65-94 years
18-64 years
1-17 years22%
68%
10%
Player Age Groups as Proportion of Total
NB: ALL PLAYERS
65-94 years
18-64 years
1-17 years 69%
62%
42%
Player Proportions within Simple Age Groups
NB: ALL PLAYERS
POWER OF GAMES
18
NB: ALL PLAYERS
Drilling down on the proportion who play using the ABS convention for narrower age bands, almost all children between ages 5 and 14 play and almost all between ages 15 and 24 years play. Unsurprisingly, the youngest and oldest Australians play least.
25
1 - 4
yrs
5 - 14
yrs
15 -2
4 yrs
25 -
34 yr
s
35 -
44 yr
s
8375
63
52 45
- 54
yrs
55 -
64 yr
s
65 -
74 yr
s
75 -
84 yr
s
85 -
94 yr
s
3743 41
24
81
Player Proportions within ABS Age Groups (%)
GAMES FOR ME ARE AN ACCESSIBLE AND PORTABLE WAY TO UNWIND AND RELAX.
Female, 47, Brisbane, Queensland.
Wii SPORTS ENABLES ME TO EXERCISE IN A FUN WAY IN THE
COMFORT OF MY HOUSE
Female, 19, Sydney, New South Wales.
GAMING HAS BEEN A DEFINING POINT IN MY LIFE TEACHING ME THAT ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.
Male, 24, Sydney, New South Wales.
POWER OF GAMES
19
NB: ALL ADULT PLAYERS and NON-PLAYERS
4.65.6
4.3
2.8
2.7
3.4
2.4
3.8
4.0
3.3
3.6
2.4
1.7
4.2
4.2
4.1
3.9
3.6
3.5
3.2
2.5
2.5
1.3
1.2
TV
Movies
Streaming TV
Streaming Movies
Online Video/ YouTube
Games
Social Media
Music
Radio
Books
Newspapers
Magazines
Adult-only Household Child Household
Media Ranking in Child vs Adult-only Households Video games are part of the larger media and leisure ecology in Australian homes and we are compelled to understand their place in our society.
While free-to-air television remains popular in Australian households and top the list of media regardless of whether a household is home to adults or adults and children, digital media like games are a normal part of the media mix.
We used an index asking adult participants to rank their household’s media preferences from ten (highest preference) to one (lowest preference).
Free-to-air TV clearly dominates in households without children living in them and pips movies and streaming TV at first place in households with children.
Games rank sixth in child households, but only equal tenth with newspaper in households without children.
POWER OF GAMES
20
Player:
Family Background:
Location:
Cultural Background:
Years Playing Games:
Types of Play:
Typical Duration:
Access to Games:
Motivations for Play:
Other Interests:
Male, 45. Finance Industry Professional.Lives in household of 5.Married, Wife, 45.Parent, guardian of 3 children, 11, 14, 16 .New South Wales.Australian.30 years.In-depth play.Twice a week for 1 hour.
Computer, tablet, smartphone, Xbox One, Nintendo handheld, older console.To have fun, de-stress, take a break from daily life.Dining out. Going to a pub, café. Exercising. Gardening. Amusement, theme park, zoo. Playing board, card games, a musical instrument, with children and pets. Reading books, watching TV, movies. Listening to audio books, music.
AS A TEENAGER IT WAS A SOCIAL THING TO DO WITH
FRIENDS. NOW AS AN ADULT IT IS FOR STRESS RELIEF AND TAKING A BREAK FROM RESPONSIBILTY FOR
A LITTLE WHILE.
JOHN: THE STRESS RELIEF PLAYER
John, 45, New South Wales.
21
As the diversity of devices on which to play video games increases and the diversity of video game software explodes, there are many new and different ways to play. The arrival of smartphones over a decade ago opened up the opportunity for more casual play experiences that are both shorter and more frequent than longer established playing experiences on personal computers and video game consoles. However, some have argued that differences between casual play and more in-depth play are blurring. We observed clear
differences between casual games played frequently and for short periods of time, usually on mobile devices, and in-depth games played less frequently but for longer play sessions on computers and consoles. We classified casual gameplay as play in short bursts of up to 20 minutes each time, many times a day.
We classified in-depth gameplay as longer play periods in which games are typically played from daily to weekly to less frequently.
Key players in our sample usually play casual games one to three times a day for five to 15 minutes per session. The total estimated daily investment in casual games is therefore between 20 and 30 minutes and only varies greatly from this pattern among the young-est and oldest players. There is little gender difference until middle adulthood when women overtake men in overall casual gameplay in their mid 40s.
NB: KEY PLAYERS
Once a day
1 or 2 minutes 5 minutes 10 minutes 15 minutes 20 minutes
Twice a day
3 times a day
4 times a day
5 times a day
More than 5 times a day
Frequency and Duration of Casual Play
12
6
3
2
3
20
77 69 17 17
4763
44 36
29
18
39
33
32
102
50
42
21 20
161
59
33
9
12
107
POWER OF PLAY
22
NB: KEY PLAYERS
The most commonly reported frequency for playing in-depth games in our sample is daily. The most common duration is an hour. We have observed this pattern now in the past four studies. The total estimated in-depth play ranges greatly by both age and gender.
Younger players as a whole play more frequently than older players and they play for longer durations, peaking in late adolescence and early adulthood.
Every day
Every other day
Twice a week
Once a week
Once a fortnight
Once a month or less
Half an hour Two hours Three hours Four or more hoursAn hour
133 152 129 66
71
51
41
15
16
53 29
94 69 42
1
112 98 48 22
64
16 9 4
5
11
19 8 4 2
3
Frequency and Duration of In-depth Play
ALTHOUGH I PLAY GAMES ON MY PC AND MOBILE, I PLAY THEM TO BREAK THE DAY AND AS A RESPITE FROM THE TASK AT HAND. I PLAY DAILY FOR VERY SHORT LENGTHS OF TIME.
Female, 54, Adelaide, South Australia.
89 71
Men play forWomen and girls play for minutes a day on average minutes a day on average
POWER OF PLAY
23
Combining total casual gameplay and total in-depth gameplay, males play more across the ages except between ages 55 and 85, when females spend more time playing games. We observed in the previous two studies that among the oldest players, women played more than men; however, in this sample, men played markedly more than women. Findings for this age group
are prone to higher variations due to smaller sample sizes.
Altogether, Australians who play video games spend an average of 81 minutes a day including both casual and in-depth play. Women and girls play for 71 minutes a day on average while men and boys play for 89 minutes a day on average.
These play times have declined by eight to ten minutes compared with times reported in the 2018 report. Explanations for this modest decrease may include more spectatorship of games through streaming video, and compe-tition from streaming television and movies. Popularity of these media is explored later in the report.
Males in-depth play
Males casual playFemales casual play
Females in-depth play
Females total playMales total play
130min
81min
59min
26min
73min62min
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
15-245-141-4 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75-84 85-94
Min
utes
per
day
Age
Total Play Time by Age and Gender
NB: KEY PLAYERS
POWER OF PLAY
24
Top reasons adult players give for playing video games include to have fun, de-stress, and pass time.
There are also more “serious” reasons people play games. Adult players in our study report they want to keep their mind active by playing, to be challenged, and to learn.
To better understand the range of poten-tial reasons Australians play, we expanded our list of 10 reasons to 20. By doing so, we discovered the relative importance of playing games for wellbeing reasons such as to take a break from daily life, to feel accomplishment, and for managing men-tal health.
To compare 2019 responses with those of earlier years, we calculated responses for each reason to play as a proportion of the total out of 100. We then weighted results for the same reasons to play in two previous report years, leaving out the new reasons to play added to the 2019 questionnaire.
NB: ADULT PLAYERS
1016
83
3
3
2
2
2
15 10
108
54
4
4
3
7
913
109
866
55
4
44
4
33333
2
22
Have fun
Relax/ de-stress
Pass time
Keep mind active
Be challenged
Break from daily life
Feel accomplishment
Feel excitement
Do the impossible
Manage mental health
Social interaction
Try something new
Compete with others
Learn
I’m good at it
Explore virtual spaces
Fulfill a fantasy
Be someone else
Exercise
Face a fear
2015 2017 2019
Reasons to Play (Normed / 100 %)
POWER OF PLAY
25
Video: Why Do People Play Games?
(5:20 minutes)
People play games for so many different reasons and this video explains some of the reasons why they play and the benefit and enjoyment these players receive from games.
POWER OF PLAY
26
Although there are no systematic differences for why adult women and men in our sample play video games, we observed one pronounced difference among three age groups of adults (18-34, 35-64, and 65 years and older) for the top five reasons adults say they play:
Older players play predominantly to keep the mind active.
Among working age adults (18-34 and 35-64), playing games to relax and de-stress is the number one reason to play, followed in order by relax, and de-stress, and lastly by
being challenged and keeping the mind active.
For older adults, playing to keep the mind active ranks first and playing to relax and de-stress ranks last with having fun, passing time and being challenged in the middle. It appears from these results that working life is stimulating and challenging enough for working age adults who need to de-stress and have fun. Arguably video games serve rather therapeutic needs for all players.
51
36
24
28
44 41
55
40
27
26
40
57
56
73
45
Have fun
Relax/ de-stress
Pass time
Keep mind active
Be challenged
18 -34 years 35 -64 years 65 years and Over
Reasons to Play by Age Group (%)
AS I AM AGEING I FEEL THE NEED TO KEEP MY MIND ACTIVE AND BY
PLAYING GAMES ON PHONE OR TABLET I HAVE THE LUXURY OF CHOOSING WHEN, WHERE AND
FOR HOW LONG.
Female, 73, Victoria.
Male, 28, Australian Capital Territory.
IT ALLOWS MY MIND TO GO INTO THIS OTHER CALMING ZONE. AFTERWARDS I FEEL
MORE EMPOWERED AND CALM.
POWER OF PLAY
27
Australians who play video games also enjoy a wide range of other media for leisure.We demonstrated back in the second Digital Australia study (Interactive Australia 2007) that players and non-players mapped nearly identically to media and non-media leisure.
This year, we asked players to identify all the things they do in addition to playing video games and found that 72% say they watch television, 63% watch movies and 59% enjoy listening to music.
Browsing the Internet (56%) and watching YouTube videos (46%) round out the top five. Podcasts (12%) and audio books (8%) finish the list of non-game media activities.
72 Watch television
63 Watch movies
59 Listen to music
56 Browse the Internet
46 Watch YouTube videos
42 Read books
40 Read social media
28 Read newspapers
23 Post to social media
23 Read magazines
12 Listen to podcasts
8 Listen to audiobooks
Preferred Non-gaming Media Activities (%)
POWER OF PLAY
NB: ADULT PLAYERS
28
POWER OF PLAYAustralians who play video games also enjoy many of the non-media leisure activities commonly enjoyed by all Australians as we have demonstrated in past reports.
This year, we asked players to identify all the things they do in addition to playing video games and using other media.
First among these leisure choices is dining out, nominated by 53% of the sample, followed by shopping (52%), gardening (40%), exercising (39%) and going to a pub (36%).
Rounding out the list of 16 activities were playing sport (19%) and playing with pets and children (12%).
53 Dine Out
52 Go Shopping
40 Gardening
39 Exercise
36 Go to a pub
30 Play board games
28 Take pictures / photography
27 Make arts or craft
23 Go to an art gallery22 Go to an amusement park
22 Go fishing or camping
21 Attend a cultural event
19 Water sports
19 Attend a sporting event
19 Play sport
12 Play with pets & children
Preferred Non-gaming Leisure Activities (%)
POKEMON, I’VE BEEN ABOUT [sic] TO INTERACT WITH PEOPLE BY CONNECTING
OVER A COMMON INTEREST.
Male, 29, Sydney, New South Wales.NB: ADULT PLAYERS
29
(2:07 minutes)
Unsurprisingly games are just another entertainment medium people enjoy in their busy lives and sit alongside lots of other activities as well.
POWER OF PLAY
Video: I Play Games but I also ...
30
POWER OF PLAY
In June 2018, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) issued an update to its report, Internet Activity in Australia, showing there are 6.6 million mobile wireless connections out of the 14.7 million connections overall. The volume of downloaded data across fixed and wireless broadband increased by more than 75% between June 2017 and June 2018 in Australia, arguably a product
of increased game downloads and video streaming. As games move from fixed media to online downloads and cloud services, these volumes will increase and place more pressure on infrastructure and consumer demand for better broadband data plans.This year, we observed players are seeking to upgrade data plans on their mobiles due to data limits and mobile data speeds.
Moreover, compared with DA18 report, more players say they are applying the brakes on game downloads both at home and on mobile devices to avoid going over poor data limits.
Given growth in digital sales discussed later in this report, there is clearly an appetite for more bandwidth.
Mobile data limits-don’t downloadgames to avoid going over
Home data speeds-forced upgrade plans
Mobile data speeds-forced upgrade plans
Home data limits-don’t downloadgames to avoid going over
Home data limits-forced upgrade plans
Mobile data limits-forced upgrade plans
5833
2727
2727
7051
3126
2217
20192017
20192017
20192017
20192017
20192017
20192017
Broadband Limits Over Time (%)
NB: ADULT PLAYERS
31
REBECCA: THE EMPOWERED PLAYER
Player:
Family Background:
Location:
Cultural Background:
Years Playing Games:
Types of Play:
Typical Duration:
Access to Games:
Motivations for Play:
Other Interests:
Female, 32, Stay at home parent.Lives in household of 4. Married. Husband, 34. Parent, guardian of 2 children, 5, 8.Sydney, New South Wales.Other Asian.1 year.In-depth play.1 hour.
Tablet, smartphone.
Relieve boredom, pass time. To feel excitement, thrills. Keep mind active. Take a break from daily life. Fulfil a fantasy. Try something new.
Dine out. Shopping. Exercising. Going to amusement, theme park, zoo. Play with children, pets. Watch YouTube, read books.
POWER OF GAMES IN MY LIFE IS THAT WHEN I PLAY GAMES AFTER
DOING ALL [MY] CHORES I FEEL SO ...MUCH RELAXED [sic] AND ENERGETIC AND BECOME READY AGAIN TO FULFIL MY DUTIES MORE EFFICIENTLY... SO I THINK GAMES PLAY SIGNIFICANT
ROLE IN MAKING ME OPTIMISTIC AND AN ACTIVE PERSON.
Rebecca, 32, Sydney, New South Wales.
32
POWER OF CONNECTION
Same Room
Online
59
43
35
23
19
25
1716
16
12
7
25
16
Child
Partner
Stranger
Other Relative
Sibling
Parent
Friend
Same Room
Online
Online
Same Room
Online
Same Room
Online
Same Room
Online
Same Room
Online
Common Playing Experience (%)
NB: ADULT PLAYERS
PLAYVIDEO GAMESwith their partner in the same room
1/3adults say they
Playing video games is more often a social rather than an isolated experience.
Only 17% of adult players play alone all the time. Adults report that playing with children in the same room is the most common social context for play with six out of ten doing so, followed by playing with children online.
A third of adults say they play video games with their partner in the same room and a quarter say they play online with them.
Other social play includes playing with friends, relatives, and siblings. Moreover, some young adults say they play with their parents.
IT CONNECTS ME WITH MY SIBLINGS
Female, 27, Brisbane, Queensland.
PLAYalone all the time
17%of adult players Only
33
POWER OF CONNECTION
NB: PARENT PLAYERS
A third of adults in this sample reported as parents of a child under the age of 18 living with them. Of these, 81% said they themselves play video games. Of the two thirds who do not have children living with them, 64% play video games. It may have once been the case that having children was a pre-requisite for adults to play video games, but these findings demonstrate that
the vast majority of adults play, regardless of parental status. Still, parents are more likely to play, and for many reasons. We provided a tick list of reasons to play with children. Consistent with past studies, parents’ top reasons for playing is because they say playing video games is a fun family activity and because children often want their parents to play with them.
Parents largely reported a full range of reasons they use video games when parenting their children by indicating how much they agree with each from a list of uses. Talking about games, talking about playing online, and generally educating children top the list.
22
20
23
25
40
43
41
It’s a way to monitor how often my children play
It’s a way to monitor what my children play
It’s a way to help educate my children
It’s a way to spend time with my children
Children ask me to play with them
It’s fun for the whole family
It’s a way to monitor how long my children play
Why Parents Play Games with Children (%)
60%
79
75
75
73
80
80
82
87
83
As a reward
To educate, generally
As a punishment
For family time, to be together
Help them learn to play games
Talk about playing safely online
Talk about video games
To set boundaries
Use video games to motivate
How Parents Use Games with Children (%)
NB: PARENTS
34
Video: What Do Games Mean to People?
The average Australian gamer has been playing for 12 years.
This video illustrates what games mean to people and uncovers many fond memories associated with playing games.
POWER OF CONNECTION
(7:40 minutes)
35
Parents are also likely to report having rules for their children’s video game play.
Over many years of these studies, we have routinely observed the top three rules parents have for their children’s game play are how long they can play in a session, when during the day, during the week or during the school year they can play, and what kind of games they can play, providing clear evidence that parents hold the common
concerns long-held about children’s access to media: How much they are used, what opportunity costs they present, and what they are exposed to that might present a potential harm or concern.
It is worth noting that parents are concerned about most of the potential harms of all media.
50%
65
66
70
73
74
74
Rules about devices or systems children use to play video games
When children can watch gameplay on YouTube or Twitch
Rules about whether children play online games
Rules about what kind of video games children play
Rules about when children play video games
Rules about how long children play video games
Rules for Children’s Game Play (%)
NB: PARENTS Female, 29, Queensland.
GAMES CAN BE GREAT TO JUST HAVE FUN WITH, OR EVEN USE FOR LEARNING EXPERIENCES
DEPENDING ON WHAT THE GAME IS. GAMES HAVE BEEN VERY
POSITIVE FOR MY SON IN OUR HOUSEHOLD. IT HAS HELPED
HIM LEARN HOW TO READ, AND EVEN HELP [sic] IN SOME SOCIAL SITUATIONS (THANKS TO SIMS).
Female, 33, Victoria.
ITS FUN TO WATCH THE KIDS LEARN AND GET THEIR COORDINATION
BETTER AND [SEE THEIR] EXCITEMENT WHEN THEY WORK IT
OUT AND CAN DO IT.
POWER OF CONNECTION
36
POWER OF CONNECTION
NB: PARENTS 181
376328
303314
299288
303295
266
266266
251236
225251
225232236
221218
203203
258
258
325295292
280269
262
277236236
255232240
218236
229
225225225225
199199
181
262
288
288303
317
365321
292
277299303
266269
292247
280229
258247
232244244
277244
214
AdvertisingThemes, Social issues
SmokingScariness
LanguageGambling
Alcohol useDark tone
Geo-tagging/being locatedExcessive use
NudityDiscrimination
Credit card fraudSelf-harm
SecurityDemeaning depictions of women
TerrorismSex
Animal crueltyViolenceDrug use
PrivacyBullying/harassment
Sexual predators
Movies (6,244) Interactive Games (5,881) Social Media(6,596)
Concerning Elements by Medium for Children
37
Potential concerns caused by elements of media content are many in the minds of parents. Parents also hold concerns that vary from medium to medium.
In this study, we asked parents on a simple three-point scale (Not at all concerned, Somewhat concerned, or Very concerned) to indicate how concerned they were with different potential harms in three media including Social Media, Interactive Games, and Movies.
We then calculated a mean for each to weight the responses and ranked the concerns across the media.
This helped us identify parents’ relative concerns about each medium. In this sample, alcohol use, dark tones, and being located by geo-tagging top the list. We believe the harms chosen reflect themes and agendas set by mainstream news reporting.
A few years ago, animal cruelty topped our list whereas today it sits in the middle.
Differences by medium are modest with social media receiving the larg-est weighted volume of concerned responses (6,596), followed by movies (6,244), and then interactive games (5,881).
In consultation with the Australian Classification Board, we added three sources of concern reported more frequently in mainstream news media, including loot boxes, in-game purchasing and user-generated content. Loot boxes and in-game purchases top the list of parents’ concerns about games.
POWER OF CONNECTION
User-generated content
In-game purchasing
Loot boxes
26%
33%
41%
New Parent Challenges from Games
38
The National Classification Scheme is operated by the Classification Branch of the Commonwealth’s Department of Communication and the Arts to guide consumers about the suitability of video games for them and their families based on the nature and presumed level of impact game content may have on players, particularly children.
Less than a third of parents say the classification of a game has “A lot of influence” on the games they choose for their children to play.
A quarter said classification had a “Reasonable influence”, and just under half, when combined, said it has “A little influence” or “No influence.” Curious about whether this varied depending on the age of children in the household, we found that
these responses were largely uniform, regardless of age and number of children.
No influence
A little influence
Reasonable influence
A lot of influence
15%
29%
26%
31%
Influence of Classification
POWER OF CONNECTION
[My] PARENTS BOUGHT ME A N64 AS A CHILD, IT REPRESENTS MY MOST POSITIVE MEMORIES THAT I NOW RELIVE THROUGH
NINTENDO CONSOLES RELEASED IN MORE RECENT
YEARS SUCH AS Wii U AND SWITCH.
Male, 25, Sydney, New South Wales.
Male, 37, Western Australia.
AS A CHILD I WAS AN AVID GAMER WITH MANY GAMES
TO PLAY AND MANY FRIENDS AS AN ADULT I AM PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON RAISING MY
FAMILY. NOW THAT MY CHILDREN ARE ABLE TO PLAY GAME CONSOLES I AM ABLE
TO INTERACT IN GAMING WITH THEM.
NB: PARENTS
39
NB: PARENTS
Two thirds of parents say they are either “Completely familiar” or “Mostly familiar” with classification labels used in Australia.
The remaining third report being “Vaguely familiar” or “Not familiar” with them.
Not familiar
Vaguely familiar
Mostly familiar
Completely familiar
8%
24%
36%
32%
Familiarity with Classification Labels
POWER OF CONNECTION
2/3parents say they are either “Completely familiar” or “ Mostly familiar”
with classification labels used in Australia.
1/3parents report being “Vaguely familiar” or “ Not familiar”
with classification labels used in Australia.
40
Classification markings used by the Australian Classification Board include G, PG, M, MA15+ and R18+; G, PG and M are advisory classifications while MA15+ and R18+ are legally restricted classifications, meaning that it is illegal to sell, distribute, or show to children under those age desig-nations. Adult players have different levels of confidence about what each classification label means.
They were asked whether each classification was “Clear,” “A little unclear” or “Unclear.”
Grouping the latter two responses, a fifth of adult players were unclear about the meaning of G and PG and around a quarter were unclear about the meaning of M, MA15+ and R18+.
Confidence in their knowledge of the meaning of classification markings was lower for parents, a quarter of whom said they were unclear or a little unclear about both G and PG, and less than a third unclear or a little unclear about M and MA15+.
Most confidence was expressed about R18+, with between a fifth and a quarter of parents expressing uncertainty.
Unfamiliar Classifications
R18+
MA15+
M
PG
G
28%
28%
23%
20%
19%
POWER OF CONNECTION
Male, 17, Melbourne, Victoria.
NB: ADULT PLAYERS
I HAVE ASPERGERS SYNDROME AND DO NOT EASILY MAKE FRIENDS AS I AM
PRETTY INTROVERTED. I DON’T LIKE THE FOCUS ON ME WHEN TRYING
NEW THINGS AS I FEEL PEOPLE ARE STARING
AND IT MAKES ME UNCOMFORTABLE.
WITH GAMING, I DON’T GET SELF-CONSCIOUS, I JUST GET A FEELING
OF BEING NORMAL LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, A PART OF THE TEAM.
41
NB: PARENTS
There is little debate about the need to protect younger players from content, and parents in this year’s sample indicated that the need to use classification probably ends somewhere between 15 and 17 years; over a third of parents said this was the age when they felt comfortable not using classification with their children whereas over a quarter said they wouldn’t feel comfortable ceding oversight on their children until they became adults.
One in five parents said ages 12 to 14 years would be the age at which they would feel comfortable not using classification to help monitor their children’s access to content and less than this said they felt it unnecessary to use classification at younger ages.
6 - 8 years
9 - 11 years
12 - 14 years
15 - 17 years
18 years
20%9%
8%
36%28%
Classification Not Needed
POWER OF CONNECTION
I MYSELF HAVE NEVER REALLY BEEN MUCH OF A GAMER BUT I DO LIKE
TO PLAY SOMETIMES ESPECIALLY THE FUN ONES WITH MY KIDS.
Female, 34, New South Wales.
42
Online app stores use age categories for their ratings.
Only one in five parents are aware of and use these with their children.
Another one in three are aware, but pay no attention to, or do not use the ratings.
Almost half of all parents said they were not aware of, and therefore did not use online store ratings.
Not aware
Aware, haven’t used
Aware, some use
Aware, used a lot
46%
33%
15%
6%
Awareness and Use of Online Store Ratings
1/2all parents said they were not aware of, and therefore did not use
online store ratings.
POWER OF CONNECTION
Male, 48, Melbourne, Victoria.
I MAINLY PLAY GAMES NOW SO I CAN CONNECT WITH MY CHILDREN.
43
Another way in which parents may exercise oversight of their children’s gameplay is through family controls.
Use of family controls is similar across platforms ranging from over a third to under a half of parents using them with handhelds, consoles, mobile devices and PCs.
Most parents are aware of family controls with 35% saying they are at least “Vaguely familiar,” 42% saying they are “Mostly familiar,” and 12% saying they are “Completely familiar” with these tools.
This is a modest increase in familiarity compared with the 2018 sample.
Parents’ Familiarity with Family Controls
Not familiar
Vaguely familiar
Completely familiar
Mostly familiar
11%
35%
42%
12%
42%
parents say they are “Mostly familiar,” with family controls.
POWER OF CONNECTION
CONNECTS [sic] ME WITH OTHER PLAYERS AROUND THE WORLD. MAKES ME FEEL INCLUDED IN A COMMUNITY OF
PLAYERS.
Female, 35, Sydney, New South Wales.
44
Player:
Family Background:
Location:
Cultural Background:
Years Playing Games:
Types of Play:
Typical Duration:
Access to Games:
Motivations for Play:
Other Interests:
Male, 46, Health Care Worker.Lives in household of 6, with wife, 42. Daughter 11, son, 9 and parents.
Sydney, New South Wales.Middle Eastern.7 years.In-depth and casual play.Once every 2 wks. Casual play 10 min x 2 times per day. In-depth play 1 hour.
Sony PS4.
To relieve stress, relax. To pass time, relieve boredom. To connect with others. Try something new. Explore a new place virtually.
Shopping. Exercising. Playing sport. Gardening. Water sports. Playing with children, pets. Search Internet. Watch YouTube, TV, movies. Read books, newspapers. Listen to music.
HARRY: THE CONNECTED PLAYER
THE GAMES PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN MY LIFE. THE FAMILY COMES
TOGETHER AND WE HAVE [A] FUN TIME.
Harry, 46, Sydney, New South Wales.
45
Video game cultural experience extends well beyond playing. Adult players enjoy learning about the games they play, sharing strategies and communicating about them.
They also enjoy watching others play and review games. We observed growth in game culture engagement this year compared with two years ago.
Most adult players say they read or watch walkthroughs (66%) and watch YouTube videos of gameplay (58%). Under half watch livestreams of gameplay on specialised stream-ing services (41%) and watch esports in which players in amateur or professional teams play competitively (41%).
Roughly a third use third party add-on services (36%), attend gaming events (31%), and esports events (30%).
NB: ADULT PLAYERS
Read or watch walkthroughs
66
Watch YouTubes of gameplay
Watch livestreams of games
Watch esports
58
41
41
36
30
31
Attend an esports event
Attend a gaming event
Use third-party add-ons
Engagement with Game Culture (%)
Male, 60, Adelaide, South Australia.
Female, 37, Queensland.
SOLVING THINGS, COORDINATING WITH OTHERS TO ACHIEVE
A GOAL.
THERE IS NO POWER IN GAMES? I PROBA-BLY PLAY GAMES ON
MY PHONE BECAUSE IT IS ALL CONNECTED TO OTHER LIVE PLAYERS PLAYING THE SAME
GAME WITH THE SAME LIKES AS ME TO PLAY
THIS GAME ALSO.
POWER OF COMMUNITY
46
NB: ADULT PLAYERS
The popularity of esports continues to grow as a significant part of gameplay culture and enterprise, and over the intervening two years since our last report, we see increased interest in esports among adult players.
Of the third of adult players who either watch esports online or who attend esports events, 40% follow to learn strategies that may help them improve their own game play, 38% follow to enhance their enjoyment of player culture, 32% enjoy watching the competitions, and 23% follow an esports team.
Generally supporting esports and watching presenters round out the reasons.
Enjoy taking part in player culture
Enjoy watching competitions
Follow an esports team
To support esports
Enjoy watching presenters
Learn strategies to improve gameplay 40
38
32
23
17
11
Reasons to Follow Esports (%)
Male, 53, Brisbane, Queensland.
I ENJOY PLAYING FIFA GAMES AS THE THRILL OF WATCHING THEM PLAY, IT IS SO AMAZING HOW FAR
THINGS HAVE COME.
POWER OF COMMUNITY
47
It is clear that participation in esports as a competitor further deepens engagement with play culture and provides opportunities to extend the personal satisfaction possible from play.
Of the quarter of adult players who said they have competed in esports, half do so because they enjoy the broader social aspects of the pastime. Half say they compete to be active members of the player community.
A third compete because they enjoy the challenge of pitting their skills against those of other players. Becoming a better player was less frequently indicated.
51
49
35
15
Reasons for Competing in Esports (%)
Social aspects of esports
Player community
Enjoy the challenge
To become a better player
Male, 29, Adelaide, South Australia.
I AM CURRENTLY PLAYING YUGIOH DUEL LINKS, A DIGITAL
VERSION OF A CARD GAME I PLAYED AS A CHILD. IT HAS
BEEN GREAT TO REDISCOVER THE GAME AND I HAVE MADE
FRIENDS ONLINE THAT I OFTEN TALK TO ABOUT THE GAME.
Female, 29, Perth, Western Australia.
PLAYING GAMES IS A FORM OF ESCAPISM AND A WAY
TO HELP ME HAVE FUN AND RELAX. I APPREICATE THE CREATIVITY AND DEPTH
OF MEANING AND STORY OF EACH GAME AND IT IS
SOMETHING I GET EXCITED ABOUT LEARNING MORE OF.
POWER OF COMMUNITY
48
Player:
Family Background:
Location:
Cultural Background:
Years Playing Games:
Types of Play:
Typical Duration:
Access to Games:
Motivations for Play:
Other Interests:
Male, 29, UnemployedLives in household of 4 with parents and partner. Adelaide, South Australia.Australian.20 years.In-depth play only.Everyday for 1 hour.
Tablet, smartphone, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch.
To have fun, to relieve boredom, to feel excitement. To connect with others, make friends.
Playing board, card games, musical instrument. Search Internet. Watch YouTube, TV, movies. Read books. Listen to music, podcasts.
MATI: THE COMMUNITY PLAYER
I AM CURRENTLY DEALING WITH A CHRONIC ILLNESS WHICH MAKES DAY TO DAY LIFE VERY GRUELLING. GAMES
LET ME ESCAPE FROM THAT AND TAKE MY MIND OFF IT. PLAYING AND
CHATTING WITH PEOPLE ONLINE ABOUT GAMES I PLAY MAKES ME
FEEL PART OF A COMMUNITY.
Matt, 29, Adelaide, South Australia.
49
24
24
25
27
28
28
Make games
Participate in esports
Make machinima
Post gameplay videos
Cosplay
Create mods
Game-related Content Creation (%)Active participation in game culture is possible through a variety of game-related cultural production.
We found strong relationship among these activities, suggesting that while few in our sample do all these things, doing one of them is linked with doing others.
In general, one in four adult players has engaged in some combination of cultural production; they create modifications to the content of games they play, dress up as a video game character for a party or event, post videos online of their own gameplay, produce machinima or short videos as part of an animated story, participate in esports, and even make original games.
POWER OF CREATIVITYPOWER OF CREATIVITY
GAMES HAVE TAUGHT ME SO MUCH. A NEW WORLD IS REVEALED IN EVERY GAME. THE
BEST GAMES ARE ONES WHERE IT SEEMS LIKE
A LARGE INTERAC-TIVE PIECE OF ART. IT CREATES WONDER AND MAKES ME WANT TO BE CREATIVE. CREATIVITY IS SOMETHING WE ALL
NEED.
Male, 20, Melbourne, Victoria.
Male, 39, Sydney, New South Wales.
THE POWER OF GAMES IN MY LIFE ALLOWS ME TO DO THINGS I CAN’T NECESSARILY DO IN REAL LIFE, eg: GRAND THEFT AUTO. YOU CAN
PLAY THE CRIM [sic], STEAL CARS ETC. AND HAVE NO REPERCUSSIONS [LIKE] IN REAL LIFE. I PREFER TO PLAY A GAME TO ESCAPE EVERY-
DAY LIFE, HAVE A BIG PLACE TO RUN AROUND AND DO WHAT I FEEL LIKE, AND HAVE FUN
DOING IT.
50
POWER OF LIVING WELL
NB: ALL ADULTS, PLAYER AND NON PLAYER
The popularity of cultural production and participation among adult players demonstrates the power of games to add to community, creativity, and to transform.
We presented adults in all households, regardless of whether they play video games, with an inventory of ways in which games might help people live well and asked them to agree or disagree with each on a three-point scale.
The vast majority validated the view that games have the power to help people live well, starting with over three-quarters saying games may contribute to general and digital knowledge, improve mental health, and add to specialist knowledge.
Two-thirds said games may expand work skills, cultural knowledge, life skills, life satisfaction, and quality of life.
Over half said games may improve physical health, physical fitness, and social relation-ships. Half said games may even have the power to promote a healthy diet.
69
69
67
65
62
60
60
52
70
75
78
84
81
Life skills
Cultural knowledge
Specialist knowledge
Work skills
Mental health
Digital knowledge
General knowledge
Life satisfaction
Quality of life
Physical health
Physical fitness
Social relationships
Diet
Games Potential for Living Well (%)
51
POWER OF LIVING WELL
NB: ALL ADULTS, PLAYER AND NON PLAYER
Adults players and non-players generally believe video games have the potential to deliver health and fitness benefits with more than three-fourths saying games can improve thinking skills, physical dexterity, and emotional wellbeing.
At least two-thirds said game play may re-duce anxiety and improve social wellbeing.
Over half said games could improve balance, physical fitness, and be used to help manage pain.
All adult participants estimated the degree to which video games may help with ageing well. At least four-fifths said games can in-crease mental stimulation and fight dementia.
Three-fourths said games could encourage open-mindedness, improve life satisfaction and promote optimism in ageing.
Two-thirds said games may help older adults maintain social connections and add purpose to life. Half said games may increase mobility and less than half said they may help reduce arthritis.
64
60
58
66
70
74
85
76
Physical fitness
Improving balance
Reduce anxiety
Social wellbeing
Emotional wellbeing
Dexterity
Thinking skills
Manage pain
Games Potential for Health Benefits (%)
67
67
54
43
73
73
73
87
81
Adding purpose to life
Maintaining social connections
Improving life satisfaction
Maintaining optimism
Encouraging open-mindedness
Fighting dementia
Increasing mental stimulation
Increasing mobility
Reducing arthritis
Games Potential for Ageing Well (%)
52
Player:
Family Background:
Location:
Cultural Background:
Years Playing Games:
Types of Play:
Typical Duration:
Access to Games:
Motivations for Play:
Other Interests:
Female, 83.Retired Customer Service Officer.Lives alone.Victoria.Australian, British.5 years.In-depth play.Every other day for 1/2 hour.
Computer, tablet.
Keep mind active. To relax, relieve stress.
Dine out. Attend sports event, cultural event, concert, festival. Go to amusement, theme park, zoo, art gal-lery, museum, theatre, ballet. Play board, card games. Play with grandchildren, pet. Search Internet. Read books, magazines. Watch TV, movies. Listen to music.
LOTTIE: THE RETIRED PLAYER
[THE] GAMES I PLAY ARE A WAY OF TAKING MY MIND OFF THE PRESSURES
OF DAY TO DAY LIVING AND TO KEEP MY MIND ACTIVE. IT’S LIKE DOING CROSSWORDS AND KEEPING UP
WITH MODERN TECHNOLOGY IN THE PROCESS AND KEEPS A LINE OF COMMUNICATION OPEN WITH MY
GRANDCHILDREN.
Lottie, 83, Victoria.
53
Games are often made specifically for the education market. However, educators identify some mainstream entertainment games such as Minecraft, Assassin’s Creed, and Civilization V to improve the learning experiences of their students.
Adult players were asked to evaluate the potential of games to benefit education in terms of student support, school support, and learning areas. In all cases, a majority of adult players said they believed games may serve these purposes.
Of prominence were the use of games to motivate students and inspire them to be creative.
Games were seen as beneficial for teach-ing students in general, and in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects in particular.
NB: ADULT PLAYERS
54
56
61
63Learning Areas
School Support
Student Support
53
56
51
5354
56
61
60
Help students cope with stressGive students confidence
Help students pay attention
Help overcome learning disabilities
Inspire students to be creative
Motivate students
Help students learn to read
Help with learning arts and humanitiesHelp with STEM learning
Teach students in general
Help teachers to connect with students
Help schools remain relevant
50%
Games Potential for Education (%)
POWER OF EDUCATION
54
POWER OF EDUCATION
Video: How Have Games Improved Your Life?
In this video, players share their stories of how games have added to, and improved their lives.
(6:01 minutes)
55
POWER OF EDUCATION
NB: PARENTS
Parents were asked whether and how their children had used video games at school.
Over half said their children had used them as part of their curriculum and classroom learning, about a quarter said their children had used video games for co-curricular or “after school” activities at school, and a quarter said their children had been part of making video games as part of their formal education.
Developed video games in school
Games used for co-curricular
Games used in school
26%
23%
52%
Children Using Video Games at School (%)
GUITAR HERO CHALLENGED ME MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY, CREATED A SENSE OF FULFILLMENT AS I
NEVER LEARNED HOW TO PLAY AN INSTRUMENT, AND HELPED ME CONNECT WITH OTHER PEOPLE. IT ALSO EXPOSED ME TO NEW MUSIC
I LOVE.
Female, 28, Perth, Western Australia.
56
Around a third of adult players said they have used games in the workplace for induction and orientation, new knowledge and skills.
They have used video games designed to deliver new knowledge (36%), for health and safety training (31%), to learn work-place rules (30%), to learn new software or tool use (29%), or to learn new skills of some kind (29%). This is consistent with findings we made in DA18.
NB: ADULT PLAYERS
29
29
30
36
31
New skills
New software or tool
Workplace rules
Health and safety
New knowledge
Using Games at Work (%)
POWER OF EDUCATION
IT IS SOMETHING THAT I REALLY ENJOY. I LOVE MOTOR RACING AND VIRTUALLY RACING IS NOT DANGEROUS OR EXPENSIVE. SO GAMING ALLOWS ME TO HAVE A SIMILAR OR SIMULATED EXPERIENCE THAT
WOULD BE DANGEROUS OR NOT POSSIBLE IN REAL LIFE.
Male, 46, Melbourne, Victoria.
Female, 25, New South Wales.
GAMES HAVE A POWER IN MY LIFE THAT IS SIMILAR TO BOOKS - IT TRANSPORTS ME TO ANOTHER LIFE, AND GIVES ME ACCESS TO
IDEAS, EXPERIENCES AND VISUALS THAT I NORMALLY WOULDN’T HAVE. I VIVIDLY REMEMBER THE DAY THAT MY MUM BOUGHT A PS1
FOR MY SISTER AND I, AND PLAYING THOSE GAMES WAS SOME-THING I OBSESSED ABOUT. WE WERE VERY COMPETITIVE, BUT IT
ALSO BROUGHT US TOGETHER, WITH SHARED EXPERIENCES. TODAY, GAMES ARE A WAY FOR ME TO ESCAPE THE STRESSES OF MY LIFE
AND ALSO TO COME TOGETHER WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY. REGARDLESS OF WHAT’S HAPPENING, GAMES CAN MAKE YOU LAUGH, LEARN ABOUT
OTHER PEOPLE AND MAKE GREAT MEMORIES.
57
GERI: THE INSPIRED PLAYER
Player:
Family Background:
Location:
Cultural Background:
Years Playing
Games:
Types of Play:
Typical Duration:
Access to Games:
Motivations for Play:
Other Interests:
Female, 18, Student.Lives in household of 5 with parents, sister, 13, brother, 9. Sydney, New South Wales.Australian.5 years.In-depth play and casual play.Everyday. Casual play 4 x day, 10 minutes. In-depth play 2 hours.
Computer, tablet, Sony PS4, Nintendo handheld.
To have fun, pass time. Feel accomplishment, achievement. To do things not possible in the real world. Fulfil a fantasy. Shop. Make things for hobby, craft. Attend art gallery, museum, theatre, ballet. Play musical instrument. Search Internet. Watch YouTube, movies. Read books, magazines. Listen to music.
Geri, 18, New South Wales.
I FIND GAMES MORE EMOTIONALLY POWERFUL THAN OTHER MEDIUMS
BECAUSE OF THE ABILITY TO CHOOSE YOUR ACTIONS - THIS LEADS TO
HIGHER ENGAGEMENT FOR ME AND AS SUCH I GENERALLY ENJOY GAMES
MORE THAN OTHER MEDIUMS.
58
Australian developers are growing in number and the number of Australians who work in the industry is expanding too. As games become increasingly popular and ever more diverse and complex, there are many ways in which game developers can monetise their creative products.
After direct sales and subscriptions, developers use in-game purchases to support their diverse modern economy business models. In-game purchases are popular because players can readily identify reasons for making a purchase that has a direct benefit to gameplay for them or for their family or friends for whom they are making the purchase.
Two-thirds of adult players have made in-game purchases for themselves at one time or another and over half have made in-game purchases for another person, usually a child. Of those who have made in-game purchases, half have done so in order to unlock a timed trial game to continue playing.
A third have made in-game purchases to unlock new content. About a quarter have
done so to support a game, personalise gameplay or speed up gameplay.
POWER OF ECONOMICS
40 65for OTHERS
Avoid ads or spam
Make gameplay more enjoyable
Gain advantage over others
Enable multiplayer
Speed up gameplay
Personalise gameplay
Support a game
Unlock new content
Continue playing
28 28
3034
4952
24 27
29 26
22
18
20
20
14
8
15
9
Have made in-game purchases
for SELF
Making In-game Purchases (%)
59
NB: ADULT PLAYERS
Between an eighth and a tenth use in-game purchases to get weapons or acces-sory advantages to better compete or to enable multiplayer mode.
We have observed widespread use of games. In this iteration of the research, we measured participant demographics in addition to age, gender, and household size. We were particularly interested in the cultural and linguistic diversity of players and non-players, which we measured using
standard ABS classifications. Our sample had players and non-players from all 21 ABS classifications in remarkably equal propor-tion – meaning the cultural make-up of adult game players in Australia is as diverse as the Australian population itself.
It is important, therefore, to understand which character representations in games need more attention, according to adults who play video games.
At the top of the list 69% said games need to portray a greater range of sexual orientations and LGBTQI communities, 68% said games need to do a better job of presenting a range of people with disabilities, and 65% said games needed to pay more attention to a wider range of cultural diversity and age diversity. Wider nationality, gender, race, and linguistic diversity were called for by just over 60% and more religious diversity by just over 50%.
68Disability
Gender
Race
Language
Religious
National
Age
Cultural 65
65
64
63
63
62
52
69Sexual orientation
Need for Diversity in Games (%)
POWER OF ECONOMICS
Male, 34, Melbourne, Victoria.
THE MAIN GAME THAT CHANGED MY LIFE FOR THE BETTER WAS QUAKE 3, STRANGELY ENOUGH. IT
INTRODUCED ME TO MULTIPLAYER GAMING WHEN I WAS AT UNIVERSITY, AND I LEARNED TO IMPROVE
MY SKILLS TO PLAY COMPETITIVELY AGAINST OTHER PEOPLE. I ALSO LEARNED ETIQUETTE AND
SOCIAL SKILLS PLAYING WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
60
All adult participants including players
and non-players were asked how important they felt the video games industry was for the Australian economy.
Nearly three-quarters said making video games in Australia would add value to the national economy and they said it was
an important industry to support through policy.
Twenty percent of participants had any knowledge of computer programming, however, 16% said they or another household member had discussed plans to work in the industry or already work in it, with 13%
saying they or another household member plan to or are currently studying for a career in the field.
At the time of the survey, 6% said they or someone in their household intend to learn game or game-related programming.
72% Importance of gaming industry
Learning game programming
Plan career in games
Plan or currently work in gaming industry
Have knowledge of programming 20
16
13
6
74% Value of making games for economy
Value of Games in Australian Economy (%)
POWER OF ECONOMICS
economy
3/4 say game development
is good for the
61
The Australian video game retail industry is booming. Total sales reached $4 billion in 2018, made up of substantial growth in digital sales and steady sales of physical
game products including hardware and software. These results are exclusive of general use devices such as PCs, smart-phones and tablet computers.
The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of the retail industry here is 15% between 2013 and 2018.
POWER OF ECONOMICS
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Total Sales($ billion AU)
Physical Sales($ billion AU)
Digital Sales($ billion AU)
$1 bil AU
$2 bil AU
$3 bil AU
$4 bil AU
0.90
1.14
2.04
1.241.07 1.181.181.25
1.21
1.59
1.89
2.85
4.03
2.05
2.46
2.832.96
3.23
Australian Video Games Retail Industry ($)
62
GAMES HELP ME TO EXPAND MY LIFE, TO FIND INTEREST AND
ADVENTURE IN THE SAFETY OF MY LIVING ROOM. THEY MAKE ME THINK CRITICALLY, PLAN,
STRATEGISE, AND HELP ME LEARN FROM MISTAKES. ALSO, I HAVE A
CHRONIC INJURY, THAT PREVENTS ME FROM PARTICIPATING IN
OTHER EXCITING HOBBIES SUCH AS MANY SPORTS, BUT I CAN FIND MY OWN ENJOYMENT THROUGH GAMES. I EVEN DO MY WEEKLY
PHYSIO EXERCISES IN FRONT OF THE TV WHOLE [sic] PLAYING A
GAME. THIS NOT ONLY KEEPS ME ENTERTAINED, BUT MOTIVATES ME TO DO THESE EXERCISES. GAMES HELP ME AVOID FEELING DOWN ABOUT WHAT I AM MISSING OUT ON, AND INSTEAD FEEL EXCITED
FOR WHAT I CAN DO.
THEY LET ME RELAX, ESCAPE, TAKE ME PLACES I OTHERWISE
CAN’T GO, THEY HELP ME SPEND TIME WITH MY FRIENDS AND
FAMILY, LET ME ACHIEVE THINGS, DO THINGS, EXPLORE THINGS.
I STARTED DOING GAMES AFTER MY STROKE TO IMPROVE MEMORY,
I STILL DO IT TO STAY ACTIVE MENTALLY.
PLAY GAMES TO FILL IN TIME, KEEP MY MIND GOING, LEVELING
UP MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD.
GAMES ARE JUST A HEALTHY PART OF MY EVERYDAY ROUTINE.
Female, 20, Perth, Western Australia.
Male, 29, Sydney, New South Wales.
Female, 68, Perth, Western Australia.Female, 29, New South Wales.
Male, 53, Western Australia.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
63
PHIL: THE ACHIEVING PLAYER
Player:
amily Background:
Location:
Cultural Background:
Years Playing Games:
Types of Play:
Typical Duration:
Access to Games:
Motivations for Play:
Other Interests:
Male, 61.Retired.Lives in household of 2 with wife, 69.Victoria.Australian.30 years.In-depth and casual play. Everyday other day. Casual play 2 x day, 10 minutes. In-depth play 1/2 hour.
Computer, smartphone, older console.To have fun, relax/ relieve stress. To be challenged.To connect with others. To do things not possible in real life. To keep mind active.Dine out. Go to pub, club, café; Shop. Exercise. Garden. Make things of hobby, art, craft. Go to art gallery, museum, theatre, ballet; Read on social media. Read book, newspaper. Watch TV, movies. Listen to music. Take pics. Post to social media.
Phil, 61, Victoria.
CHALLENGING, TO CHALLENGE AND BE CHALLENGED. I MAINLY
PLAY SCRABBLE AT THE MOMENT AND BECAUSE IT’S ONLINE I CAN PLAY WITH ANY OF MY FRIENDS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. FOR THE GAMES I PLAY AT HOME IT IS MORE FOR HEALTH AND FITNESS AND MENTAL BALANCE WHICH IS THE Wii AND I DO THIS WITH MY
WIFE. IT’S SOMETHING WE CAN DO TOGETHER IN OUR HOME WITHOUT
GYM MEMBERSHIPS, JUDGEMENT OF OUR LEVELS OR ABILITIES. IT IS MORE RELAXING YET STILL CHALLENGING AND EASIER TO BE YOURSELF WHICH CREATES
GREATER ACHIEVEMENT.
64
I BELIEVE GAMING AND GAMES ARE AN ESCAPE FROM REALITY,
JUST TO BE SOMETHING OR SOME-ONE OR SOMEWHERE ELSE FOR
A MOMENT, TO BE A SUPER HERO, SOMEONE EXCITING, SOMEONE TO SAVE THE WORLD AND EXPLORE NEW PLACES. SOUNDS CORNY BUT THAT’S ABOUT IT. PLUS IT’S
NICE TO SIT DOWN AND EXPLORE DIFFERENT WORLDS WITH MY SON AND DAUGHTER TOO, JUST FOR A
LAUGH OR A RACE.
I TEND TO PLAY EDUCATIONAL GAMES OR THINKING GAMES LIKE SCRABBLE, SOLITARE, MAHJONG,
DOMINOES, CANDY CRUSH, THINKING TO KEEP MY MIND ACTIVE, AND PASS THE TIME.
THEY ARE A FUN WAY TO JOIN IN WITH MY FAMILY...THEY ARE ALL MUCH BETTER THAN ME AND UNDERSTAND IT BETTER THAN
ME.. EVEN THOUGH I DON’T REALLY LIKE IT MUCH I JOIN IN TO HAVE
FUN WITH THEM.
GAMES RELAX ME FROM DAY TO DAY WORK STRESS.
I LIKE TO CHALLENGE MYSELF AND TO BE REWARDED IT IS VERY
FULFILLING
Male, 48, Queensland.
Female, 39, New South Wales.Female, 40, Sydney, New South Wales.
Female, 72, Victoria.Male, 17, Victoria.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
65
Digital Australia 2020 (DA20) is an empirical study about digital games in Australian households with a focus on demographics, behaviours and attitudes.
In this report, the words computer games, video games, digital games, and interactive games are used interchangeably to refer to the broad class of interactive, digital entertainment.
A game household was one that had in it any device for playing a video game, including personal computers, smart phones, dedicated home consoles, tablet computers, and handheld game devices.
A player was a person who indicated they play computer or video games, simply “yes” or “no” on any device including a PC, console, handheld, social network, mobile phone or tablet computer.
Questions in the survey included open-ended, short response, list selection, dichotomous response (such as Yes/No or Selected/Not selected), ranking (1-10), three-, four - and five-point Likert items (Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree, for example).
These created over 400 measurement points.
Questions were grouped according to theme including:
• Household demographics,
• Household media environment,
• Media access to game devices,
internet access and purchasing,
• Video gameplay preferences and
routines,
• Motivations for playing video games
and social relationships that result,
• Parental engagement with video
games,• Engagement with game culture
including esports,
• Games related to education, work,
health and ageing,
• Classification and ratings, and
• Attitudes and issues related to video
games and policy.
ABOUT
66
Data reported here come from 1,210 Aus-tralian households and 3,228 individuals of all ages in those households.
Participants were drawn randomly from the Nielsen Your Voice Panel in February 2019. The Nielsen Company provided the research team at Bond University with raw data from the survey for statistical analysis at the University. The data were analysed by report authors using the SPSS Versions 24 and 25.
Results are calculated for three parts of households including responses to the survey by one adult member of the household (1,208 households) and of those, the adults who themselves play video games and another person in the home whose game habits they know (1,476 people), then all people in those households (3,228 people).
For clarity throughout this report, we refer to these in turn as households, adult players, key players, all household members, then all video game players among them.
The quality and size of the sample was high.
For the purposes of including results for all members of a given household, the Vars-to-Cases procedure was used to create individual records for all persons in a household identified by the participants in the study.
Data reduction procedures included reducing the range for some questions to simplify presentation of responses. Some measures were combined into indices where obtaining a frequency or mean across a combination of measures simplified the presentation of findings.
Missing values were eliminated from analysis on a per-question basis unless multiple measures were examined conjointly. For these, the case-wise deletion method was applied.
Statistical weighting was applied for accurate comparisons where data from this study are compared with previous studies and new questions in this study required sum-total weighs.
Statistical procedures included simple descriptive statistics such as frequencies, cross-tabulations, means, correlations, and tests of significance such as Chi-square and One-way ANOVA. The margin of error is ±2.7% for the national sample comparing households and all household members, ±3.3% for adult players, ±2.5% for key players, and ±2.3% for all players.
ABOUT
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