Survey: women own more gaming consoles

Don't forget women when it comes to targeting gamers. According to a recent survey from JWT, women actually own more gaming consoles than men.

by Kristina Knight

Researchers surveyed 1,000 men and women and found that 44% of women report owning a video game console (Wii, Xbox or PlayStation) while only 39% of men said the same.

While the survey could be an aberration, it could also indicate that the "gamer" demographic (18-34 year old, single, white male) isn't the largest gaming demographic.

"The idea of gaming being just for the 18-34 male set is now out of date," said Ann Mack, director of trend spotting for JWT, which conducted the survey. "You're seeing women playing games like 'Dance Dance Revolution' and 'Guitar Hero'--women under 35 who want to do something fun and social."

What this means for marketers is that simply targeting single men between the ages of 18 to 34 is a good way to miss a large segment of the gaming community. More women are logging on to the Internet to research games and more women are also buying games. While many of the purchases could be for children, women are also playing games at an ever-increasing rate.