ELSPA: 32% percent of UK population now gamers

UK trade organisation ELSPA's claimed that 32 percent of the UK population now play games.

A report released today points to a boom in social games on Facebook and iPhone titles as being behind the rise.

ELSPA also said that gamers were now looking for single-player and multiplayer experiences via "traditional gaming sites, social networking and other non-gaming web pages," while 18 percent go down the traditional route on consoles.

Eight percent of UK gamers play more than 16 hours a week, while 76 percent of gamers play less than five hours a week.

For the younger demographics, 74 percent of 16-19 year-olds and 60 percent of 20-24 year-olds consider themselves gamers.

The report cites PC as the most popular hardware, used by 33 percent of people in the UK, followed by Xbox 360 and Wii, although the two together beat PC with a combined 36 percent.

"In the last few years, the development of motion sensor technology saw gaming become more accessible to new audiences who didn’t previously connect with the industry," said ELSPA boss Mike Rawlinson.

"With the growth of gaming platforms such as social networking sites and the iPhone, we are witnessing once again the growth of gaming into new areas of society, truly showing that the UK is a nation of gamers.

"To reflect this evolution and growth, we as a trade body are also expanding our remit and will later this year be known as the Association for UK Interactive Entertainment so we can represent all areas of the industry."