NPD report: PCs are no longer the top gaming platform for children

Mobile devices are now the most used gadgets for video game play by U.S. children ranging in age from two to 17 years old, according to a Kids and Gaming report by industry tracker NPD. Why do you think more kids are using mobile devices to play games on rather than consoles or PCs?

“The largest and most surprising shift in the 2015 gaming ecosystem was kids’ move away from the computer”, NPD analyst Liam Callahan said. Just 45 percent of kids are gaming on a PC, which is down a whopping 22 percentage points from 2013.

“This may be related to a change in the behaviour of parents that are likely utilizing mobile devices for tasks that were once reserved for computers”.

Perhaps Konami wasn’t that insane when it announced it’s nearly entirely switching to the mobile platform, and Nintendo also might be on to something with its announcement that it’s creating a couple of mobile games. Sound off with your thoughts in the comments. They have welcomed a whole new generation into games that perhaps wouldn’t have been gaming at all even five years ago.

Consoles saw a decrease in gaming as well, though not almost to the magnitude experienced on the computer.

Time spent on mobile devices has also risen. The amount of money spent on digital games was $13, rising by an average of $5. However, physical games are still in the lead, scooping $27 on average over the same period. (We know from experience that 3-year-old Ana of Ana’s Apps fame adores her mobile apps.) Many of these games are educational or specifically geared toward babies and toddlers. Turns out they do, and they are the ones that made all the difference. NPD didn’t reveal when the survey was conducted or how many children participated.