Convention - Paris Games Week Restart: Video games: a social and friendly leisure activity, practiced and appreciated by the French

By Mulder, 27 october 2022

There is no such thing as a "typical gamer". The study conducted by Médiamétrie for SELL reveals one fact: video game players are representative of the whole of France, from juniors to seniors, from parents to children, including grandparents. With more than 37 million players, 7 out of 10 French people play video games, at least occasionally. Moreover, 53% of French people say they play regularly (at least once a week). While video games are still the preferred digital leisure activity of young people - with 95% of 10 to 17 year olds playing - they are also an intergenerational leisure activity: the average age of players is 39, and 68% of adults play. In particular, 44% of people over 60 play video games. As a sign of the plurality of their tastes and profiles, French gamers are not content with a single genre or a single game medium: on average, they play 3 genres of video games, and play on 2.2 different media. Like all French people, gamers enjoy other types of leisure activities: they go to the movies, the theater, concerts, and sporting events; in fact, they do so even more than the average French person. For example, 70% of regular gamblers went to the movies in the last six months, compared to 60% of the French population as a whole. As an everyday medium, video games also inspire professional vocations, especially among 18-24 year olds, since 43% have considered a career in video games (39% of 15-17 year olds and 27% of 10-14 year olds).
 
After two years marked by confinement and the desire to escape, the video game confirms and reinforces its social dimension in 2022. It continues to be considered a vector of relaxation, pleasure, sharing and conviviality. This is one of the main reasons for playing video games: 69% of gamers say they play to spend time with other people. Many gamers also like to play with others: 60% of gamers, especially 83% of children, play with others (locally or online). This practice favors sharing, exchanging and meeting people: 31% of gamers say that video games have helped them make friends, while 32% of them feel they belong to a community. Among the latter, 79% of players have already met members of the community.

The social dimension of video games is also evident in the fact that many families play video games together. Thus, 64% of parents play at least occasionally with their child. Overall, 72% of French people consider gaming to be a leisure activity for the whole family, and therefore appreciate sharing moments with their loved ones in front of this popular medium. Video games are an integral part of French families' lives and are played in a controlled, responsible and therefore serene manner. The study reminds us that 95% of French people are aware of the parental control systems available on all gaming media, and that nearly 1 parent in 2 uses them for their child. Finally, families are vigilant to PEGI recommendations, which provide information on the recommended age and content of video games: among video game buyers, 65% of parents and 54% of children pay attention to the PEGI signage when making a purchase. Experienced alone, but also shared with others; appreciated by young people, but also by adults; practiced regularly, but also in a supervised manner; adopted by the greatest number, and ultimately adopted by all: video games confirm the predominant place they occupy in the leisure activities of everyone, and are establishing themselves as one of the preferred digital leisure activities of the French.

Key information:
-,Open to the general public from Wednesday 02 November to Sunday 06 November 2022 
- Opening hours: 8:30 am - 6:30 pm
- Paris Expo - Porte de Versailles, Hall 1
- Ticketing (online only): here

(Source : press release)