Study Finds 63 Percent of U.S. Plays Games, Often to Relieve Stress

A new report by the industry watchers at the NPD Group found 63% of the U.S. population plays video games in some form. This includes players of consoles, handhelds, PC games, games on kid-oriented systems, and mobile games.

Titled "Expanding the Games Market," the report also found that a majority of the respondents claimed to play games an equal amount or more than they did last year. Further, most of those surveyed said they play games at least partially to alleviate stress.

Unsurprisingly, hardcore gamers are more likely to play games alone than casual gamers, but both groups of gamers enjoy group play and "value gaming as a way to bring their families closer together." The study was conducted online with 5,039 members of NPD's online consumer panel, with responses from children given with help from a parent or guardian.