Nearly Half of All Adults Play Video Games

More surprises from the institute of "didn't see that one coming." Eight out of ten kids between the ages of 4 and 17 play computer or video games according to new poll data from AOL Games and The Association Press.

81% of kids play at least occasionally compared with 38% of adults who admit to playing computer or video games in any capacity, and 45% of those adult gamers are female. Lest you assume that means half the Halo 3 crowd, remember that "computer games" include everything from online versions of Tic Tac Toe to Solitaire and Texas Hold 'Em.

Actually, a few surprises in the following stats culled from the press release:

Nearly half of all adult gamers are under 40 years old.

Only one third of adult gamers are married with children.

A majority of kids play video games, but not with their parents, and younger parents are more likely to play games with their kids than older parents.

A majority cited price as the deciding factor in whether they'll purchase a video game console this holiday.

The typical adult gamers games for 2 hours each week ("Shooter" fans play 4 hours per week, while "Adventure / RPG" fans play 5 hours per week).

41% of all games classify themselves as "hardcore" or spend at least 3 hours per week playing video games.

58% of hardcore gamers are male, while 42% are female.

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