NPD Charts 5% Drop in Number of U.S. Gamers: Is Gaming on the Decline?

Ben Kendrick of Game Rant writes: "NPD has charted a 5% decrease in U.S. gamers over the last year. Is gaming in decline or is there another explanation for the drop?"

[FragMnTagM]

Ummm it is summer and hardly any good games get released right now.

Unless it is down from previous years during this time, it is no big deal.

[himdeel]

Nope but most of 2012s lineup moved to 2013. Aquaman drowned in the bath tub, Spiderman got a non-crap game, and we have a game system called the WiiU with last gen/mid gen specs...

[DarkTower805]

Explanations: worsening economy, casuals moving on, some people waiting for new consoles as a new gen nears.

[CalvinKlein]

#1 explanation is that NPD doesnt track digital sales and that is a huge part of the industry now and it gets bigger every day.

[Godmars290]

A 5% decline is worth commenting about?

Given the Wii's "soccer mom" rep, were all the rage among the media as being responsible for opening the market though now many of the systems are collecting dust, surprised the drop's not larger.

[NeoBasch]

Exactly, I wouldn't even have counted them originally in the first place. They buy carnival games and wii sports and eventually grow tired of 'em. Of course there's a drop. I think next year will turn this around with games like The Last of Us and Bioshock Infinite, but we'll see.

[ziggurcat]

*facepalm*

game journalists should stop thinking that they're analysts...

a slight drop in whatever statistic =/= DOOOOOOOOOOM.

[00001]

hopefully casuals are getting bored with gaming and are going back to tv or whatever people flock to on a whim lol.

[ShaunCameron]

Yeah. While the hardcore pretend to be bigger than they really are as stores and studios/publishers downsize or go out of business altogether left and right.

[vallencer]

Car sales have dropped as well does that mean driving is on the decline?? Lol things go up and down its how the world works.

[DarkTower805]

Actually it is, while gas prices are at an all time high, demand is at a low. Bad example you picked.

[vallencer]

Well it was just an example sue me :p my point is still valid and most people should get it. And just because car sales are down doesn't mean people driving is in a decline. Alot of people buy used cars from craigs list and ebay and what not. They don't always buy them off car lots so there really isn't a way to track it.

[NeoBasch]

Demand is low? Maybe relatively speaking to the oil companies, but to everyone else it still is a ####-ton of demand. The only time that will change is when Hybrids/fully electric cars become affordable/available/better.

[ipe]

Gaming journalism is.

[SolidDuck]

Its cause everyone threw away there consoles, to play phone games. Right? They snapped there halo and uncharted discs in half, so they could focus on playing cut the rope. At least that's what I keep being told is happening.

[NeoBasch]

Well, I can tell you why I haven't been playing as much as I used to. Because this year in gaming sucks... in a major MAJOR way.

[urwifeminder]

No games out i want to play im buying all the games i never got last year cause this year is terrible .