Study says 74% of Maltese enjoy playing video games

A national study on the use of digital and video games in Malta has claimed that 74% of the Maltese people play digital and video games, according to a representative sample.

From this sample, it emerged that 62% of the gamers are men and that at least 53% of the population play digital and video games once daily. 65% of the children interviewed play at least once daily, whilst the same percentage of teenagers and young adults play two hours or more every day.

The majority of people preferred to play video games on their personal computers or laptops, as opposed to consoles. Also, nearly all parents (97.6%) allowed their 3-6 year old children to play video games, according to the report.

The research group (gamED) who undertook this study is made up of academics from the Faculties of Education, ICT and Science. The research was funded by the Malta Communications Authority.

The aim of this study was to determine the gaming patterns and trends of the Maltese population between the ages of 3-54. Data was collected using Internet surveys as well as face-to-face surveys.

A representative sample of the population showed that:

“This report carries several implications for education and the economy,” the Faculty of ICT said in a statement. “Such implications will affect future policies in education, as well as strategies for the growth of the digital game industry.

“Further studies are needed to determine gaming trends and patterns amongst people who are above 54 years and the elderly, as well as changes in gaming trends of the Maltese population over time.”

Whilst 85% of teenage and adult gamers have a Facebook account, women are the most avid online gamers. Furthermore, the report also finds that 40% of children under the age of 13 have a Facebook account, albeit the fact that the social networking site’s legal age is 13.

Half of the children included in the study said that they played games for at least half an hour a day, whilst teenagers generally played between one and two hours.

Speaking at the event, the parliamentary secretary for economic growth and competitiveness, Jose’ Herrera, said that the gaming and, more importantly, the digital industry was a constantly-growing field in Malta. Hence, he stressed that it was important for the country to continue investing in the ICT sector.