Toy Industry Association Study on Kids and Online Play

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Posted July 25th, 2008 by Padma "LadyLotus" Fuller

We found this very interesting article today that shows the link between kids online games, what percentage of them purchase a related item, as well as time spent weekly playing these games. Read the details below:

The Toy Industry Association (TIA) and market researcher NPD Group have authored a research study, Online Play: Earning Mom's Trust and Children's Interest. The report is designed to help industry players understand what’s driving moms and kids ages 2 to 14 to social, gaming and/or entertainment (SGE) websites. More than one-quarter (28%) of kids who use SGE sites have purchased either a physical item or digital content from these sites, according to the report. Kids are engaging in virtual worlds often upwards of 16 hours each week - creating avatars, playing games, earning and spending virtual currency, and socializing. These online-offline web-connected products offer enhanced play value and are the glue that bonds these digital natives, Generation Z (kids 2-14) to a new generation of play, according to TIA officials.

"The report shows that the online experience is an especially social one for kids of all ages, who rarely go online alone," said Daniela Weiss, Vice President of Strategic Marketing and Communications at TIA. "This close analysis of the play pattern can lead to new product innovation." For example, research indicates that siblings play a large role in the online experience, suggesting an opportunity for content that can appeal to multiple consumers with team-oriented participation.

Gaming is the primary activity driving the online experiences of all kids ages 2 to 14, with 76 percent of all kids on the Internet drawn to social and gaming sites, and education sites rivaling the attention of Tweens (9-12) and Young Teens (13-14). The report drills down to the specific behaviors and preferences of kids in each age group, spanning 2 to 14, and their moms.

"When we see that about seventy-five percent of kids ages six to eight, and over ninety percent of kids older than that are accessing online content, it is obviously an integral part of most kids' lives," said Anita Frazier, industry analyst, The NPD Group. "The implications and untapped opportunities for any business that considers kids to be an important consumer segment can be enormous."

Additional findings from the report will be shared at the Virtual Worlds Kids conference in the session Evolution of the Toy Industry: The Opportunities of Online Play taking place at the Virtual Worlds Expo on September 3, 2008 in Los Angeles.

Article provided by Virtual World News

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