AUTHORS Jeffrey E. Brand Jan Jervis Patrice M. Huggins Tyler W. Wilson

Faculty of Society & Design Bond University Gold Coast, QLD 4229 https://bond.edu.au

© INTERACTIVE GAMES & ENTERTAINMENT ASSOCIATION 2019 EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Raelene Knowles Suite 145 National Innovation Centre IGEA Australian Technology Park https://igea.net Garden Street, Eveleigh, NSW 2015 GRAPHIC DESIGN https://igea.net Mike C. Morphett, Design Director M:29creative M29creative.com.au

Graph designs & infographic design: Jan Jervis

Suggested citation: Brand, J. E., Jervis, J., Huggins, P. M., & Wilson, T. W. (2019). Digital Australia 2020. Eveleigh, NSW: IGEA. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Video: The Power of Games 4 POWER OF COMMUNITY 45 FOREW0RD 5 MATI: THE COMMUNITY PLAYER 48 Video: DA20 Highlights 6 KEY FINDINGS 8 POWER OF CREATIVITY 49

POWER OF GAMES 10 Video: What Type of Games do People Play? 14 POWER OF LIVING WELL 50 JOHN: THE STRESS RELIEF PLAYER 20 LOTTIE: THE RETIRED PLAYER 52

POWER OF EDUCATION 53 POWER OF PLAY 21 Video: How Have Games Improved Your Life? 54 Video: Why Do People Play Games? 25 GERI: THE INSPIRED PLAYER 57 Video: I Play Games but I also ... 29 REBECCA: THE EMPOWERED PLAYER 31 POWER OF ECONOMICS 58 IN THEIR OWN WORDS 62 POWER OF CONNECTION 32 PHIL: THE ACHIEVING PLAYER 63 Video: What Do Games Mean to People? 34 IN THEIR OWN WORDS 64 HARRY: THE CONNECTED PLAYER 44 ABOUT 65

3 POWER OF GAMES

Video: The Power of Games

(11:31 minutes) Digital Australia (DA20) is the culmination of over 14 years of research on how, why, and by whom video games are played in Australia. 4 FOREW0RD

Imagine not having video games. What would be IT SEEMS TO ME THAT NEXT TO HOMO Austrian scholar Johan Huizinga claimed in the lost? FABER, AND PERHAPS ON THE SAME 1930s that play is older than culture. Academics LEVEL AS HOMO SAPIENS, HOMO have demonstrated over time that play is a powerful On the surface, video games entertain us when we LUDENS, MAN THE PLAYER, DESERVES tool not only for human culture, but for human play. However, games have proven themselves to be A PLACE IN OUR NOMENCLATURE. productivity, creativity, and knowledge. They have a powerful medium through which people connect Johan Huizinga, 1938 shown that by engaging in amusement and sport from all over the world; even people in the same we explore who we are and what we can be. home connect through video games. Games are a powerful vehicle for play and we play many types of games. We play card games, games THE POWER OF VIDEO GAMES The first experimental video game was displayed of chance, board games, driving games, games of in the late 1950s and the first commercial video strategy, simulation games, tactical games, timed Today, games are used to educate in schools and game, Computer Space, was launched in 1971. The games, learning games, memory games, puzzle train at work. Video games are used to help us live first home console video game system to begin games, adventure games, silly games and on the well through mental and physical stimulation in a widespread consumer access to games was sold list goes. One researcher divided games into four range of contexts, including hospital care, aged in 1975. major types that promote play, including competitive, care, and psychological care. Video games have chance, simulation and movement. produced one of the most vibrant and active Since then, video games have sold billions of copies communities of fans who gather together at major to billions of players who enjoy them on billions of THE POWER OF KNOWING GAMES AND PLAY international popular culture festivals, and who play electronic computing devices. There are thousands together online in competitive esports. Video games of titles and hundreds of platforms on which to play Digital Australia 2020 (DA20) is the culmination are designed and produced in a digital economy them. There are many genres of video games and of over 15 years of research on how, why, and by that promotes creativity and, in turn, enhances the multiple objectives and motivations for playing them. whom video games are played in Australia. economic gift of nations. THE POWER OF PLAY In this edition of the research, we explore the Power Video games are a surprisingly old medium. The of Games. In doing so, we observe the power of first patent for a “cathode-ray tube amusement There are many ways to play: we play sport, we connection, community, creativity, living well, device” was filed in the United States Patent Office play-act, we play music, we play with toys, we play education, and economics through this remarkable on 25 January 1947. with language, we play with ideas and so on. medium. 5 POWER OF GAMES

Video: DA20 Highlights

(4:04 minutes) In this edition of the research, we explore the Power of Games. In doing so, we observe the power of connection, community, creativity, living well, education, and economics through this remarkable medium. 6 THE POWER OF ENTERTAINMENT THE POWER OF ECONOMICS THE POWER OF PLAY THE POWER OF GAMES

74% 15% SAY MAKING CAGR DIGITAL 5 TOP REASONS TO PLAY 2/3 THE POWER OF CONNECTION $ VIDEO GAMES GAME SALES IN HAVE FUN PLAY VIDEO GAMES BENEFITS AUSTRALIA DESTRESS AUSTRALIAN 20132018 PASS TIME 9/10 TOP REASONS ECONOMY 3 KEEP MIND ACTIVE HOMES HAVE A DEVICE ON WHICH PARENTS PLAY WITH CHILDREN BE CHALLENGED GAMES HAVE BEEN PLAYED FAMILY FUN THE POWER OF COMMUNITY CHILDREN AS YOUNGER 66% OF PLAYERS A WAY TO SPEND TIME TOGETHER READ PLAY 78% OR WATCH TO HAVE WALKTHROUGHS ARE AGED18YEARS SHARED FUN AND OVER 59% BY OTHERS PLAY WITH CHILDREN IN THE SAME ROOM OLDER YEARS 41% 34 WATCH ESPORTS PLAY AVERAGE AGE OF 25% TO KEEP THE MIND ACTIVE VIDEO GAME PLAYERS PLAY WITH PARTNERS ONLINE 31% ATTEND GAME EVENTS 89MINUTES 71MINUTES ENJOY THE CULTURE OF ESPORTS COSPLAYAVERAGE DAILY AVERAGE DAILY 89% 38% TOTAL TOTAL 47% FAMILIAR WITH PARENTAL CONTROLS PLAY FOR PLAY FOR OF ALL PLAYERS ARE MALES FEMALES THE POWER OF EDUCATION FEMALE THE POWER OF LIVING WELL GAMES PROMOTE THE POWER OF CREATIVITY 60% STUDENT CREATIVITY VIDEO GAMES MAY 42% USE GAMES FOR WORK 27% 28% OF THOSE AGED YEARS 73% IMPROVE LIFE SATISFACTION 65 2/3 TRAINING POST GAMEPLAY PARTICIPATE IN AND OVER PLAY VIDEO GAMES MANAGE PAIN 58% SAY THEIR CHILDREN USE VIDEOS COSPLAY 84% PROMOTE GENERAL KNOWLEDGE 52% GAMES FOR SCHOOL KEY FINDINGS

POWER OF GAMES POWER OF PLAY POWER OF CONNECTION POWER OF COMMUNITY

2/3 of Australians play video games The top 5 reasons Australians play Top 3 reasons parents play with 2/3 have used walkthroughs, wikis video games children or forums to help their gameplay Most homes have a device for have fun, pass time, de-stress, playing video games take a break from daily life 1. Family fun keep the mind active Over 1/2 of players watch YouTube 21% of households have a virtual 2. Children ask videos of gameplay reality headset Younger and working age adults play to have fun, pass time, and de-stress 3. A way to spend time together Over 1/3 have watched esports 70% use mobile phones for playing Older adults play to keep the mind games active of parents play with their 59% Of these,over 1/3 watch to children in the same room 65% use consoles for playing games Average daily total of play for improve their own gameplay Australians of all ages who play 43% of parents play online games video games is 81 minutes The average age of video game with their children Nearly a 1/4 watch to follow players is 34 years an esports team Male video game players play on 54% are mostly or completely Almost 1/2 of video game players average for 89 minutes familiar with family controls on 38% enjoy the culture of esports are female Female video game players play on average for 71 minutes game systems 78% of Australian video game players are aged 18 years or older The typical daily casual game play 83% of parents say they have is 10 minutes, twice a day talked with a child about playing 42% aged 65 and over play video games online games The typical daily in-depth game METHODS play is 1 hour. Children play on Parents mainly play video games Digital Australia 2020 (DA20) is The average Australian adult has average 100 minutes a day with children to connect with them been playing video games for 12 a study of 1,210 Australian house- years Working age adults play on aver- 25% play with partners online holds and 3,228 individuals of all age 83 minutes a day ages in those households.

Retirement age adults play on average 59 minutes a day 8 KEY FINDINGS

POWER OF CREATIVITY POWER OF LIVING WELL POWER OF EDUCATION POWER OF ECONOMICS

More than a 1/4 of players have 85% say video games can help 1/2 of parents say their children’s 3/4 of adults believe making video shared videos of their own game thinking skills schools use video games for games in Australia benefits the play online education economy 74% say video games can help emotional wellbeing Video games sales (CAGR) in Almost a 1/4 have competed in 61% of parents believe video games Australia grew at a rate of 15% esports can be effective for learning STEM 66% say video games can help between 2013 and 2018 social wellbeing Of these, compete because of parents believe video 1/2 53% Australian video games retail industry of social connections 87% say video games may increase games can give students greater sales in 2013 were $2.04 Billion mental stimulation confidence at school A 1/3 compete because they In 2018, total retail industry sales enjoy the challenge 81% say video games may help 31% of adults have used games for video games were $4.03 Billion fight dementia at work for health and safety 28% participate in cosplay training In 2018, digital sales reached 67% say video games may help $2.85 Billion maintain social connections 29% have used video games at work for new skills training Physical sales in the Australian 73% say video games may improve retail industry were $1.18 Billion life satisfaction 61% of players say video games 65% have made in-game purchases can be effective in motivating METHODS for themselves 58% say video games may help people to get fit Participants were drawn randomly manage pain 40% have made in-game purchases from the Nielsen Your Voice Panel in 60% say games promote student for others March 2019; research was designed 84% say video games may promote creativity and conducted at Bond University. The general knowledge margin of error ranges from ± 2.3% to ± 3.3%. 83% of players say video games can be effective in stress reduction 9 POWER OF GAMES

Game Households Over Time IT [PLAYING GAMES] DE-STRESSES YOU, TO [sic] HAVE FUN AND FORGET 100% 93% 93% 93% 91% EVEN IF AN HOUR, ABOUT THE 92% DIFFICULTIES OF LIFE. 88% Male, 24, Perth, Western Australia. 80% 79% I AM NOT A SOCIAL PERSON SO PLAYING GAMES HELPS ME CONNECT WITH OTHERS. Female, 51, Adelaide, South Australia. 60%

THEY [GAMES] LET ME HAVE FUN 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 WITH MY FAMILY AND CREATE

MEMORABLE MOMENTS. NB: ALL HOUSEHOLDS Female, 46, Queensland.

This report provides evidence for the In 2005, we observed that just under eight That rose quickly to nine out of ten by power of games: video games are not out of ten Australian households had at 2009 and has remained stable at this peak only mainstream, they are now normalised least one device on which video games since then. in everyday Australian culture. were played. 10 POWER OF GAMES Number of Game Devices 28% 1 x game device 72%Households 26% 1 2 x game devices

23% GROWN [sic] UP PLAYING GAMES ON ONE PLATFORM NINTENDO, FROM GAME AND WATCH, GAME 3 x game devices CUBE TO THE LATEST SWITCH. LOVE THE MASTERY I HAVE OVER 13% SOME GAMES, ENJOY THE THRILL, 4 x game devices KEEPS MY MIND ACTIVE - LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT IT. 6% Male, 59, Sydney, New South Wales. 5 x game devices 5% NB: ALL HOUSEHOLDS 6 x game devices For many years, nine out of ten Australian having of one, two, three, and four or more device and child homes are more likely to households have had at least one device game devices, meaning that most (72%) have a greater number of devices. on which video games are played. There have more than one device. Households is near symmetry in the proportion of with children are slightly more likely than We refer to these as game households households with roughly a quarter each households without children to have a game throughout this report. 11 POWER OF GAMES

Type of Game Devices Over Time 66 83 83 82 70 I ENJOY PLAYING GAMES ON BOTH MY LAPTOP AND 66 66 MOBILE PHONE. I DON’T THINK I AM OBSESSED WITH 63 61 65 THEM OR THEY HAVE MUCH POWER OVER MY LIFE, 55 57 BUT I ENJOY PLAYING THEM TO RELAX AND ESCAPE 51 REALITY SOMETIMES. I GENERALLY PLAY MIND GAMES e.g: SUDUKO OR TETRIS, BUT I ALSO PLAY THE SIMS OR VIRTUAL REALITY GAMES ON THE INTERNET. Female, 23, Melbourne, Victoria. 15 16 13 2017 2015 2017 2017 2017 2017 2019 2015 2015 2015 2019 2019 2015 2019 2019 PC Mobile Console Tablet Handheld NB: ALL HOUSEHOLDS and Android phones, tablet computers has changed little in recent years. The devices used for playing in game running iOS and Android systems, and In order of common use are: PCs, mobiles, households include PCs or personal dedicated handhelds including devices consoles, tablets and handhelds. computers including laptops, consoles such as Nintendo Switch. The ongoing and consistent presence of such as Sony PlayStation 4 and Microsoft The prevalence and mix of broad types of these platforms invokes a sense of the Xbox One X, mobile phones such as iOS game devices in Australian game households power of games. 12 POWER OF GAMES

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Use Augmented Reality (AR) 77% Use Virtual Reality (VR) 21% Importance of AR and VR 87% 3/4

NB: ALL HOUSEHOLDS

Given the relative novelty and apparently One in five game households have surprising that three in four game house- increasing ways in which augmented reality players who have used a VR headset. holds have players who have used AR. (AR) and virtual reality (VR) may be used, we Asked whether AR and VR are important for measured both the use of the technologies However, because AR (as opposed to VR) future game play experiences, nearly nine out and their perceived importance to the future may be used as a service on a mobile phone of ten confirmed the technology will play an of games. without additional headset hardware, it is not important role. 13 POWER OF GAMES

Video: What Type of Games do People Play?

(4:01 minutes) This video is a snapshot of the type of games people play and why they play them.

14 POWER OF GAMES

Player Age Over Time

35 yrs 33yrs 34yrs 34yrs 32yrs 32yrs 30yrs 30 yrs 28yrs

25 yrs out of Australians 20 yrs 2 3 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019

NB: ALL PLAYERS

GAMES ALLOW YOU TO ESCAPE AND ENJOY ANOTHER WORLD TEMPORARILY Female, 33, Perth, Western Australia.

Based on our analysis of all household play, the average age in this sample remains Over the years, we have observed a slow members, video games are played by two 34 years, the same as it was in the DA18 and steady, stepped increase in the average thirds of Australians and, of those who report. age of Australian video game players. 15 POWER OF GAMES

Player Gender Over Time

60%

Male Players 50% Female Players

40%

30%

2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019

NB: ALL PLAYERS

We provided participants with the option they identified other members of their are female (47%). When we started this to identify other. However, all participants households using this binary. Nearly half series of studies in 2005, we observed the identified either as male or as female and of all video game players in Australia proportion was 38%. 16 POWER OF GAMES

Player Age Groups as Proportion of Total Player Proportions within Simple Age Groups 1-17 years 1-17 years 22% 69% 18-64 years 18-64 years 68% 62% 65-94 years 10% 65-94 years 42%

NB: ALL PLAYERS NB: ALL PLAYERS

As a proportion of all players, children (from 7% and 8%, respectively) and will consolidation across the board since the under the age of 18 constitute 22% of continue to do so. 2018 report, with 69% of all children under those who play video games, working-age the age of 18 playing, 62% of working-age adults 68%, and retirement-age adults adults playing and 42% of retirement-age 10%; the proportion of players who are The proportion of those who play video adults playing. older has increased modestly but steadily games within simple age groups has re- since each of the DA16 and DA18 reports mained relatively stable, showing modest 17 POWER OF GAMES

Player Proportions within ABS Age Groups ()

83 81 Wii SPORTS ENABLES ME TO 75 EXERCISE IN A FUN WAY IN THE COMFORT OF MY HOUSE 63 Female, 19, Sydney, New South Wales. 52 43 41 GAMES FOR ME ARE AN ACCESSIBLE AND PORTABLE 37 WAY TO UNWIND AND RELAX. 25 24 Female, 47, Brisbane, Queensland.

GAMING HAS BEEN A DEFINING 65 - 74 yrs - 74 65 55 - 64 yrs 55 85 - 94 yrs 1 - 4 yrs 75 - 84 yrs 75 5 - 14 yrs 15 -24 yrs 15 -24 25 - 34 yrs 45 - 54 yrs 45 35 - 44 yrs 35 POINT IN MY LIFE TEACHING ME NB: ALL PLAYERS THAT ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.

Drilling down on the proportion who play Male, 24, Sydney, New South Wales. using the ABS convention for narrower age bands, almost all children between ages 5 and 14 play and almost all between ages 15 and 24 years play. Unsurprisingly, the youngest and oldest Australians play least. 18 POWER OF GAMES

Media Ranking in Child vs Adult-only Households Video games are part of the larger media and leisure ecology in Australian homes Adult-only Household Child Household and we are compelled to understand their place in our society. TV 5.6 4.6 Movies 4.3 4.2 While free-to-air television remains popular in Australian households and top the list of Streaming TV 2.8 4.2 media regardless of whether a household is Streaming Movies 2.7 4.1 home to adults or adults and children, digital media like games are a normal part of the Online Video/ YouTube 3.4 3.9 media mix. Games 2.4 3.6 We used an index asking adult participants Social Media 3.8 3.5 to rank their household’s media preferences Music 4.0 3.2 from ten (highest preference) to one (lowest preference). Radio 3.3 2.5 Books 3.6 2.5 Free-to-air TV clearly dominates in households without children living in them Newspapers 2.4 1.3 and pips movies and streaming TV at first Magazines 1.7 1.2 place in households with children.

NB: ALL ADULT PLAYERS and NON-PLAYERS Games rank sixth in child households, but only equal tenth with newspaper in households without children.

19 JOHN: THE STRESS RELIEF PLAYER

AS A TEENAGER IT WAS A SOCIAL THING TO DO WITH FRIENDS. NOW AS AN ADULT IT IS FOR STRESS RELIEF AND TAKING A BREAK FROM RESPONSIBILTY FOR A LITTLE WHILE. John, 45, New South Wales.

Player: Male, 45. Finance Industry Professional. Access to Games: Computer, tablet, smartphone, Xbox One, Family Background: Lives in household of 5. Nintendo handheld, older console. Married, Wife, 45. Motivations for Play: To have fun, de-stress, take a break from daily Parent, guardian of 3 children, 11, 14, 16 . life. Location: New South Wales. Other Interests: Dining out. Going to a pub, café. Exercising. Cultural Background: Australian. Gardening. Amusement, theme park, zoo. Years Playing Games: 30 years. Playing board, card games, a musical instrument, Types of Play: In-depth play. with children and pets. Reading books, watching Typical Duration: Twice a week for 1 hour. TV, movies. Listening to audio books, music. 20 POWER OF PLAY Frequency and Duration of Casual Play 1 or 2 minutes 5 minutes 10 minutes 15 minutes 20 minutes

Once a day 12 77 69 17 17 Twice a day 20 107 161 63 47 3 times a day 6 59 102 44 36 4 times a day 3 33 50 33 29 5 times a day 2 9 42 32 18

More than 5 times a day 3 12 21 20 39 NB: KEY PLAYERS

As the diversity of devices on which to play differences between casual games played Key players in our sample usually play casual video games increases and the diversity of frequently and for short periods of time, games one to three times a day for five to video game software explodes, there are usually on mobile devices, and in-depth 15 minutes per session. The total estimated many new and different ways to play. The games played less frequently but for longer daily investment in casual games is therefore arrival of smartphones over a decade ago play sessions on computers and consoles. between 20 and 30 minutes and only varies opened up the opportunity for more casual We classified casual gameplay as play in greatly from this pattern among the young- play experiences that are both shorter and short bursts of up to 20 minutes each time, est and oldest players. There is little gender more frequent than longer established playing many times a day. difference until middle adulthood when experiences on personal computers and video women overtake men in overall casual game consoles. However, some have argued We classified in-depth gameplay as longer gameplay in their mid 40s. that differences between casual play and more play periods in which games are typically in-depth play are blurring. We observed clear played from daily to weekly to less frequently. 21 POWER OF PLAY Frequency and Duration of In-depth Play

Half an hour An hour Two hours Three hours Four or more hours Every day 133 152 129 66 64 Every other day 71 112 98 48 22 Twice a week 51 94 69 42 11 Once a week 41 53 29 5 3 Once a fortnight 15 16 9 4 1

Once a month or less 16 19 8 4 2 NB: KEY PLAYERS

The most commonly reported frequency for playing in-depth games in our sample is daily. The most common duration is an ALTHOUGH I PLAY GAMES ON MY PC AND MOBILE, I PLAY THEM hour. We have observed this pattern now TO BREAK THE DAY AND AS A RESPITE FROM THE TASK AT in the past four studies. The total estimated HAND. I PLAY DAILY FOR VERY SHORT LENGTHS OF TIME. in-depth play ranges greatly by both age and Female, 54, Adelaide, South Australia. gender.

Younger players as a whole play more Women and girls play for Men play for frequently than older players and they play for longer durations, peaking in late minutes a day on average minutes a day on average adolescence and early adulthood. 71 89 22 POWER OF PLAY Total Play Time by Age and Gender

140 130min 120 100 81min 80 73min 59min 62min 60 Males total play Females total play Minutes per day Minutes

40 26min Males in-depth play 20 Females in-depth play Males casual play 0 Females casual play 1-4 5-14 15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75-84 85-94

NB: KEY PLAYERS Age

Combining total casual gameplay and total are prone to higher variations due to smaller These play times have declined by eight to in-depth gameplay, males play more across sample sizes. ten minutes compared with times reported in the ages except between ages 55 and 85, the 2018 report. Explanations for this modest when females spend more time playing Altogether, Australians who play video decrease may include more spectatorship of games. We observed in the previous two games spend an average of 81 minutes games through streaming video, and compe- studies that among the oldest players, a day including both casual and in-depth tition from streaming television and movies. women played more than men; however, play. Women and girls play for 71 minutes Popularity of these media is explored later in in this sample, men played markedly more a day on average while men and boys play the report. than women. Findings for this age group for 89 minutes a day on average. 23 POWER OF PLAY Reasons to Play (Normed / 100 ) Top reasons adult players give for playing video games include to have fun, de-stress, 2015 2017 2019 and pass time. ave fun 15 10 13 There are also more “serious” reasons ela destress 10 9 10 people play games. Adult players in our Pass time 16 10 9 study report they want to keep their mind active by playing, to be challenged, and eep mind active 8 8 8 to learn. Be challenged 3 7 6 Break from daily life 6 To better understand the range of poten- Feel accomplishment 5 tial reasons Australians play, we expanded our list of 10 reasons to 20. By doing so, Feel ecitement 3 5 5 we discovered the relative importance of Do the impossile 2 4 4 playing games for wellbeing reasons such Manage mental health 4 as to take a break from daily life, to feel ocial interaction 3 4 4 accomplishment, and for managing men- Try something ne 4 tal health. Compete ith others 3 To compare 2019 responses with those Learn 2 4 3 of earlier years, we calculated responses Im good at it 3 for each reason to play as a proportion plore virtual spaces 3 of the total out of 100. We then weighted results for the same reasons to play in Fulfill a fantasy 3 two previous report years, leaving out the Be someone else 2 new reasons to play added to the 2019 ercise 2 3 2 questionnaire. NB: ADULT PLAYERS Face a fear 2 24 POWER OF PLAY Video: Why Do People Play Games?

(5:20 minutes) People play games for so many different reasons and this video explains some of the reasons why they play and the benefit and enjoyment these players receive from games. 25 POWER OF PLAY Reasons to Play by Age Group ()

18 -34 years 35 -64 years 65 years and Over Have fun 51 55 57 AS I AM AGEING I FEEL THE NEED Relax/ de-stress 44 41 40 TO KEEP MY MIND ACTIVE AND BY Pass time 36 40 56 PLAYING GAMES ON PHONE OR Keep mind active 24 27 73 TABLET I HAVE THE LUXURY OF CHOOSING WHEN, WHERE AND Be challenged 28 26 45 FOR HOW LONG. Female, 73, Victoria.

Although there are no systematic differences for being challenged and keeping the mind why adult women and men in our sample play active. video games, we observed one pronounced IT ALLOWS MY MIND TO GO difference among three age groups of adults For older adults, playing to keep the mind INTO THIS OTHER CALMING (18-34, 35-64, and 65 years and older) for the active ranks first and playing to relax ZONE. AFTERWARDS I FEEL top five reasons adults say they play: and de-stress ranks last with having fun, MORE EMPOWERED AND CALM. passing time and being challenged in the Male, 28, Australian Capital Territory. Older players play predominantly to keep middle. It appears from these results that the mind active. working life is stimulating and challenging enough for working age adults who need Among working age adults (18-34 and 35- to de-stress and have fun. Arguably video 64), playing games to relax and de-stress games serve rather therapeutic needs for is the number one reason to play, followed all players. in order by relax, and de-stress, and lastly by 26 POWER OF PLAY Preferred Non-gaming Media Activities ()

72 Watch television 63 Watch movies 59 Listen to music 56 Browse the Internet 46 Watch YouTube videos 42 Read books 40 Read social media 28 Read newspapers 23 Post to social media 23 Read magazines 12 Listen to podcasts

8 Listen to audiobooks NB: ADULT PLAYERS

Australians who play video games also enjoy This year, we asked players to identify all the Browsing the Internet (56%) and watching a wide range of other media for leisure. things they do in addition to playing video YouTube videos (46%) round out the top We demonstrated back in the second Digital games and found that 72% say they watch five. Australia study (Interactive Australia 2007) television, 63% watch movies and 59% Podcasts (12%) and audio books (8%) finish that players and non-players mapped nearly enjoy listening to music. the list of non-game media activities. identically to media and non-media leisure. 27 POWER OF PLAY

Australians who play video games also enjoy Preferred Non-gaming Leisure Activities () many of the non-media leisure activities commonly enjoyed by all Australians as we have demonstrated in past reports. 53 Dine Out 52 Go Shopping This year, we asked players to identify all the things they do in addition to playing 40 Gardening video games and using other media. 39 Exercise

First among these leisure choices is dining 36 Go to a pub out, nominated by 53% of the sample, 30 Play board games followed by shopping (52%), gardening (40%), exercising (39%) and going to a 28 Take pictures / photography pub (36%). 27 Make arts or craft 23 Go to an art gallery Rounding out the list of 16 activities were playing sport (19%) and playing with pets 22 Go to an amusement park and children (12%). 22 Go fishing or camping 21 Attend a cultural event

POKEMON, I’VE BEEN ABOUT [sic] TO 19 Water sports INTERACT WITH PEOPLE BY CONNECTING 19 Attend a sporting event OVER A COMMON INTEREST. 19 Play sport Male, 29, Sydney, New South Wales. 12 Play with pets & children NB: ADULT PLAYERS 28 POWER OF PLAY

Video: I Play Games but I also ...

(2:07 minutes) Unsurprisingly games are just another entertainment medium people enjoy in their busy lives and sit alongside lots of other activities as well. 29 POWER OF PLAY Broadband Limits Over Time ()

Home data limits-don’t download 58 games to avoid going over 33

Home data limits-forced upgrade plans 27 27 27 Home data speeds-forced upgrade plans 27 Mobile data limits-don’t download 70 games to avoid going over 51

Mobile data limits-forced upgrade plans 31 26 22 NB: ADULT PLAYERS Mobile data speeds-forced upgrade plans 17

In June 2018, the Australian Bureau of Statistics of increased game downloads and video Moreover, compared with DA18 report, (ABS) issued an update to its report, Internet streaming. As games move from fixed media more players say they are applying the Activity in Australia, showing there are 6.6 to online downloads and cloud services, these brakes on game downloads both at home million mobile wireless connections out of volumes will increase and place more pressure and on mobile devices to avoid going over the 14.7 million connections overall. on infrastructure and consumer demand for poor data limits. The volume of downloaded data across better broadband data plans. fixed and wireless broadband increased by This year, we observed players are seeking Given growth in digital sales discussed more than 75% between June 2017 and to upgrade data plans on their mobiles later in this report, there is clearly an June 2018 in Australia, arguably a product due to data limits and mobile data speeds. appetite for more bandwidth. 30 REBECCA: THE EMPOWERED PLAYER

POWER OF GAMES IN MY LIFE IS THAT WHEN I PLAY GAMES AFTER DOING ALL [MY] CHORES I FEEL SO ...MUCH RELAXED [sic] AND ENERGETIC AND BECOME READY AGAIN TO FULFIL MY DUTIES MORE EFFICIENTLY... SO I THINK GAMES PLAY SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN MAKING ME OPTIMISTIC AND AN ACTIVE PERSON.

Rebecca, 32, Sydney, New South Wales.

Player: Female, 32, Stay at home parent. Access to Games: Tablet, smartphone. Family Background: Lives in household of 4. Married. Husband, 34. Motivations for Play: Relieve boredom, pass time. To feel excitement, Parent, guardian of 2 children, 5, 8. thrills. Keep mind active. Take a break from daily Location: Sydney, New South Wales. life. Fulfil a fantasy. Try something new. Cultural Background: Other Asian. Years Playing Games: 1 year. Other Interests: Dine out. Shopping. Exercising. Going to amusement, Types of Play: In-depth play. theme park, zoo. Play with children, pets. Watch Typical Duration: 1 hour. YouTube, read books. 31 POWER OF CONNECTION

Common Playing Experience ()

59 Same Room Child 43 Online 1/3adults say they Only17% of adult players 35 Same Room Partner aloe 25 Online Stranger 23 Online with their partner in the same room 19 Same Room Friend 25 Online 17 Same Room Other Relative IT CONNECTS ME WITH MY SIBLINGS 16 Online Female, 27, Brisbane, Queensland. 16 Same Room Sibling 16 Online 12 Same Room Playing video games is more often a social A third of adults say they play video games Parent 7 Online rather than an isolated experience. with their partner in the same room and a quarter say they play online with them. NB: ADULT PLAYERS Only 17% of adult players play alone all the time. Adults report that playing with Other social play includes playing with children in the same room is the most friends, relatives, and siblings. Moreover, common social context for play with six some young adults say they play with their out of ten doing so, followed by playing with parents. children online. 32 POWER OF CONNECTION How Parents Use Games with Children () Why Parents Play Games with Children () Talk about video games 87 It’s fun for the whole family 43 Talk about playing safely online 83 Children ask me to play with them 41 Help them learn to play games 82 It’s a way to spend time with my children 40 As a punishment 80 It’s a way to help educate my children 25 For family time, to be together 80 It’s a way to monitor what my children play 23 To educate, generally 79 It’s a way to monitor how often my children play 22 As a reward 75 It’s a way to monitor how long my children play 20 To set boundaries 75 NB: PARENT PLAYERS Use video games to motivate 73 NB: PARENTS

60%

A third of adults in this sample reported the vast majority of adults play, regardless Parents largely reported a full range as parents of a child under the age of 18 of parental status. Still, parents are more of reasons they use video games when living with them. Of these, 81% said they likely to play, and for many reasons. parenting their children by indicating how themselves play video games. Of the two We provided a tick list of reasons to play much they agree with each from a list of thirds who do not have children living with with children. Consistent with past studies, uses. Talking about games, talking about them, 64% play video games. It may have parents’ top reasons for playing is because playing online, and generally educating once been the case that having children they say playing video games is a fun children top the list. was a pre-requisite for adults to play video family activity and because children often games, but these findings demonstrate that want their parents to play with them. 33 POWER OF CONNECTION Video: What Do Games Mean to People?

(7:40 minutes) The average Australian gamer has been playing for 12 years.

This video illustrates what games mean to people and uncovers many fond memories associated with playing games. 34 POWER OF CONNECTION

Rules for Children’s Game Play ()

Rules about how long children play video games 74 GAMES CAN BE GREAT TO JUST Rules about when children play video games 74 HAVE FUN WITH, OR EVEN USE FOR LEARNING EXPERIENCES Rules about what kind of video games children play 73 DEPENDING ON WHAT THE GAME Rules about whether children play online games 70 IS. GAMES HAVE BEEN VERY POSITIVE FOR MY SON IN OUR When children can watch gameplay on YouTube or Twitch 66 HOUSEHOLD. IT HAS HELPED HIM LEARN HOW TO READ, AND Rules about devices or systems children use to play video games 65 EVEN HELP [sic] IN SOME SOCIAL SITUATIONS (THANKS TO SIMS). 50% NB: PARENTS Female, 29, Queensland.

Parents are also likely to report having concerns long-held about children’s access to rules for their children’s video game play. media: ITS FUN TO WATCH THE KIDS LEARN How much they are used, what opportunity AND GET THEIR COORDINATION Over many years of these studies, we have costs they present, and what they are exposed BETTER AND [SEE THEIR] routinely observed the top three rules to that might present a potential harm or EXCITEMENT WHEN THEY WORK IT parents have for their children’s game play concern. OUT AND CAN DO IT. are how long they can play in a session, Female, 33, Victoria. when during the day, during the week or It is worth noting that parents are concerned during the school year they can play, and about most of the potential harms of all what kind of games they can play, providing media. clear evidence that parents hold the common 35 POWER OF CONNECTION Concerning Elements by Medium for Children Movies (6,244) Interactive Games (5,881) Social Media(6,596) Advertising 376 325 365 Themes, Social issues 328 295 321 Smoking 303 292 317 Scariness 314 280 292 Language 299 269 288 Gambling 288 262 303 Alcohol use 303 258 288 Dark tone 295 277 277 Geo-tagging/being located 266 236 299 Excessive use 258 236 303 Nudity 266 262 266 Discrimination 266 255 269 Credit card fraud 251 232 292 Self-harm 236 240 247 Security 225 218 280 Demeaning depictions of women 251 236 229 Terrorism 225 229 258 Sex 232 225 247 Animal cruelty 236 225 232 Violence 221 225 244 Drug use 218 225 244 Privacy 203 199 277 Bullying/harassment 203 199 244 NB: PARENTS Sexual predators 181 181 214 36 POWER OF CONNECTION

Potential concerns caused by elements New Parent Challenges from Games A few years ago, animal cruelty of media content are many in the minds topped our list whereas today it sits in of parents. Parents also hold concerns Loot boxes the middle. that vary from medium to medium. 41% In-game purchasing 33% Differences by medium are modest In this study, we asked parents on a User-generated content with social media receiving the larg- simple three-point scale (Not at all 26% est weighted volume of concerned concerned, Somewhat concerned, responses (6,596), followed by movies or Very concerned) to indicate how (6,244), and then interactive games concerned they were with different (5,881). potential harms in three media including Social Media, Interactive Games, and In consultation with the Australian Movies. Classification Board, we added three sources of concern reported We then calculated a mean for each more frequently in mainstream news to weight the responses and ranked media, including loot boxes, in-game the concerns across the media. purchasing and user-generated content. Loot boxes and in-game This helped us identify parents’ relative purchases top the list of parents’ concerns about each medium. In this concerns about games. sample, alcohol use, dark tones, and being located by geo-tagging top the list. We believe the harms chosen reflect themes and agendas set by mainstream news reporting.

37 POWER OF CONNECTION Influence of Classification

A lot of influence 31% AS A CHILD I WAS AN AVID [My] PARENTS BOUGHT ME A Reasonable influence N64 AS A CHILD, IT REPRESENTS 26% GAMER WITH MANY GAMES TO PLAY AND MANY FRIENDS MY MOST POSITIVE MEMORIES A little influence 29% THAT I NOW RELIVE THROUGH AS AN ADULT I AM PRIMARILY NINTENDO CONSOLES No influence 15% FOCUSED ON RAISING MY RELEASED IN MORE RECENT FAMILY. NOW THAT MY YEARS SUCH AS Wii U CHILDREN ARE ABLE TO PLAY AND SWITCH. GAME CONSOLES I AM ABLE Male, 25, Sydney, New South Wales. TO INTERACT IN GAMING WITH THEM. Male, 37, Western Australia.

NB: PARENTS The National Classification Scheme A quarter said classification had a is operated by the Classification “Reasonable influence”, and just under Branch of the Commonwealth’s half, when combined, said it has Department of Communication and “A little influence” or “No influence.” the Arts to guide consumers about Curious about whether this varied the suitability of video games for depending on the age of children them and their families based on Less than a third of parents say the classification in the household, we found that the nature and presumed level of impact of a game has “A lot of influence” on the these responses were largely uniform, game content may have on players, particularly games they choose for their children to play. regardless of age and number of children. children. 38 POWER OF CONNECTION Familiarity with Classification Labels

Completely familiar 32% Mostly familiar 36% Vaguely familiar 24% parents say they are either Not familiar 8% 2/3 opletel ailia or ostl ailia with classification labels used in Australia.

1/3parents report being agel ailia or ot ailia with classification labels used in Australia.

NB: PARENTS Two thirds of parents say they are either The remaining third report being “Vaguely “Completely familiar” or “Mostly familiar” familiar” or “Not familiar” with them. with classification labels used in Australia. 39 POWER OF CONNECTION

Classification markings used by the Unfamiliar Classifications Australian Classification Board include G, PG, M, MA15+ and R18+; G, PG and M are G I HAVE ASPERGERS advisory classifications while MA15+ and 19% PG SYNDROME AND DO R18+ are legally restricted classifications, 20% NOT EASILY MAKE meaning that it is illegal to sell, distribute, M FRIENDS AS I AM or show to children under those age desig- 28% MA15+ PRETTY INTROVERTED. nations. Adult players have different levels 28% I DON’T LIKE THE FOCUS of confidence about what each classification R18+ 23% ON ME WHEN TRYING label means. NEW THINGS AS I FEEL PEOPLE ARE STARING They were asked whether each classification AND IT MAKES ME was “Clear,” “A little unclear” or “Unclear.” UNCOMFORTABLE. WITH GAMING, I DON’T Grouping the latter two responses, a GET SELF-CONSCIOUS, fifth of adult players were unclear about I JUST GET A FEELING the meaning of G and PG and around a OF BEING NORMAL quarter were unclear about the meaning LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, of M, MA15+ and R18+. A PART OF THE TEAM.

Confidence in their knowledge of the Male, 17, Melbourne, Victoria. meaning of classification markings was lower for parents, a quarter of whom said NB: ADULT PLAYERS they were unclear or a little unclear about both G and PG, and less than a third unclear Most confidence was expressed about or a little unclear about M and MA15+. R18+, with between a fifth and a quarter of parents expressing uncertainty. 40 POWER OF CONNECTION

There is little debate about the need to Classification Not Needed protect younger players from content, and parents in this year’s sample indicated that 18 years the need to use classification probably 28% ends somewhere between 15 and 17 years; 15 - 17 years 36% over a third of parents said this was the age 12 - 14 years when they felt comfortable not using 20% classification with their children whereas 9 - 11 years 9% over a quarter said they wouldn’t feel I MYSELF HAVE NEVER comfortable ceding oversight on their 6 - 8 years 8% REALLY BEEN MUCH OF children until they became adults. A GAMER BUT I DO LIKE TO PLAY SOMETIMES One in five parents saidages 12 to 14 years ESPECIALLY THE FUN would be the age at which they would ONES WITH MY KIDS. feel comfortable not using classification Female, 34, New South Wales. to help monitor their children’s access to content and less than this said they felt it unnecessary to use classification at younger ages.

NB: PARENTS

41 POWER OF CONNECTION

Awareness and Use of Online Store Ratings Online app stores use age categories for their ratings. Aware, used a lot 6% Only one in five parents are aware of and Aware, some use 15% use these with their children. Aware, haven’t used 33% Another one in three are aware, but pay Not aware 46% no attention to, or do not use the ratings.

Almost half of all parents said they were not aware of, and therefore did not use online store ratings.

1/2all parents said they were ot aae of, and therefore did not use olie stoe atigs.

I MAINLY PLAY GAMES NOW SO I CAN CONNECT WITH MY CHILDREN. Male, 48, Melbourne, Victoria.

42 POWER OF CONNECTION

Parents’ Familiarity with Family Controls Another way in which parents may exercise oversight of their children’s gameplay is Completely familiar through family controls. 12% Mostly familiar 42% Use of family controls is similar across platforms ranging from over a third to under a half of Vaguely familiar 35% parents using them with handhelds, consoles, 42% Not familiar 11% mobile devices and PCs. parents say they are Most parents are aware of family controls “Mostly familiar,” with 35% saying they are at least “Vaguely with family controls. familiar,” 42% saying they are “Mostly familiar,” and 12% saying they are “Completely familiar” with these tools.

This is a modest increase in familiarity compared with the 2018 sample.

CONNECTS [sic] ME WITH OTHER PLAYERS AROUND THE WORLD. MAKES ME FEEL INCLUDED IN A COMMUNITY OF PLAYERS. Female, 35, Sydney, New South Wales.

43 HARRY: THE CONNECTED PLAYER

THE GAMES PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN MY LIFE. THE FAMILY COMES TOGETHER AND WE HAVE [A] FUN TIME. Harry, 46, Sydney, New South Wales.

Player: Male, 46, Health Care Worker. Access to Games: Sony PS4. Family Background: Lives in household of 6, with wife, 42. Daughter 11, son, 9 and parents. Motivations for Play: To relieve stress, relax. To pass time, relieve boredom. To connect with others. Try something Location: Sydney, New South Wales. new. Explore a new place virtually. Cultural Background: Middle Eastern. Years Playing Games: 7 years. Other Interests: Shopping. Exercising. Playing sport. Gardening. Types of Play: In-depth and casual play. Water sports. Playing with children, pets. Search Typical Duration: Once every 2 wks. Casual play 10 min Internet. Watch YouTube, TV, movies. Read x 2 times per day. In-depth play 1 hour. books, newspapers. Listen to music. 44 POWER OF COMMUNITY

Engagement with Game Culture () Video game cultural experience extends well beyond playing. Adult players enjoy SOLVING THINGS, learning about the games they play, sharing 66 COORDINATING WITH strategies and communicating about them. OTHERS TO ACHIEVE A GOAL. Read or watch walkthroughs They also enjoy watching others play and Male, 60, Adelaide, South Australia. review games. We observed growth in 58 game culture engagement this year compared with two years ago. Watch YouTubes of gameplay THERE IS NO POWER IN GAMES? I PROBA- Most adult players say they read or watch 41 BLY PLAY GAMES ON walkthroughs (66%) and watch YouTube MY PHONE BECAUSE IT videos of gameplay (58%). Under half watch Watch livestreams of games IS ALL CONNECTED TO livestreams of gameplay on specialised stream- OTHER LIVE PLAYERS ing services (41%) and watch esports in 41 PLAYING THE SAME which players in amateur or professional Watch esports GAME WITH THE SAME teams play competitively (41%). 36 LIKES AS ME TO PLAY THIS GAME ALSO. Roughly a third use third party add-on Use third-party add-ons services (36%), attend gaming events Female, 37, Queensland. (31%), and esports events (30%). 31 Attend a gaming event 30 NB: ADULT PLAYERS Attend an esports event 45 POWER OF COMMUNITY

Reasons to Follow Esports () The popularity of esports continues to grow as a significant part of gameplay culture and Enjoy watching presenters 11 enterprise, and over the intervening two years since our last report, we see increased To support esports 17 interest in esports among adult players. I ENJOY PLAYING FIFA Of the who either 23 third of adult players Follow an esports team GAMES AS THE THRILL OF watch esports online or who attend esports WATCHING THEM PLAY, IT , follow to learn strategies that events 40% IS SO AMAZING HOW FAR may help them improve their own game THINGS HAVE COME. play, 38% follow to enhance their enjoyment Enjoy watching competitions 32 Male, 53, Brisbane, Queensland. of player culture, 32% enjoy watching the competitions, and 23% follow an esports team. Enjoy taking part in player culture 38 Generally supporting esports and watching presenters round out the reasons.

Learn strategies to improve gameplay 40

NB: ADULT PLAYERS 46 POWER OF COMMUNITY Reasons for Competing in Esports ()

To become a better player 15

PLAYING GAMES IS A FORM I AM CURRENTLY PLAYING Enjoy the challenge 35 OF ESCAPISM AND A WAY YUGIOH DUEL LINKS, A DIGITAL TO HELP ME HAVE FUN AND VERSION OF A CARD GAME RELAX. I APPREICATE THE I PLAYED AS A CHILD. IT HAS CREATIVITY AND DEPTH BEEN GREAT TO REDISCOVER OF MEANING AND STORY THE GAME AND I HAVE MADE Player community 49 OF EACH GAME AND IT IS FRIENDS ONLINE THAT I OFTEN SOMETHING I GET EXCITED TALK TO ABOUT THE GAME. ABOUT LEARNING MORE OF. Male, 29, Adelaide, South Australia. Female, 29, Perth, Western Australia.

Social aspects of esports 51

It is clear that participation in esports as a Of the quarter of adult players who said they A third compete because they enjoy the competitor further deepens engagement have competed in esports, half do so because challenge of pitting their skills against with play culture and provides opportunities they enjoy the broader social aspects of the those of other players. Becoming a better to extend the personal satisfaction possible pastime. Half say they compete to be active player was less frequently indicated. from play. members of the player community. 47 MATI: THE COMMUNITY PLAYER

I AM CURRENTLY DEALING WITH A CHRONIC ILLNESS WHICH MAKES DAY TO DAY LIFE VERY GRUELLING. GAMES LET ME ESCAPE FROM THAT AND TAKE MY MIND OFF IT. PLAYING AND CHATTING WITH PEOPLE ONLINE ABOUT GAMES I PLAY MAKES ME FEEL PART OF A COMMUNITY. Matt, 29, Adelaide, South Australia.

Player: Male, 29, Unemployed Access to Games: Tablet, smartphone, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch. Family Background: Lives in household of 4 with parents and partner. Motivations for Play: To have fun, to relieve boredom, to feel excitement. Location: Adelaide, South Australia. To connect with others, make friends. Cultural Background: Australian. Years Playing Games: 20 years. Other Interests: Playing board, card games, musical instrument. Types of Play: In-depth play only. Search Internet. Watch YouTube, TV, movies. Read Typical Duration: Everyday for 1 hour. books. Listen to music, podcasts. 48 POWER OF CREATIVITY Game-related Content Creation () Active participation in game culture is possible through a variety of game-related Create mods 28 cultural production. Cosplay 28 GAMES HAVE TAUGHT We found strong relationship among these Post gameplay videos 27 ME SO MUCH. A NEW activities, suggesting that while few in our WORLD IS REVEALED sample do all these things, doing one of Make machinima 25 IN EVERY GAME. THE them is linked with doing others. Participate in esports BEST GAMES ARE ONES 24 WHERE IT SEEMS LIKE In general, one in four adult players has Make games 24 A LARGE INTERAC- engaged in some combination of cultural TIVE PIECE OF ART. IT production; they create modifications to CREATES WONDER AND the content of games they play, dress up MAKES ME WANT TO BE as a video game character for a party or CREATIVE. CREATIVITY event, post videos online of their own THE POWER OF GAMES IN MY LIFE ALLOWS IS SOMETHING WE ALL gameplay, produce machinima or short ME TO DO THINGS I CAN’T NECESSARILY DO IN NEED. videos as part of an animated story, participate REAL LIFE, eg: GRAND THEFT AUTO. YOU CAN Male, 20, Melbourne, Victoria. in esports, and even make original games. PLAY THE CRIM [sic], STEAL CARS ETC. AND HAVE NO REPERCUSSIONS [LIKE] IN REAL LIFE. I PREFER TO PLAY A GAME TO ESCAPE EVERY- DAY LIFE, HAVE A BIG PLACE TO RUN AROUND AND DO WHAT I FEEL LIKE, AND HAVE FUN DOING IT. Male, 39, Sydney, New South Wales.

49 POWER OF LIVING WELL Games Potential for Living Well () The popularity of cultural production and participation among adult players demonstrates the power of games to add General knowledge 84 to community, creativity, and to transform. Digital knowledge 81

We presented adults in all households, Mental health 78 regardless of whether they play video Specialist knowledge 75 games, with an inventory of ways in which games might help people live well and Work skills 70 asked them to agree or disagree with each on a three-point scale. Cultural knowledge 69 Life skills 69 The vast majority validated the view that games have the power to help people live Life satisfaction 67 well, starting with over three-quarters saying Quality of life 65 games may contribute to general and digital knowledge, improve mental health, Physical health 62 and add to specialist knowledge. Physical fitness 60 Two-thirds said games may expand work Social relationships 60 skills, cultural knowledge, life skills, life satisfaction, and quality of life. Diet 52

Over half said games may improve physical NB: ALL ADULTS, PLAYER AND NON PLAYER health, physical fitness, and social relation- ships. Half said games may even have the power to promote a healthy diet. 50 POWER OF LIVING WELL Games Potential for Health Benefits () Games Potential for Ageing Well ()

Thinking skills 85 Increasing mental stimulation 87 Dexterity 76 Fighting dementia 81 Emotional wellbeing 74 Encouraging open-mindedness 73 Reduce anxiety 70 Improving life satisfaction 73 Social wellbeing 66 Maintaining optimism 73 Improving balance 64 Maintaining social connections 67 Physical fitness 60 Adding purpose to life 67 Manage pain 58 Increasing mobility 54 NB: ALL ADULTS, PLAYER AND NON PLAYER Reducing arthritis 43

Adults players and non-players generally Over half said games could improve balance, Three-fourths said games could encourage believe video games have the potential physical fitness, and be used to help manage open-mindedness, improve life satisfaction to deliver health and fitness benefits with pain. and promote optimism in ageing. more than three-fourths saying games can improve thinking skills, physical dexterity, Two-thirds said games may help older and emotional wellbeing. All adult participants estimated the degree adults maintain social connections and to which video games may help with ageing add purpose to life. Half said games may At least two-thirds said game play may re- well. At least four-fifths said games can in- increase mobility and less than half said duce anxiety and improve social wellbeing. crease mental stimulation and fight dementia. they may help reduce arthritis. 51 LOTTIE: THE RETIRED PLAYER

[THE] GAMES I PLAY ARE A WAY OF TAKING MY MIND OFF THE PRESSURES OF DAY TO DAY LIVING AND TO KEEP MY MIND ACTIVE. IT’S LIKE DOING CROSSWORDS AND KEEPING UP WITH MODERN TECHNOLOGY IN THE PROCESS AND KEEPS A LINE OF COMMUNICATION OPEN WITH MY GRANDCHILDREN.

Lottie, 83, Victoria.

Player: Female, 83. Access to Games: Computer, tablet. Retired Customer Service Officer. Family Background: Lives alone. Motivations for Play: Keep mind active. To relax, relieve stress. Location: Victoria. Cultural Background: Australian, British. Other Interests: Dine out. Attend sports event, cultural event, concert, Years Playing Games: 5 years. festival. Go to amusement, theme park, zoo, art gal- Types of Play: In-depth play. lery, museum, theatre, ballet. Play board, card games. Typical Duration: Every other day for 1/2 hour. Play with grandchildren, pet. Search Internet. Read books, magazines. Watch TV, movies. Listen to music. 52 POWER OF EDUCATION

Games are often made specifically for Games Potential for Education () the education market. However, educators identify some mainstream entertainment Student Support games such as Minecraft, Assassin’s Motivate students 61 Creed, and Civilization V to improve the learning experiences of their students. Inspire students to be creative 60 Help overcome learning disabilities 56 Adult players were asked to evaluate the Help students pay attention potential of games to benefit education in 54 terms of student support, school support, Give students confidence 53 and learning areas. In all cases, a majority Help students cope with stress 51 of adult players said they believed games may serve these purposes. School Support Help schools remain relevant 56 Of prominence were the use of games to Help teachers to connect with students 53 motivate students and inspire them to be creative. Learning Areas Teach students in general 63 Games were seen as beneficial for teach- Help with STEM learning 61 ing students in general, and in Science, Help with learning arts and humanities Technology, Engineering and Mathematics 56 (STEM) subjects in particular. Help students learn to read 54

NB: ADULT PLAYERS 50%

53 POWER OF EDUCATION

Video: How Have Games Improved Your Life?

(6:01 minutes)

In this video, players share their stories of how games have added to, and improved their lives. 54 POWER OF EDUCATION

Children Using Video Games at School () Parents were asked whether and how their children had used video games at school. Games used in school 52% Games used for co-curricular Over half said their children had used them 23% as part of their curriculum and classroom Developed video games in school 26% learning, about a quarter said their children had used video games for co-curricular or “after school” activities at school, and a quarter said their children had been part of making video games as part of their formal education.

GUITAR HERO CHALLENGED ME MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY, CREATED A SENSE OF FULFILLMENT AS I NEVER LEARNED HOW TO PLAY AN INSTRUMENT, AND HELPED ME CONNECT WITH OTHER PEOPLE. IT ALSO EXPOSED ME TO NEW MUSIC I LOVE. Female, 28, Perth, Western Australia. NB: PARENTS

55 POWER OF EDUCATION

Using Games at Work ()

New knowledge 36 IT IS SOMETHING THAT I REALLY ENJOY. I LOVE MOTOR RACING AND VIRTUALLY RACING IS NOT DANGEROUS OR EXPENSIVE. SO GAMING Health and safety 31 ALLOWS ME TO HAVE A SIMILAR OR SIMULATED EXPERIENCE THAT Workplace rules 30 WOULD BE DANGEROUS OR NOT POSSIBLE IN REAL LIFE. New software or tool 29 Male, 46, Melbourne, Victoria. New skills 29 GAMES HAVE A POWER IN MY LIFE THAT IS SIMILAR TO BOOKS - IT NB: ADULT PLAYERS TRANSPORTS ME TO ANOTHER LIFE, AND GIVES ME ACCESS TO IDEAS, EXPERIENCES AND VISUALS THAT I NORMALLY WOULDN’T Around a third of adult players said they HAVE. I VIVIDLY REMEMBER THE DAY THAT MY MUM BOUGHT A PS1 have used games in the workplace for FOR MY SISTER AND I, AND PLAYING THOSE GAMES WAS SOME- induction and orientation, new knowledge THING I OBSESSED ABOUT. WE WERE VERY COMPETITIVE, BUT IT and skills. ALSO BROUGHT US TOGETHER, WITH SHARED EXPERIENCES. TODAY, GAMES ARE A WAY FOR ME TO ESCAPE THE STRESSES OF MY LIFE They have used video games designed to AND ALSO TO COME TOGETHER WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY. REGARDLESS deliver new knowledge (36%), for health OF WHAT’S HAPPENING, GAMES CAN MAKE YOU LAUGH, LEARN ABOUT and safety training (31%), to learn work- OTHER PEOPLE AND MAKE GREAT MEMORIES. place rules (30%), to learn new software or tool use (29%), or to learn new skills of Female, 25, New South Wales. some kind (29%). This is consistent with findings we made in DA18. 56 GERI: THE INSPIRED PLAYER

I FIND GAMES MORE EMOTIONALLY POWERFUL THAN OTHER MEDIUMS BECAUSE OF THE ABILITY TO CHOOSE YOUR ACTIONS - THIS LEADS TO HIGHER ENGAGEMENT FOR ME AND AS SUCH I GENERALLY ENJOY GAMES MORE THAN OTHER MEDIUMS.

Geri, 18, New South Wales.

Player: Female, 18, Student. Access to Games: Computer, tablet, Sony PS4, Nintendo handheld. Family Background: Lives in household of 5 with parents, sister, 13, brother, 9. Motivations for Play: To have fun, pass time. Feel accomplishment, Location: Sydney, New South Wales. achievement. To do things not possible in the Cultural Background: Australian. real world. Fulfil a fantasy. Years Playing 5 years. Other Interests: Shop. Make things for hobby, craft. Attend art Games: In-depth play and casual play. gallery, museum, theatre, ballet. Play musical Types of Play: Everyday. Casual play 4 x day, 10 minutes. instrument. Search Internet. Watch YouTube, Typical Duration: In-depth play 2 hours. movies. Read books, magazines. Listen to music. 57 POWER OF ECONOMICS Making In-game Purchases () Australian developers are growing in number and the number of Australians who work in the industry is expanding too. for SELF As games become increasingly popular for OTHERS and ever more diverse and complex, there are many ways in which game developers Have made in-game purchases 65 can monetise their creative products. 40

After direct sales and subscriptions, developers use in-game purchases to support their diverse modern economy Continue playing 52 49 business models. In-game purchases Unlock new content 34 30 are popular because players can readily identify reasons for making a purchase Support a game 28 28 that has a direct benefit to gameplay for Personalise gameplay 24 27 them or for their family or friends for whom they are making the purchase. Speed up gameplay 29 26 Avoid ads or spam 20 22 Two-thirds of adult players have made in-game purchases for themselves at one Make gameplay more enjoyable 20 18 time or another and over half have made Gain advantage over others 14 15 in-game purchases for another person, usually a child. Of those who have made Enable multiplayer 8 9 in-game purchases, half have done so in order to unlock a timed trial game to A third have made in-game purchases to done so to support a game, personalise continue playing. unlock new content. About a quarter have gameplay or speed up gameplay. 58 POWER OF ECONOMICS Need for Diversity in Games ()

Cultural 65 THE MAIN GAME THAT CHANGED MY LIFE FOR THE BETTER WAS QUAKE 3, STRANGELY ENOUGH. IT 69 Age 65 Sexual orientation INTRODUCED ME TO MULTIPLAYER GAMING WHEN National 64 I WAS AT UNIVERSITY, AND I LEARNED TO IMPROVE MY SKILLS TO PLAY COMPETITIVELY AGAINST Gender 63 OTHER PEOPLE. I ALSO LEARNED ETIQUETTE AND 68 Race 63 SOCIAL SKILLS PLAYING WITH OTHER PEOPLE. Disability Language 62 Male, 34, Melbourne, Victoria. Religious 52

NB: ADULT PLAYERS

Between an eighth and a tenth use in- standard ABS classifications. Our sample At the top of the list 69% said games need to game purchases to get weapons or acces- had players and non-players from all 21 ABS portray a greater range of sexual orientations sory advantages to better compete or to classifications in remarkably equal propor- and LGBTQI communities, 68% said games enable multiplayer mode. tion – meaning the cultural make-up of adult need to do a better job of presenting a game players in Australia is as diverse as the range of people with disabilities, and 65% We have observed widespread use of Australian population itself. said games needed to pay more attention to games. In this iteration of the research, a wider range of cultural diversity and age we measured participant demographics It is important, therefore, to understand diversity. Wider nationality, gender, race, in addition to age, gender, and household which character representations in games and linguistic diversity were called for by size. We were particularly interested in the need more attention, according to adults just over 60% and more religious diversity cultural and linguistic diversity of players who play video games. by just over 50%. and non-players, which we measured using 59 POWER OF ECONOMICS Value of Games in Australian Economy () 74% 72% Value of making games for economy Importance of gaming industry 3/4 say game development Have knowledge of programming 20 is good for the Plan or currently work in gaming industry 16 eoo Plan career in games 13 Learning game programming 6

All adult participants including players an important industry to support through saying they or another household member and non-players were asked how important policy. plan to or are currently studying for a career they felt the video games industry was for the in the field. Australian economy. Twenty percent of participants had any knowledge of computer programming, At the time of the survey, 6% said they or Nearly three-quarters said making video however, 16% said they or another household someone in their household intend to learn games in Australia would add value to the member had discussed plans to work in game or game-related programming. national economy and they said it was the industry or already work in it, with 13% 60 POWER OF ECONOMICS

Australian Video Games Retail Industry () 4.03 $4 bil AU Total Sales ($ billion AU)

3.23 2.96 $3 bil AU 2.85 2.83 Digital Sales 2.46 ($ billion AU) 2.05 $2 bil AU 2.04 1.89 1.59 1.25 1.24 1.18 1.18 1.14 1.07 Physical Sales 1.21 $1 bil AU ($ billion AU) 0.90

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

The Australian video game retail industry game products including hardware and The compound annual growth rate is booming. Total sales reached $4 billion software. These results are exclusive of (CAGR) of the retail industry here is 15% in 2018, made up of substantial growth in general use devices such as PCs, smart- between 2013 and 2018. digital sales and steady sales of physical phones and tablet computers. 61 IN THEIR OWN WORDS

GAMES HELP ME TO EXPAND MY LIFE, TO FIND INTEREST AND ADVENTURE IN THE SAFETY OF MY LIVING ROOM. THEY MAKE THEY LET ME RELAX, ESCAPE, ME THINK CRITICALLY, PLAN, TAKE ME PLACES I OTHERWISE STRATEGISE, AND HELP ME LEARN CAN’T GO, THEY HELP ME SPEND FROM MISTAKES. ALSO, I HAVE A TIME WITH MY FRIENDS AND GAMES ARE JUST A HEALTHY CHRONIC INJURY, THAT PREVENTS FAMILY, LET ME ACHIEVE THINGS, PART OF MY EVERYDAY ROUTINE. ME FROM PARTICIPATING IN DO THINGS, EXPLORE THINGS. Male, 53, Western Australia. OTHER EXCITING HOBBIES SUCH Male, 29, Sydney, New South Wales. AS MANY SPORTS, BUT I CAN FIND MY OWN ENJOYMENT THROUGH GAMES. I EVEN DO MY WEEKLY I STARTED DOING GAMES AFTER PHYSIO EXERCISES IN FRONT OF PLAY GAMES TO FILL IN TIME, MY STROKE TO IMPROVE MEMORY, THE TV WHOLE [sic] PLAYING A KEEP MY MIND GOING, LEVELING I STILL DO IT TO STAY ACTIVE GAME. THIS NOT ONLY KEEPS ME UP MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD. ENTERTAINED, BUT MOTIVATES ME MENTALLY. Female, 29, New South Wales. TO DO THESE EXERCISES. GAMES Female, 68, Perth, Western Australia. HELP ME AVOID FEELING DOWN ABOUT WHAT I AM MISSING OUT ON, AND INSTEAD FEEL EXCITED FOR WHAT I CAN DO.

Female, 20, Perth, Western Australia.

62 PHIL: THE ACHIEVING PLAYER

CHALLENGING, TO CHALLENGE AND BE CHALLENGED. I MAINLY PLAY SCRABBLE AT THE MOMENT AND BECAUSE IT’S ONLINE I CAN PLAY WITH ANY OF MY FRIENDS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. FOR THE GAMES I PLAY AT HOME IT IS MORE FOR HEALTH AND FITNESS AND MENTAL BALANCE WHICH IS THE Wii AND I DO THIS WITH MY WIFE. IT’S SOMETHING WE CAN DO TOGETHER IN OUR HOME WITHOUT GYM MEMBERSHIPS, JUDGEMENT OF OUR LEVELS OR ABILITIES. IT Player: Male, 61. Access to Games: Computer, smartphone, older console. IS MORE RELAXING YET STILL Retired. Motivations for Play: To have fun, relax/ relieve stress. To be challenged. CHALLENGING AND EASIER TO amily Background: Lives in household of 2 with wife, 69. To connect with others. To do things not possible BE YOURSELF WHICH CREATES GREATER ACHIEVEMENT. Location: Victoria. in real life. To keep mind active. Cultural Background: Australian. Other Interests: Dine out. Go to pub, club, café; Shop. Exercise. Phil, 61, Victoria. Years Playing Games: 30 years. Garden. Make things of hobby, art, craft. Go to Types of Play: In-depth and casual play. art gallery, museum, theatre, ballet; Read on Typical Duration: Everyday other day. Casual play 2 x social media. Read book, newspaper. Watch day, 10 minutes. In-depth play 1/2 TV, movies. Listen to music. Take pics. Post to hour. social media. 63 IN THEIR OWN WORDS

I BELIEVE GAMING AND GAMES I TEND TO PLAY EDUCATIONAL THEY ARE A FUN WAY TO JOIN IN ARE AN ESCAPE FROM REALITY, GAMES OR THINKING GAMES LIKE WITH MY FAMILY...THEY ARE ALL JUST TO BE SOMETHING OR SOME- SCRABBLE, SOLITARE, MAHJONG, MUCH BETTER THAN ME AND ONE OR SOMEWHERE ELSE FOR DOMINOES, CANDY CRUSH, UNDERSTAND IT BETTER THAN A MOMENT, TO BE A SUPER HERO, THINKING TO KEEP MY MIND ME.. EVEN THOUGH I DON’T REALLY SOMEONE EXCITING, SOMEONE TO ACTIVE, AND PASS THE TIME. LIKE IT MUCH I JOIN IN TO HAVE FUN WITH THEM. SAVE THE WORLD AND EXPLORE Female, 39, New South Wales. NEW PLACES. SOUNDS CORNY Female, 40, Sydney, New South Wales. BUT THAT’S ABOUT IT. PLUS IT’S NICE TO SIT DOWN AND EXPLORE DIFFERENT WORLDS WITH MY SON I LIKE TO CHALLENGE MYSELF AND DAUGHTER TOO, JUST FOR A GAMES RELAX ME FROM DAY TO AND TO BE REWARDED IT IS VERY LAUGH OR A RACE. DAY WORK STRESS. FULFILLING Male, 48, Queensland. Male, 17, Victoria. Female, 72, Victoria.

64 ABOUT

Digital Australia 2020 (DA20) is an empirical Questions in the survey included Questions were grouped according to study about digital games in Australian open-ended, short response, list selection, theme including: households with a focus on demographics, dichotomous response (such as Yes/No • Household demographics, behaviours and attitudes. or Selected/Not selected), ranking (1-10), • Household media environment, three-, four - and five-point Likert items In this report, the words computer games, (Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree, for • Media access to game devices, video games, digital games, and interactive example). internet access and purchasing, games are used interchangeably to refer • Video gameplay preferences and to the broad class of interactive, digital These created over 400 measurement routines, entertainment. points. • Motivations for playing video games A game household was one that had in and social relationships that result, it any device for playing a video game, • Parental engagement with video including personal computers, smart games, phones, dedicated home consoles, tablet • Engagement with game culture computers, and handheld game devices. including esports,

A player was a person who indicated they • Games related to education, work, play computer or video games, simply health and ageing, “yes” or “no” on any device including a PC, • Classification and ratings, and console, handheld, social network, mobile • Attitudes and issues related to video phone or tablet computer. games and policy.

65 ABOUT

Data reported here come from 1,210 Aus- The quality and size of the sample was Statistical weighting was applied for accurate tralian households and 3,228 individuals of high. comparisons where data from this study all ages in those households. are compared with previous studies and For the purposes of including results for new questions in this study required Participants were drawn randomly from all members of a given household, the sum-total weighs. the Nielsen Your Voice Panel in February Vars-to-Cases procedure was used to create 2019. The Nielsen Company provided the individual records for all persons in a household Statistical procedures included simple research team at Bond University with raw identified by the participants in the study. descriptive statistics such as frequencies, data from the survey for statistical analysis cross-tabulations, means, correlations, and at the University. The data were analysed Data reduction procedures included reducing tests of significance such as Chi-square by report authors using the SPSS Versions the range for some questions to simplify and One-way ANOVA. The margin of error 24 and 25. presentation of responses. Some measures is ±2.7% for the national sample comparing were combined into indices where obtaining households and all household members, Results are calculated for three parts of a frequency or mean across a combination ±3.3% for adult players, ±2.5% for key households including responses to the survey of measures simplified the presentation of players, and ±2.3% for all players. by one adult member of the household (1,208 findings. households) and of those, the adults who themselves play video games and another Missing values were eliminated from analysis person in the home whose game habits they on a per-question basis unless multiple know (1,476 people), then all people in those measures were examined conjointly. For households (3,228 people). these, the case-wise deletion method was applied. For clarity throughout this report, we refer to these in turn as households, adult players, key players, all household members, then all video game players among them. 66