56% increase in tween girls playing video games in past year
The total number of monthly average users who are tween girls has increased by 56 per cent in the UK over the past year, from 1.6 million to 2.5 million, research from Spil Games has found.
Based on figures from GirlsgoGames, it was found that the average time on site increased 31 per cent, from 35 minutes to 46 minutes per month, with 5pm on Saturday being the most popular time to play.
Oscar Diele, chief marketing officer at Spil Games, said: “It’s great to read more and more fact-based evidence of the importance of gaming to the tween girl demographic. I think the lack of recognition in the past has a lot to do with the fact that tween-focused platforms like GirlsgoGames are really specific to the age-group—if you’re not a tween girl, you probably haven’t heard of them.”
The research mirrors that from Newzoo, which found that in the US, UK, and France, tween girls list gaming as their 3rd favourite pastime, just behind browsing the Internet and watching TV.
Peter Warman, CEO of Newzoo, added: “The global tween gaming market has been underestimated for a long time. Despite this, gaming has become a favourite form of entertainment for these girls, and they’re responding strongly to gaming content that reflects their interests.”