Hispanic and Black Americans play video games more than other groups, according to an annual industry report, bucking the stereotype that White Americans are the industry’s most enthusiastic consumers.
While 72% of gamers last year were White — amounting to the biggest group because of their larger numbers — a higher share of Hispanic, Asian or Pacific Islander and Black Americans play games, the Entertainment Software Association said Monday.
Over the last several years, the US video-game industry has faced criticism for telling stories that primarily center around White Americans. Recently, more US-published games have featured more non-White characters.
Many top gaming companies are also making a concerted effort to diversify their workforces. Recently, Activision Blizzard Inc. announced that under-represented ethnic groups made up 39% of the employees in 2022 — up three percentage points from the year before.
The trade group’s annual survey said active players in the US fell slightly last year to 212.6 million. Men ages 18 to 44 were most likely to consider themselves active players.
Their play time shrank by 4% in 2022, with a number reducing engagement to one to three hours a week, falling into the casual category, from the four-plus for the busiest gamers.
