Playing video games is one of the favourite things Australians do to while away time. The findings of the Digital Australia 2014 report commissioned by the Interactive Games & Entertainment Association released on Monday found that 70 per cent of the respondents play video games and 86 per cent of Aussie parents play it with their kids.

Australians play video games on their consoles, smartphones, tablets, laptops and PCs, causing a change in the composition of the country's interactive gaming universe from young people to adults as well.

The report said that Aussies in their 40s and 50s comprise the largest group of new gamers in the last 24 months, while those over 51 now account for 20 per cent of the country's video gamers.

This is not surprising since 90 per cent of Australian households own at least one device used for playing interactive games, said the study made by Bond University, the fifth in a series.

The study investigated the interactive games sector in the country and provided information of computer and video games uses and attitudes.

"When we conducted the first report in 2005, video games were seen as a medium aimed at younger children who only played on a console or PC. Today, the profile of the typical gamer is nearly synonymous with the profile of the typical Australian," said Dr Jeff Brand, author of the study and professor at Bond University.

"We might play a quick mobile game on the bus on the way to work, an educational game with the children after school, and a family game on the console as a way to spend time with our grandparents on the weekend, he added.

More information about the state of the Australian gaming industry in this video:

YouTube/JayPitty9

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