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The industry\u2019s changing consumer base and expanded game offerings across a variety of platforms have broadened the appeal of video games among Americans of all ages. Nearly three-quarters of American households play video games. According to the survey, these gamers often play at home with friends or while on the go; 65 percent report playing games with other gamers in person, and 55 percent play games on their phones or handheld device.<\/p>\n
The report also found that parents see a number of positive benefits of game play for their children and family. Sixty-eight percent of parents believe that game play provides mental stimulation or education, 57 percent believe games encourage their family to spend time together, and 54 percent believe that game play helps their children connect with friends. Fifty-nine percent of parents believe that video games provide more physical activity now than five years ago, a nod to the industry\u2019s increased development of active-play games.<\/p>\n
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Parents also remain highly involved in their children\u2019s game play by monitoring game selections and playing with their children. Parents are present when games are purchased or rented 91 percent of the time, and children receive their parents\u2019 permission before purchasing or renting a game 86 percent of the time. Forty-five percent of these parents also report playing games with their children at least weekly, an increase from 36 percent in 2007.<\/p>\n
These and other findings from the 2011 Essential Facts<\/em>demonstrate that video games are everywhere and played by virtually everyone. With the video game industry\u2019s commitment to reaching consumers in new and interesting ways, and the creativity of its developers and publishers, the already widespread appeal of video games is sure to continue expanding.<\/p>\n On Independence Day, we reflect on our country\u2019s fight for basic rights during the American Revolution, and celebrate our Declaration of Independence from the British Empire as a crucial step in preserving those rights. Today, the fight for human rights Breakthrough President and CEO Mallika Dutt understands the far-reaching appeal of social games and digital media, and incorporates these tools in the organization\u2019s campaigns to make human rights issues accessible to the broader public. Dutt believes game technology helps to \u201ctransform hearts and minds.\u201d Most recently, Breakthrough launched America 2049<\/em>, a 12-week-long Facebook-based game that combines elements of social game play, digital media and real-life events to educate players on key global issues.<\/p>\n The game, launched in April, plunges over 20,000 players into the year 2049 in a dystopian world splintered by race and ethnicity and hostile to self expression. Players work as agents of the Council on American Heritage to capture a fugitive and confront issues such as sex trafficking, discrimination based on race and sexual orientation, immigration, labor and religious freedom. Players also follow an online curriculum, which features a different social justice theme each week, and navigate social websites where they can strategize with others, discuss issues and watch videos created by the game\u2019s fictional government.<\/p>\n Game designers Heidi Boisvert and Andrea Phillips created 450 pages of script for the game and incorporated posters and artifacts that link the game to American history. Content such as The<\/em> New York Times<\/em>\u2019 coverage of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911 and a poster for the 1928 movie \u201cAbie\u2019s Irish Rose,\u201d about an interfaith relationship between a Catholic woman and a Jewish man, help to transport and influence players. Outside of the virtual world, players also have the opportunity to attend events at important cultural institutions such as the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute in Alabama<\/a>, the Ellis Island Immigration Museum<\/a> in New York and the Arab American National Museum<\/a> in Michigan.<\/p>\n\nSOCIAL GAME BLENDS AMERICAN HISTORY, FICTIONAL WORLD TO INSPIRE CHANGE<\/h2>\n
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<\/a>continues both here and abroad, in new ways that often involve interactive games and social networks. Breakthrough, a global rights organization focused on raising awareness of human rights issues, is one group that taps into the power of entertainment software to connect people to the world around them and inspire social action.<\/p>\n