WELLINGTON, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- New Zealanders have embraced the opportunities video and computer games present in health, aged care, school, learning and work settings, according to a new research released on Monday.
The research was conducted by Australia's Bond University and the Interactive Games & Entertainment Association (IGEA), an industry association representing the business and public policy interests of New Zealand and Australian companies in the computer and video games industry.
The study found that 98 percent of New Zealand homes with children have computer games, eight out of 10 own multiple devices, and 85 minutes is the average daily total of all game play.
Two-thirds of all New Zealanders play video games, while 47 percent of players are female, 73 percent of players are aged 18 years or older, and the average player age is 34, it said.
The research called "Digital New Zealand 2018" studied 807 New Zealand households and 2,288 individuals of all ages in those households, with more than half of parents reporting their children have used video games for school curriculum, compared to 38 percent in 2016.
Jeff Brand, lead author of the report and Bond University professor, said that over 65-year-olds continue to make up the largest group of players new to games, and they are playing to achieve specific health and ageing outcomes.
"We have also seen a significant uptake of games in schools and the workplace, and games play a fundamental role in how we connect, stay healthy, and learn," Brand said.
New Zealanders are looking to games for positive ageing, according to the study which showed that almost 90 percent of adults surveyed said they believe video games can increase mental stimulation, 76 percent stated that video games help fight dementia, and half of respondents agreed that playing games can help increase mobility.
Games also make a significant contribution to the economy, it said, adding that digital game sales grew at a compound annual growth rate of 20 percent over the last three years, and three-quarters of New Zealanders agreed that making games locally benefits the New Zealand economy.
