In this day and age of entertainment, more and more people (like my frugal self) are finding that going to the movies is kind of a waste of money.. when I can put that money into getting a videogame that would give me exponentially more hours of entertainment than a 2-3 hour flick would.  Not to say that I will never go to the movies, but the movie has to be worth it (like the upcoming Harry Potter, Transformers 2, etc).

from USATODAY

Nearly two out of three Americans have played a video game in the past six months, more than the number of those who have gone to the movies, says a study from entertainment research firm The NPD Group.

Based on responses from 11,000 U.S. consumers, the study finds 63% have played video games. During the same six-month period, only 53% report going to a movie.

“Video games account for one-third of the average monthly consumer spending in the U.S. for core entertainment content, including music, video, games,” said NPD analyst Anita Frazier in a statement. “While a portion of that share stems from the premium price of console games, we’re also seeing an overall increase in the number of people participating in gaming year-over-year.”

The results are part of a broader consumer study titled “Entertainment Trends in America,” which tracks overall entertainment consumption in the U.S.

Among some of the other findings:

- One in three gamers purchased a console or portable video game over the last 12 months, an increase compared to last year.

- Consumers who identified themselves as video game players spent an average of $38 a month on gaming content, based on spending in the three months prior to March 2009.

Readers, surprised by the findings?

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