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If you haven’t yet considered in-game advertising, worried that the average gamer doesn’t quite fit your key demographic, then perhaps the Entertainment Software Association’s (ESA) latest report will make you take another look at the channel and its audience.

According to the ESA, 68% of American households play PC or video games and it’s not just geeky teens that are enjoying this form of entertainment.

In fact, the ESA’s findings show that a larger percentage of gamers are age 50+ than are age 18 or under - 26% vs. 25%. The bulk of gamers are aged 18-49 (49%) and the average age is 35 with 12 years of gaming under their belt.

And remember, gamers are almost as likely to be men as women (60% vs. 40%), and women age 18+ make up 34% of gamers whereas the more stereotypical gamer, boys age 17 and under, constitute just 18%.
“This is the new golden age of entertainment software. Our products are now being enjoyed by over two-thirds of Americans,” said Michael D. Gallagher, CEO of the ESA. “As the findings of the 2009 Essential Facts (.pdf) illustrate, more and more Americans across all demographics are now embracing the interactive entertainment experience that computer and video games provide.”

So what sorts of games are being played? The ESA found the most popular genre (by sales) to be Strategy (34.6%), followed by RPGs (19.6%) and Family Entertainment (17.1%). In total, $11.7 billion was spent on PC and video games in the U.S. last year.

The attraction for marketers? Gamers aren’t averse to being served ads in games. In fact, some have even found that gamers believe relevant ads placed in gaming environments can enhance gameplay. Recent findings from Continental Research in the UK showed nearly two-thirds (65%) believe in-game ads add to the realism of a gaming environment and 55% go so far as to say ads “look cool”.

It’s this potential level of acceptance and engagement, coupled with the growing audience base, that is attracting marketers to in-game advertising. A recent study by Screen Digest/GroupM suggests the in-game ad market will reach $1 billion by 2014.

“Games are proven recession-beaters with an ad-funded online model that actually works,” said Adam Smith, Futures Director at GroupM. “There are many ways in which advertising can help evolve business models for video games and we have only just begun to explore that potential. Given gaming is now a mainstream leisure interest, in-game deserves the same consideration as mobile and social media.”