The Entertainment Software Association of Canada (ALD) has released an NPD Group survey of video game players in the country and the results of this survey bring up all sorts of interesting facts about gaming in Canada, including the increasing popularity of electronic sports.

Results and images: Entertainment Software Association of Canada

Adults watch tournaments

The survey results show that 36% of adult gamers have participated in esports-related activities in the past year, ie watched a tournament online or in person, bought a professional team or purchased goods, or participated in a tournament themselves. With more than one in three gamers interested in electronic sports, we can see that competition is firmly rooted in habits. Among young people, this statistic is slightly lower at 28%, but the interest is still there.

71% of those who have participated in an eSports activity see it as a career option. Knowing how difficult it is to become (and stay) a professional gamer, this number might seem a bit optimistic, but it shows that the competitions are taken seriously by those who follow them.

Play with friends… and family

Online gaming has become a staple for gamers in Canada and many consider it a social activity. Two-thirds of gamers said they meet people and make friends while playing. This is even more true for children, as 70% of them play more often with other people than alone. We’re far from the stereotype of the gamer isolated in their room!

And Canadians don’t just play with their friends; Of video game enthusiasts, three quarters engage in this activity with their children. This way they can have fun together and bond.

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Fewer players in Quebec

According to the survey, we find the lowest percentage of gamers in Quebec, where 50% of the population say they’ve taken their controller (or keyboard) with them in the last four weeks. British Columbia leads with 59%. Quebec is where we spend the least amount of time gaming, on average, about 7.3 hours a week, compared to 9 hours a week in Manitoba, the province that ranks highest in this category.

If you want to learn more about this survey, you can find all the detailed results on the ALD website.

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