Atari Coin Connection

New Gallup Player Survey!
This is a brief summary of the results of the
most recent in a series of quarterly tracking
studies conducted for Atari by the Gallup
organization. The survey is designed to
measure changes in the usage of coin-op-
erated video games among a nationally
representative sample of adults, 18 years
of age and older and teenagers 13 to 1 7
years of age. Similar measures were taken
among adults and teens in July and Octo-
ber, 1983 and January and April, 1984.
Chart 1
FREQUENCY OF COIN-OP VIDEO PLAY
(based on those who have ever played)
TOTAL U.S. POPULATION
TEENS (13-17)
Coin-Op Video
Game Players
4m
(21%)
• Based on Atari's most recent Gallup sur-
vey (10/84), there are currently about 103
million players of video games in the total
U.S. population over the age of 13. (The
study does not include players under the
age of 13; however, estimates place an-
other 10 million players under the age of 13.)
• Among these players, about 17 million
are heavy players (playing at least once a
week). Of these heavy players, a great por-
tion are made up of teens; close to half
(42%) of all teens (aged 13-17) are heavy
video game players. It is estimated that the
under-13 age group would add another 5
million players to the heavy player seg-
ment (see Chart 1).
Coin-Op Video
Expenditures
• Projections for total revenue generated
by coin-op video games among the U.S.
population over the age of 13 in 1984 is
close to 4.3 billion dollars. With the addition
of the under-13 group this figure is proba-
bly closer to $5.0 billion dollars.
• While the heavy player segment contrib-
utes a majority of annual expenditures
(about 77%, or $3.3 billion dollars), medium-
and light-frequency players still contribute
over $1 billion annually (see Chart 2).
■
Heavy -
Players
56m
(70%)
Once a week or more
0 Medium - 1-3 times/month
Players
0 Light -
Less than once/month
Players
Chart 2
U.S. COIN VIDEO EXPENDITURES (13 - OVER)
TOTAL: $4,276,240,000
LIGHT
(6•/4)
$3,275.405
$743.573
$257,162
(X1000)
EXPENDITURES BY AGE ANO PLAY FREQUENCY
(13- 0VER)
HEAVY
(at least l x a week)
MEOI UM (1- 3x a month
(17•/4 TOTAL)
35+
320/o
Chart 3
TOTAL)
(60/o
GROSS REVENUE COMPARISONS
1978 - 1984
7.0
Gross Revenue
Comparisons
• In 1984 the gross expenditures (or coin
drop) on video games continue to be
higher than other traditional entertainment
industries.
• At peak levels in 1981, coin-op games
drew in more gross dollars than the com-
bined revenue of both records and mov-
ies. Much of this phenemonon was
attributed to the "hit game" era.
• Today, consumers are still spending
slightly more discretionary dollars on coin-
op videos than either recorded music or
movies (box office only, not home rentals).
(See Chart 3.)
ADULTS (18- 0VER)
63m
(61%)
6.0
5.0
4.0
I
-
-
RECORD
•• • • • • ••• •••••••••
3.0
MOVIE
~---- ---·----
2.0
,.o
-
-
I
......... ~
REVENUE
(BILLIONS)
I
•••••••
7 --- ---
71
....
-
~ .....
.
~
•••••• ·····--~
-···.
_ .. -- ---- --- ---
• •• •••
.. --
•• • •
-:"
• •••
VIDEO
'78
'79
'80
'81
YEAR
NOTE: COIN VIDEO U.S. POPULATION (t3 .. 0VEA)
'82
'83
'84