Of the nearly 3,500 children between the ages of 2 and 17 that the NPD surveyed, one-third responded that they are spending more time playing games than they did a year ago. As of press time, an NPD representative had not returned GameSpot's request for comment on how the habits of the remaining two-thirds had changed.

The report also found that PCs are the primary gaming platform for kids, with children starting to game on the system at age 6, and continuing through the age of 17, the longest stretch of time of any gaming system measured. According to the NPD, the "gaming lifecycle" begins with kid-focused systems.

As boys get older, they migrate to plug-and-play TV games, then previous-generation consoles and handhelds. At age 10, they move to cell-phone gaming and the current crop of systems from Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft. On the other hand, girls tend to leave gaming behind as they get older.

NPD Group analyst Anita Frazier said in a statement that the switch from casual to core gamer happens between the ages of 6 and 8, which suggests that this span of time is "a critical age at which to capture the future gamers of the world."

Of 1254 participants (53% female, 47% male), only 80 reported playing no electronic games in the previous 6 months. Of 1126 children who listed frequently played game titles, almost half (48.8%) played at least one violent (mature-rated) game regularly (67.9% of boys and 29.2% of girls). One third of boys and 10.7% of girls play games nearly every day; only 1 in 20 plays often or always with a parent. Playing M-rated games is positively correlated (p < .001) with being male, frequent game play, playing with strangers over the Internet, having a game system and computer in one’s bedroom, and using games to manage anger.

Boys who play video games on school days spend 30 percent less time reading and girls spend 34 percent less time doing homework than those who do not play such games, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

But they said video games do not appear to interfere significantly with time spent with family and friends.

"Gamers did spend less time reading and doing homework. But they didn't spend less time interacting with their parents or their friends, nor did they spend less time in sports or active leisure activities," said Hope Cummings of the University of Michigan, whose study appears in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

The study comes as U.S. doctors voice growing concern about the long-term effects of video games.

comScore Media Metrix, the leader in digital media measurement, today released the second quarter results of Game Metrix, a quarterly syndicated study analyzing gamers' cross-platform behaviors and attitudes. The study combines the passive observation of online behavior, including visitation to online gaming and gaming information sites, with the results of a survey of 800 respondents who provided their attitudes regarding gaming and other usage information.

Contrary to popular belief that gamers are primarily teenage boys, results of the study indicate that video games have much broader appeal. On average, gamers are 41 years of age with an average annual income of $55,000. Further, females account for 52 percent of the gaming audience. The average gamer has been online for nine years and 84 percent have broadband access at home.

"The most popular drivers for purchasing games seem to fall into two basic categories - game experience and word-of-mouth," commented Erin Hunter, executive vice president of comScore’s Media and Entertainment Group. "These findings underscore the importance of marketing to, and listening to, experienced gamers. Familiarity with a particular game can influence both the gamers' direct purchase behavior, as well others' purchase behavior through positive word-of-mouth."

70,000 residents

240,000 items created

$6.5 million internal economy

75 million IMs

Players spend 25% of their time creating virtual objects

In a revolutionary first, the Resident-made game that swept Second Life will be commercially licensed to sweep the world-beginning with the Game Developers Conference. It began as a simple, multiplayer board game with elements of Bingo and a fast-action jigsaw arcade game, created by Australian Resident Kermitt Quirk. Since its appearance in Second Life this year, however, the addictive gameplay of Tringo has dazzled Residents beyond all expectations. In recent weeks, for example, one in four Resident-run events were based around Tringo matches.

One Resident took particular interest in Tringo, but he wasn't just a fan. He also happened to be Sean Ryan, former CEO of Real Networks, now founder of Donnorwood Media. After some heavy in-world negotiations, Kermitt sold the worldwide licensing rights for Tringo to Donnorwood, and in the process, business history was made: a game originally created in an online world had been sold by its designer for commercial distribution outside it.

Sean Kang, Director of Strategy, the man responsible for identifying social and cultural trends for NCsoft Europe says, "Online games have thriving social communities, and it's only natural that they, as gamers, should follow similar trends to followers of other forms of media. Films, videogames, comic books, all borrow from each other and it's often the same audience being entertained. And right now, villains are in."

Eurogamer editor Kristan Reed says, "There's an inherently dark side to even the godliest soul. Videogames give us the chance to indulge in the sinister glamour of playing the bad guy - and all without fear of being locked up for it. Games have definitely become darker over the years, and some of the most popular titles have been the ones that have recognized that we all love playing the villain."

Vivendi Universal Vice President Greg Goodrich had a humorous take on the issue: "I guess it all depends on the genre you are speaking of and your definition of a 'villain'. In Star Wars I like to play as 'The Empire'. In Warcraft I prefer 'The Horde', both villainous factions. Obviously, our societal limitations do not allow me to blow up a planet nor do they allow me to hunt Night Elves with extreme prejudice, so glorifying these activities in a video game should not make the socially conscious too upset. Games to me have always been about escaping into a world that I could not otherwise be an active participant. They are fun because my normal daily activities do not include running from the police, jumping from buildings, or casting fire bolts from the tips of my fingers. From the most basic level, this is why we have fun playing games. We are empowered with abilities we would not normally have. If we were limited to paintballs, speed limits and flag football, we would not have the desire to play them virtually. However, there is one case example that I know of in gaming that glorifies villainous activities which should neither be glorified nor condoned. You should absolutely not be allowed to play The Yankees in MVP Baseball."

According to a recent study from Netherlands-based marketing agency JuniorSeniorResearch, video games have become a central part of the lives of today's children. The study polled 4,000 kids up to the age of 15-years-old (both boys and girls) and discovered that 61 percent play video games on a daily basis.

Interestingly, with all the focus on consoles and handhelds in this industry, the study found that a large majority (65 percent) of children prefer playing games on the PC. Also, only a small percentage (12 percent) admitted to copying their games from friends, despite the fact that PC titles are much easier to duplicate than console games.