Time spent gaming on the rise - NPD

Gamers are spending more and more time with their home consoles and less on their portable systems, according to the market research firm NPD Group.

A survey conducted by the firm concluded that gamers over the age of 2 in the United States spent over 13 hours playing video games each week, up from 12.3 hours per week for the previous year. The uptick is based on a January 2010 online survey that garnered 18,872 responses.

The study also found that hours spent playing console games spiked the most dramatically, with the average time spent playing vaulting 9 percent from the year prior. Time spent with PC games rose 6 percent, and portable gaming dropped double digits, down 16 percent from 2009. Additionally, the study concluded that the age of the average gamer rose to 32 years old from 31.

According to the survey, the "extreme gamer" classification saw its weekly average hours spent playing games rise from nearly 40 to more than 48. The firm did not detail what criteria it used to include respondents in the "extreme" group, but did note that it makes up just 4 percent of the market.