Current-gen consoles in more than half of nation's homes - Nielsen

If there was any doubt as to whether or not gaming is a major hobby for Americans, it's now been laid to rest. New survey data from media research firm Nielsen shows that 56 percent of United States households own an Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, or Wii.

The company's recent survey results, which were spread through Twitter, also indicated that in the past 12 months, time spent gaming has increased 7 percent. According to Nielsen, tablet and mobile gaming drove the increase.

However, Nielsen's survey shows that not all platforms enjoyed a surge in play time. According to the company, time spent playing the Wii was down 22 percent over the course of the past year.

As for mobile gaming, Nielsen found that 39 percent of American homes have an iOS device, and close to 50 percent of children aged 6-12 own a Nintendo DS portable.

Looking into 2012, Nielsen prognosticated that major trends in the upcoming year will be digital monetization, cross-platform play, and the growth of living room entertainment through connected devices.