The ESA's Power of Play report paints a portrait of the the world's gamers

"One of the most intriguing aspects to the report were the benefits people said they received from playing games. The top answer was that games offered mental stimulation, which 81 percent of the respondents said. Eighty percent said games provided stress relief, 73 percent said games made them feel happier and 64 percent said games connected them with other people which helped them feel less isolated or lonely."

"There are a lot of interesting data points here from more than 24,000 respondents, all of whom are older than 16 and play at least weekly. The doubters who think gaming is just for kids may be surprised to learn that the average age of the respondents is 41 years old, and the gender split is nearly even between men and women."

"Seventy-seven percent said gaming increased creativity, 76 percent said it improved problem-solving and 74 percent said gaming upped both cognitive skills and teamwork or collaboration. The report also points to how popular mobile gaming still is. Overall, 55 percent of the respondents said mobile was their favorite gaming platform. Half of the respondents under age 35 play on mobile, and an impressive 61 percent of the over 50 gamers also play on mobile."

More than 24,000 respondents older than 16 who play at least weekly provided data. The average respondent age is 41 and the gender split is nearly even. Eighty-one percent reported mental stimulation from gaming, eighty percent reported stress relief, seventy-three percent reported increased happiness, and sixty-four percent reported that gaming reduced feelings of isolation by connecting them with others. Sixty-six percent cited fun as the primary reason for playing. Seventy-seven percent reported increased creativity, seventy-six percent reported improved problem-solving, and seventy-four percent reported gains in cognitive skills and teamwork. Mobile is the favorite platform for 55 percent overall, with half under 35 and 61 percent of those over 50 playing on mobile.

Read at Engadget