2017 CESA General Consumer Survey Report

The Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA) announced the March 27, 2017 release of its 2017 CESA General Consumer Survey Report, subtitled the Japan Game Users and Non-Users Survey. The 228-page A4 volume, priced at 6,480 yen including tax, covers consumer game usage and lifestyle in Japan during 2016 and serves as the foundational dataset for the annual CESA Games White Paper.

The survey targeted residents nationwide aged 3 to 79 and yielded 2,765 valid responses, which were extrapolated to the full population. Based on those estimates, 53.26 million people own a home video game console, 29.44 million qualify as active home console users who play at least occasionally, and 16.40 million are continuing home console players. Across all platforms, including home consoles, PCs, smartphones and tablets, mobile phones, and arcade games, 46.14 million people play games on a continuing basis.

Smartphone and tablet gaming leads the platform comparison with an estimated 33.66 million continuing players, far ahead of home consoles at 16.40 million and underscoring mobile's dominance of the Japanese player base.

Among individual hardware, the Nintendo 3DS ranks first in household ownership at 28.1 percent, up from 25.5 percent in 2015, followed by the Nintendo DS at 25.5 percent, down from 26.8 percent. The 3DS also leads in personal play rate at 14.0 percent, compared with 13.3 percent in 2015, with the Wii second at 10.8 percent, down from 11.9 percent. These figures point to the continued strength of Nintendo's handheld line in Japan, alongside a gradual decline in older hardware.