Nielsen sent word today that game console usage has been on the rise in the U.S. According to Nielsen's Cross-Platform report, the time spent with game consoles each day has jumped 14 percent in the last year in American households. The research also shows that game console penetration in TV homes grew nearly four percent over Q2 2010.
Interestingly, looking at hyperlocal trends, Nielsen pointed out that Baltimore has the highest video game penetration in the U.S. A previous report we covered on game spending in U.S. cities doesn't list Baltimore in the top 20, however.
The Nielsen report covers TV and Internet trends as well, and it's worth noting that despite the rise in game console usage, TV watching actually increased as well. The notion that gaming is taking away from TV time doesn't seem to hold water here. Traditional TV viewing saw an increase of 2 hours 43 minutes per month.
Nearly half (48%) of Americans now watch video online too, and broadband Internet penetration has gotten steadily better in the U.S. 72% of U.S. homes now pay for a cable/sattelite package that includes broadband Internet.
