Extreme gamers, which represent 4 percent of the total U.S. gaming population, spend 48.5 hours a week playing games, according to a new report from The NPD Group.

 Overall, U.S. gamers spend 13 hours per week playing games, up from 12.3 hours in 2009.

When looking at the number of hours gamers spend per week playing video games, hours spent playing both console and PC games showed a marked increase over last year’s study, with console games increasing 9 percent and PC games increasing 6 percent.  The number of hours gamers spent playing portable games saw a decline of 16 percent. 

"With these kinds of shifts in the composition of the gaming consumer and changes in gaming behavior, it’s clear that the need to understand gamers and their purchase patterns remains critical information to those that develop, market and sell games," said Anita Frazier, industry analyst, The NPD Group.

The average age of gamers increased slightly over last year from 31 years of age in the 2009 study to 32 years in this year’s study.  Avid PC Gamers and Offline PC Gamers, comprising 11 percent and 8 percent of the gaming population, respectively, are the oldest segments with an average age for both of 42 years.