A new study by the Entertainment Software Association has found that 72 percent of American households play video games, while 82 percent of gamers are adults. Titled '2011 Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry', the research study sourced nearly 1,200 nationally representative households, and found that the average American gamer is 37 years old. It was also noted that 42 percent of gamers are female, while women over the age of 18 make up more than one-third of all gamers in the U.S. Elsewhere, it's revealed that the average game purchaser is 41 years old, and that 55 percent of gamers regularly play games on their smartphones or handheld devices. The study also looked at parents, and found that 45 percent of parents play video games with their children, while 90 percent monitor the content of the games that their children play. Of those parents surveyed, 57 percent said they believe games encourage families to spend more time together, while 68 percent said they felt that video games provided a source of education.