• October 21, 2008

Core male gamers have lives outside of playing video games, with a wide range of consumer interests including fitness, movies, electronics and clothing, according to a new study.

The research by Nielsen's @Plan unit commissioned by male-oriented Web publisher Giant Realm aims to dispel the notion of serious gamers as Red Bull-fueled, Xbox addicts huddled in the dark for hours on end playing "Halo 3" and "Grand Theft Auto." Or at least they do other stuff, too.

"Millennial" gamers engage in social activities more often than the general population of 18- to-34-year-olds including going to a bar or club, dating and working out at the gym in the last 30 days, according to the Nielsen findings.

In the last year, they also made purchases more frequently, including electronics gear such as a high-definition television, a DVD player and a console game player. The millennial gamers also bought movie tickets and music in the last 30 days.

"Millennial guys with passions for games tend to be very passionate about other things as well," said Keith Kane, co-founder and senior vice president of sales and marketing at Giant Realm, in a statement. "As the study results indicate, these are first movers and influencers who should be an important target for any advertiser wanting to reach this demographic."

Advertisers on GiantRealm.com include Ford, Gillette, Slim Jim, Unilever and NBC.--Mark Walsh