Nielsen has released their newest round of data tracking the gaming habits of American gamers. Though the Wii still continues to outsell many other systems the console is getting the least play time. The only system that it’s beating in terms of how often it’s played and for how long is the Gamecube. The PS3 is getting the most play time. Though the PS2 has a higher average minutes per gaming session at seventy-one, the PS3′s sixty-four minutes is more substantial when you compare that the PS3 on average gets played almost daily (six point eight days per week) while its predecessor gets only 5.5 days of usage per week (435.2 minutes for the PS3, 390.5 for the PS2).

Sony might not be accurate in their insistence that the DSi is ‘just for kids’, but when it comes to the home console market they’re a little more on the money. The largest demographic playing the Wii is the 6-11 age group, though whether that’s due to parental restrictions or the appeal of the games is a question to be explored. The Xbox 360 gets the most play time from the 12-17 crowd as the squeaky, crackingly pubescent voices uttering shrill profanities in your ear will attest to. The PS3 is the preferred system of adults, being played more by the 25-34 crowd, most likely because adults have a fair amount of disposable income and are generally disciplined enough to save the cash to buy the expensive system.

Though the price drop might reverse this trend, it seems that the PS2 is experiencing a sharp downturn in its popularity. The previous-gen console had for some time been getting the most play time, but from January 2008 to January 2009 the console’s usage was on a steady decline. One of the likely explanations is that PS2 use is dropping off as gamers switch to newer consoles: households with incomes above $60k showed a 25% drop in PS2 usage in 2008.

PC gaming is most common amongst adults by staggering percentages, with both the 25-54 and 55+ age ranges being the vast majority of gamers and having the most game time played. Believe it or not, World of Warcraft is not the most commonly played game on the list. In fact it’s #7 for both males and females from the 25-54 age range. Amusingly and unsurprisingly enough the top six slots are held by freecell, solitaire, hearts, pinball and minesweeper, all being titles included with a PC.