More than 67 per cent of people in the ACT play video games - the highest percentage in the country - according to a Interactive Games and Entertainment Association and Bond University report. The report, now in its ninth iteration, explores video gamers' habits and the overall landscape.

So what is it about Canberra that attracts so many gamers?

"It wasn't until we got the results that we realised how much higher the percentage was in Canberra," Interactive Games and Entertainment Association chief executive Ron Curry says.

"I think the fact that Canberra is a relatively mobile town, with a lot of public servants who tend to be a transient population, has had a big impact.

"And when we did the report, it was during COVID, and there are a lot of white-collar workers in Canberra who were able to stay at home and had a lot of time to dedicate to gaming."

The pandemic and, in particular lockdowns, saw video games become a vital source of not just entertainment but also a means of connection, communication and social interaction between friends and family.

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The report found that more than 75 per cent of Australians who played video games used them to connect with others during the pandemic. And nearly a quarter of participants said they used in-game tools to communicate with others during the pandemic. For others, it was a means of connecting with of their family.

"We know a lot of older people are introduced to video games via their mobile devices ... and they learn how to communicate with their families that way," Curry says.

"We had a couple of interesting stories and narratives throughout our research about grandparents who through lockdown were looking after the grandkids more often. We found that while the kids are playing games, they would bring their grandparents into it and introduce them to gaming.

"Now it may not have been Call of Duty or FIFA - it may have been Words With Friends or Scrabble or Bejeweled - but it was a way of connecting."

Curry adds that for this and other reasons, video games provided an avenue to help with mental health, particularly during the pandemic.

The research found that people turned to video games because they inspired creativity, whether that was because they were making games themselves or they were creative in some other medium.

There are also instances where video games can help in real-world situations. For example, there is an instance where a video game has helped people with cochlear implants - which can make it frustrating to listen to music - develop a different understanding of music.

"Cochlear commissioned the game that taught people to learn to appreciate music again," Curry says.

"As a music lover, not being able to appreciate music would kill me and realise that there's a game that can help you regain your appreciation is magic."

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