In their recently published ‘2013 Essential Facts about the Computer and Video Game Industry’, the ESA conducted some research into how many parents play computer games alongside their children.

Ipsos MediaCT conducted the research for the report, gathering data from more than 2,000 nationally representative households.

The report provides statistics on industry demographics; the types of games played and game platforms used; how parents monitor and engage with their children around game play.

The results were interesting, with almost half of parents stating that they enjoyed playing video games just as much as their child.

"A very large percentage of those who play games with their children purely do it for love of games or to bond with their offspring" ~ Nikolai Veselov, MyRealGames.com

The report shows that parents are closely monitoring what their children are playing.

According to the Essential Facts report, parents are present when games are purchased or rented 89 percent of the time.

Children receive their parents' permission before purchasing or renting a game 80 percent of the time.

35 percent of parents play computer and video games with their children at least weekly with 58 percent of parents playing at least monthly.

The most popular reason stated was because online games are fun for the entire family, with 85% citing this as the reason they play, while 78% say that they find playing such games offers them the chance to socialize and connect with their child.

Less than half of parents said that they play games with their kids because they enjoyed playing video games as much as their child and over half of parents surveyed said that playing video games were a positive part of a child's life.

Parents continue to rely on the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) video game rating system and parental controls to make purchasing decisions and monitor game play.

Nearly 90 percent of parents said the ESRB rating system is either very or somewhat helpful in choosing games for their children, and 86 percent said parental controls available on all video game consoles are useful – a sharp increase from 73 percent in 2012.

Michael D. Gallagher, president and CEO of ESA, the trade association that represents the U.S. video game industry said: "Our industry takes seriously our partnership with parents and our responsibility to provide families with tools to help them make educated entertainment choices.

We are encouraged to see parents use these resources and take an active interest in their children's game play."

Nikolai Veselov, of MyRealGames.com, an online games website with a multitude of kid’s games, says, “Our children’s games section has always been very popular, and we are pleased to see that a very large percentage of those who play games with their children purely do it for love of games or to bond with their offspring.

The free download games we have on offer are a mixture of educational and fun for all ages, and provide a great opportunity for parents to spend quality time with their children that involves interaction, education and enjoyment.”

Whether providing mental stimulation, connecting with their friends or helping the family spend time together, gaming with your kids is cool.

Just make sure that your kids feel the same way about you playing online games with them..