72% of kids said this gift is on their holiday wish list this year

Fretting over what to get the kids on your holiday gift list? You apparently can’t wrong with a video game, according to a survey by the Entertainment Software Association.

ESA asked 501 U.S. children ages 10–17 and 500 U.S. adults ages 18–65 what they were going to ask for this year, and 72% of the youngsters — 59% of girls and 86% of the boys — said they wanted presents related to video games. Within that gift category, 39% wanted a game subscription, 38% game consoles, 32% game gear or accessories, 29% in-game currency and 22% an actual video game.

“More than 212 million Americans play video games regularly, so it comes as no surprise that games are at the top of this year’s wish lists,” Stan Pierre-Louis, president and CEO of ESA, said in a statement. “Whether a family is getting a new console, updating their controllers and headsets or adding to their library with new games and expansion packs, we know video games are a great tool for families to play together and connect during the holiday season and beyond.”

As for the adults, 32% said they plan to buy video game-related gifts either for themselves or for others. That percentage increases to 57% for parents. Adults told ESA they expect to spend, on average, $485 on these presents.

Before buying your kids a new game, ESA advises, check its age rating information to make sure it’s appropriate.

Age ratings are: E for everyone; E10+ for ages 10 and older; T for teen; M for mature, for ages 17 and older; and AO for adults only.

Parents should also check a game’s interactive elements, such as in-game purchases, user-to-user communication ability and more.

Parental controls can give adults peace of mind while their kids are playing. These controls include:

Not everyone is a gamer, however, the survey found. The respondents also said they wanted: