Adult female gamers have dethroned boys under the age of 18 as the largest game-playing demographic in the United States.

A recent study conducted by the Entertainment Software Association, a trade group focused the U.S. gaming industry, shows that adult female now lead in gaming.

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This study also shows men are still the majority population in the U.S. gaming field, however.

But the number of adult female playing games on both mobile devices and consoles increased by 48 percent compared to the 40 percent in 2010.

The boost in the number of female gamers is likely to be linked to the widespread smartphone adoption of games.

The female gaming population is likely to play on their mobile devices just like men play games on Apple's iPhone and iPad devices.

Previously, female gamers only played games to connect with their loved ones.

A lot of women before played games with family members but they're now embracing gaming as part of their leisure activity, said Nielsen analyst Nicole Pike.

The population of teen gamers is widely considered one of the most sought-after demographics by game development studios. The increasing number of female gamers could be a sign of changes in the gaming field.

Flurry Analytics, a mobile ad firm, discovered females could make more money for game developers when it comes to revenue and brand engagement.

"Candy Crush Saga" and "Kim Kardashian: Hollywood," two of the most popular simulation games played by females, received massive amounts of money.

The study showed the games females play vary widely. Among these games are "Temple Run," "QuizUp" and traditional card games.

Flurry found out that women spent 31 percent more money on in-app purchases and 35 percent more time using mobile games, unlike their male counterparts.

Furthermore, women commit themselves to a certain game and stick with it.

TagsGamer, Nintendo, Apple Inc., mobile games, Candy Crush Saga, kim kardashian hollywood, Gaming, Female Gamers