Over half of American women polled in the SRG research study say they are game-players and that their favorite console game is Guitar Hero.

The study interviewed 2,000 women age 12 and up.

“Gaming is one of the most dynamic forms of entertainment, perhaps its no wonder that in our current economic climate, women are looking to escape digitally,” said Donna Hall, co-author of the study.

The Sony Playstation 2 has the lead in terms of console that women play occasionally, but the Nintendo Wii is gaining steam. Console gamers identified the Wii as their favorite console in the survey.

For type of games, Guitar Hero is the favorite followed by Mario Kart and Wii Fit.

“Another reason for the increasing popularity of gaming among moms is an opportunity to spend time with the kids. Guitar Hero provides a nostalgic music experience for moms while actively engaging a child on their own turf. No wonder it is the most popular game,” said Donna Hall.

87% of moms play video games with their kids. The research also found that Hispanic and African-American women are big gamers with consoles and handhelds and also start at an earlier age.

POGO.com is the leading web destination from the women polled with Yahoo! and MSN following suit.

27% of women polled played game on their cell phone in the last month. With over half of the women sharing their phone with their kids to let them game on it.

The survey shows that women are embracing gaming whether it’s alone or with their kids. The survey is part of an overall Women & Digital life survey to show how women “navigate in the age of broadband, mobile and social media”. You can read more about the survey at SRG’s website here .