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Average Gamer Is 37 Years Old

Posted by Soulskill on from the get-off-my-sim-lawn dept.

kolbe writes "A new study from the Entertainment Software Association suggests that the average age of today's gamers is between the 37 and 41 years old. If true, does this mean that game studios should be adjusting their demographics accordingly? Is Generation X the next 'baby boomer' market for the gaming industry?"

6 of 295 comments (clear)

  1. its only the beginning by DI4BL0S · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I'm sure as we go further into the age of technology this number will rise

    1. Re:its only the beginning by michelcolman · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Yes, when I was 25, the average age of gamers was about 25. Now I'm about to turn 37... I guess I'm just part of the gamer generation, and games keep being played by pretty much the same people. Those that grew up with the first home computers and are always impressed by the latest technologies. Those young ones just don't appreciate this stuff on the same level. They're only interested in all this social crap the internet's filled with nowadays.

  2. Nah by eln · · Score: 5, Insightful

    We're all still mentally 15, so targeting us with boobs and explosions is still cool.

  3. Flight simmers are older by SplashMyBandit · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I'm 39 and a flight simmer (DCS:A-10C, LockOn: Flaming Cliffs 2, DCS:Ka-50 and IL-2:Clifss of Dover). Do play a little bit of twitch gaming but get bored of it. For my flight simming I have thousands of dollars of gear (Thrustmaster Warthog, rudder pedals, Track IR, multiple monitors, high-end PC). Most of my colleagues are of similar maturity and also have full sets of gear. We older gamers might be fewer in numbers but we are a goldmine in value (and we pay for our software since pirating is a complete hassle - and time is more precious to us fogies than money). Too bad we're completely invisible to the main-stream game reporting and gaming companies - especially the latter who produce games with purile content and weak storylines (I mean, effective modern combat units fight *for* their teammates, despite humored grumbling they don't bitch fight among themselves all the time).

  4. Re:Stereotypes are true? by superwiz · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This is the generation that came of age in the 90's. Most of them made more money than their parents on their first job out of college. They were what all the millenials think they ought to be. And having created the Internet, made or lost even more money in the housing boom, they are now going Galt by playing video games.

    --
    Any guest worker system is indistinguishable from indentured servitude.
  5. Re:Who has time to play? by Nursie · · Score: 4, Insightful

    You're doing it wrong?

    Seriously... I don't think I could survive more than a couple of 60 hour weeks in a row, and neither would I want to. if that realyl is the situation where you are then I suggest you might want to look into other lines of work.