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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?"

7 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

  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. original by mustPushCart · · Score: 5, Informative

    Heres the original pdf of the study.

    http://www.theesa.com/facts/pdfs/ESA_EF_2011.pdf

    its up from 34 last year apparently. So gamers are ageing 3 years for every 1.

    1. Re:original by mcvos · · Score: 4, Funny

      its up from 34 last year apparently. So gamers are ageing 3 years for every 1.

      That's it. I'm quitting.

  5. Re:Middle age and I hate games by Grygus · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I have heard it suggested a few times that this is true of all game designers, that when a real designer plays a game, all he sees are the design decisions; the game itself can't be seen behind the mechanics, and that a good game for a designer is a well-designed game, which is not necessarily related to having fun with the gameplay. Richard Bartle once wrote an interesting blog entry about a zone's design in World of Warcraft; he definitely doesn't see and play the game like most people.

    I am glad people like you exist, because that's why I have games. I think you're really missing out sometimes, though.

  6. 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.