[Jiggly]

I stumbled across a few articles talking about the average age of gamers is increasing. This article cites the average age as 35. This article talks about different motivations for age groups, and potential reasons why older people are gaming. I suspect other factors might include how cheap and easy it is to get consoles, or PCs to an extent. Accessibility is certainly increasing, alongside the sheer quantity of games and platforms (consider smartphones). I can't say my parents would join me in a game of siege or WoW dungeons. Still, I know my mother would play CoD if we had it!

Code:

Video gaming took the world (and living room) by storm with the release of the Nintendo Entertainment System. Many people who grew up during that time period continue to game. Consoles are becoming more accessible and advanced, with some of them able to take the role of a home media center for nearly all entertainment needs. The market hasn’t gone away. The average age of the gamer of today is around the age of 35. While there’s been ample discussion around how men and women game differently, there hasn’t been much discourse on how people’s gaming habits change as they age. Some surveys suggest age is actually the biggest factor in different gaming tastes and motivations, especially when it comes to competition. Younger gamers prefer competition while older gamers’ interest in it tapers off at around 40.

Another article I found mentions this brilliant 89 year old grandmother:

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"Also, this is just my pet theory, but games are good for keeping your mind active. When thinking of playing a game, I learn how to play them and what they're about. I even kept memos. Ultimately, that was a good thing, because you generally stop doing that sort of thing when you get older."

[mothered]

This Is actually not surprising.

A couple of friends of mine are In their 50s and have spent over 5k on their gaming rigs, of which they game each and every day. Age Is a number, and not a representation of one's caliber.

Still, I know my mother would play CoD if we had it!

Simply awesome.

[Jiggly]

This Is actually not surprising.

A couple of friends of mine are In their 50s and have spent over 5k on their gaming rigs, of which they game each and every day. Age Is a number, and not a representation of one's caliber.

Still, I know my mother would play CoD if we had it!

Simply awesome.

I completely agree!
I was a little surprised, as I can count on my hands how many parents/friends parents who genuinely game. Although, there is a difference between a parent playing candy crush on their mobile, to them playing fortnite or CoD. I don't think this article differentiates between game types. However, there are a lot of articles suggesting a large increase in the number of females buying and owning consoles/PCs.

Being a "nerd/geek" has lately become trendy for the teenagers. I recall it being a "cool" thing if you were a "gamer girl" when I was in high school.

[Oni]

Games are also being designed with an older audience in mind, too. As technology has progressed, games have become more immersive and realistic.

[Jiggly]

Games are also being designed with an older audience in mind, too. As technology has progressed, games have become more immersive and realistic.

This is very true. There's a lot more to choose from.

Another thing to consider, is the people who were young in the 80s and 90s when games consoles and a lot of the PC tech was making leaps and bounds, are now older. Perhaps timing with the gaming industry development, in relation to the age/decade the gamers started plays a part.

[mothered]

This Is actually not surprising.

A couple of friends of mine are In their 50s and have spent over 5k on their gaming rigs, of which they game each and every day. Age Is a number, and not a representation of one's caliber.

Still, I know my mother would play CoD if we had it!

Simply awesome.

I completely agree!
I was a little surprised, as I can count on my hands how many parents/friends parents who genuinely game. Although, there is a difference between a parent playing candy crush on their mobile, to them playing fortnite or CoD. I don't think this article differentiates between game types. However, there are a lot of articles suggesting a large increase in the number of females buying and owning consoles/PCs.

Being a "nerd/geek" has lately become trendy for the teenagers. I recall it being a "cool" thing if you were a "gamer girl" when I was in high school.

Although, there is a difference between a parent playing candy crush on their mobile, to them playing fortnite or CoD.

I definitely agree.

The attention span tends to somewhat decrease with age. That said, It depends on the Individual. My friends In their 50s, will probably keep up with those In their teens.

[Jiggly]

This Is actually not surprising.

A couple of friends of mine are In their 50s and have spent over 5k on their gaming rigs, of which they game each and every day. Age Is a number, and not a representation of one's caliber.

Simply awesome.

I completely agree!
I was a little surprised, as I can count on my hands how many parents/friends parents who genuinely game. Although, there is a difference between a parent playing candy crush on their mobile, to them playing fortnite or CoD. I don't think this article differentiates between game types. However, there are a lot of articles suggesting a large increase in the number of females buying and owning consoles/PCs.

Being a "nerd/geek" has lately become trendy for the teenagers. I recall it being a "cool" thing if you were a "gamer girl" when I was in high school.

Although, there is a difference between a parent playing candy crush on their mobile, to them playing fortnite or CoD.

I definitely agree.

The attention span tends to somewhat decrease with age. That said, It depends on the Individual. My friends In their 50s, will probably keep up with those In their teens.

The older lady (mentioned in the second half of my original post) described how her tastes changed with age. She said a lot of older gamers may prefer solo/single player games as they can be a somewhat slower than younger players. There's less pressure compared to multiplayer games (E.g. keeping up with your teammates), but those single-player games still keep your mind equally engaged.

[xdlwilliamz]

This is no surprise at all, you don't expect, for example; ppl born in this modern era of game consoles to suddenly stop playing just because they are getting older, most are definitely gonna continue, thereby increasing gamers average age...
i may not be playing games as often as i did years back but that's all because of lack of time and increased responsibilities, and got nothing to do with interest.

[Jiggly]

This is no surprise at all, you don't expect, for example; ppl born in this modern era of game consoles to suddenly stop playing just because they are getting older, most are definitely gonna continue, thereby increasing gamers average age...
i may not be playing games as often as i did years back but that's all because of lack of time and increased responsibilities, and got nothing to do with interest.

Yeah, that's exactly what I was describing in my last post. There are so many reasons it will increase, one of those being that the tech/gaming industry is growing up with the people who were born when video games were mass produced/available to everyone.

I also see less and less people spending time watching traditional television. Marketing departments are shifting their marketing to the gaming world (and I'm not talking about game companies - I mean the kind of companies who used to advertise on TV). How people spend their spare time, is changing as the population changes.