Average Gamer is 37 Years Old

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The Entertainment Software Association says that the average gamer is 37yrs old. The group also says that gamers play games with their kids and make sure that they are being kept away from violent or sexually explicit content. Imagine that. :)

According to the organization, which represents the game industry, the average gamer today is 37 years old. Moreover, the average game buyer is 41 years old. Because of that, a greater number of parents are playing games with their children. The ESA said that 45 percent of parents play games with their kids "at least weekly."
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How times have changed. When 37 years old I reach, hope to be playing games I do.
 
I'm 34, and play games with my kids a few times a week. Mostly Zelda, old DOS Sierra adventures, and now Terraria. Once in a while we'll play something a little more action oriented, but they're young, so nothing too crazy.
 
When I am 37 I will still be playing games. Especially with my kids. The best way to know what they can and can't play is to play it all myself right? At least that will be my excuse.
 
Steve said:
The Entertainment Software Association says that the average gamer is 37yrs old.
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Pfft... I plan to game until I have to use the little stick Christopher Reed had to use in his wheelchair! Bring it!
 
Fancy that. We're children forever.
So does that mean my 60 years old parents are gaming with me and making sure nothing is too violent. And all those squeaky voices I hear over the mic are just 37 years old that haven't cracked their voices yet!
 
38 here, still gaming a few hours a day.. and with the kids we play Wii and some games on 360. PC is my niche though.
 
Just forwarded to my gf, she gives me crap all the time for being 29 and playing games lol.
 
wow. i am 37. I play games with my kids, AND I keep them away from naughty content! this story is 100% accurate imo. My 6 year old's favorite game is Minecraft. she loves watching me wander the hillside looking for caves. Its super intense for her when we slowly explore the cave putting up torches and killing the monsters. The occasional crafting material is a bonus for me.
 
While I wish this stat were true, Im having a hard time swallowing it. I can only think of a select few people over the age of 37 that actually game. I know my selection is not a good way to judge the entire population, but still...
 
Makes sense, the average gamer was 11 in 1985 when the NES revived the console market. Gamers that are in the ~40 year old range grew up with Ataris and the golden period of arcades.
 
40 here and I still game a couple of hours every night. I enjoy it a whole lot more than turning on the tv.
 
I'm 41, with friends that are between 33-44 so I can see this as being true :).
 
If thats the average doesn't that mean that half of the gamers arer above 37? :eek: Or it's just oldie and domo making up the average and most are 18 :D
 
I am 37, and I'm unimpressed because most people play games that are simple or boring to the point of tears. What's the average age of MMO, FPS, and RTS gamers?
 
Spare-Flair said:
Makes sense, the average gamer was 11 in 1985 when the NES revived the console market. Gamers that are in the ~40 year old range grew up with Ataris and the golden period of arcades.
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I'm 31 and I grew up with that stuff. Original Intellivision, boxed and in working condition.
 
Well, the classic games were family friendly characters. Sonic, Mario, Link, Earthworm Jim, and etc. It's only recently that games are more violent, and bloody, and gory. When I get the chance, I introduce any young relative I know to these games. They fall in love immediately. The same goes for older cartoons. I take the time to download all the old Disney cartoons, especially those old Princess type Disney movies. My niece loves them. The boys in my family go crazy for Thundercats and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. They all love Duck Tales.

You wanna know why everyone thinks the new stuff stinks? Show the old stuff to your kids. It's very easy to get with emulators. You can easily find a Torrent with all those old episodes in one nice package as well.
 
I'm 38 and I've pretty much stop playing games in the past 3 or 4 years.
 
Bu..but. The politicians told me that the government needs to step in to police who gets to play games because there's obviously no such thing as a parent in this day and age. And who could possibly know better than our 60+ year old representatives that probably haven't played a game in their lives?

:rolleyes:
 
Azhar said:
I'm 38 and I've pretty much stop playing games in the past 3 or 4 years.
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Then what do you do now? Most friends and people I've known who play games don't lose the itch to play games at least a little. Maybe you never really were a true gamer in that sense.
 
I guess I didn't realize the ages of us gamers. I'm 42 and game quite a bit. Now I don't feel so bad... LOL
 
37?

BAH! wippersnappers


Next you'll tell me they all play wookie and never get knifed :rolleyes:

48 btw
 
Yay I'm average!

Though I play much less than I used to. Days & weeks go by between gaming sessions, BUT gotta stay young at heart & keep reflexes up!
 
ravx25 said:
Then what do you do now? Most friends and people I've known who play games don't lose the itch to play games at least a little. Maybe you never really were a true gamer in that sense.
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Perhaps you and your friend need to see some kind of Gamers Anonymous support group. You play games. Games don't play you.

As for what I do now, I work, I play with my kids, I peruse the gym and take kickboxing classes and I troll the [H] in between pauses during work.

I used to play all sorts of games - Final Fantasy 1 through 7, Counter Strike until 1.0, tried CS Source, played Day of Defeat, Star Wars Galaxies for years since beta until NGE launch, WoW after SWG NGE launched until about 3 years ago.. and many many others.

Now? I play Angry Birds on my commute home, or read a book, or sleep.
 
Spare-Flair said:
Makes sense, the average gamer was 11 in 1985 when the NES revived the console market. Gamers that are in the ~40 year old range grew up with Ataris and the golden period of arcades.
Click to expand...

Arcades were mention in my divorce papers from 1981; game on!
 
McG2k1 said:
wow. i am 37. I play games with my kids, AND I keep them away from naughty content! this story is 100% accurate imo. My 6 year old's favorite game is Minecraft. she loves watching me wander the hillside looking for caves. Its super intense for her when we slowly explore the cave putting up torches and killing the monsters. The occasional crafting material is a bonus for me.
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37 here too ! Been playing since 1984
 
Individuals in the 33-40 age group are the first generation to grow up playing home video games at a young age. We were about 5yrs old when home video games first took off and were made universally available... 2600, coleco, intellevision etc...

This should come as no surprise.
 
Based on my personal experience, I bet the average age of game developers is about ten years lower than that though. :)

At 47, I'm something of a dinosaur compared to my much more youthful co-workers. :)
 
Sounds about right, I just turned 31 and the gf is 35, both of us are rpg and fps gamers.
 
Heh, someone should tell that to all the screaming, cursing 8-12 yr olds playing COD or Halo... And yes, mute is my buddy. :)
 
Spare-Flair said:
Makes sense, the average gamer was 11 in 1985 when the NES revived the console market. Gamers that are in the ~40 year old range grew up with Ataris and the golden period of arcades.
Click to expand...

The only flaw with this argument is that there are a lot of kids, that have joined the fray since, and ought to have brought the average down over the years.

if the average is 37, and there's a literal shit ton of 7 and 8 year olds playing games, don't there also have to be a shot ton of 70 year old games to offset them? :p

I am curious how this study defines the term "gamer". Are they including people who play Farmville here?
 
So, on average, gamers are creepy old dudes? That goes for most of the internet outside of 4chan, correct? ;) (28, creeping up there damnit).
 
Oh, and I'm 31 btw.

I still play a game or two on occasion probably no more than a couple of hours a week. Nowhere near as much as I used to. Got shit to do these days :p
 
this has to be completely wrong.
no adult in my extended family plays video games as far as i know.
my dad plays solitaire sometimes... but no way does that count.

for the avg to be 37, there must be ALOT of ppl playing games who are over 37 in order to balance out the mass amounts of people 30 and under who play games, which from my experience, nearly all males do.
 
34 here. been gaming since my parents got me a Intellivision for my birthday a long ass time ago.
 
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