ESA: Gamers Growing Up, Women Playing More
See Full ImageAs the industry becomes more mainstream with every passing day, the demographic begins to look like the movie-going or concert-going audience.
In new findings released today by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), 72% of American households play video games and 82% of gamers are adults. ...just as a frame of reference, I'm willing to bet that number was about 10% (if not lower) when I was a kid in the '80s. ...it wasn't that long ago, damnit.
Anyway, such statistics came from the 2011 Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry, and many of the numbers are a little surprising and plenty encouraging: 42% of gamers are women, and women over the age of 18 represent more than 1/3 of the overall game-playing population. Furthermore, as an indication of the rapidly rising digital market, purchases of digital-related content (full games, add-on packs, mobile apps, social network stuff, etc.) accounted for 24% of all game sales in 2010, generating over $5.9 billion in revenue.
Yes, it's a new age. Said Michael D. Gallagher, president and CEO of the ESA:
"Our industry's innovative titles are reaching new consumers in broader, deeper and more-engaging ways. Technological advancements and terrific entertainment experiences in our industry make it possible for people of all ages to enjoy games at home or on the go, and the creativity of our developers and publishers leads to an ever-expanding variety of video games to choose from in both digital and physical formats."
As for the parents, the survey found that 45% of parents say they play games with their children on a weekly basis, and 9 out of 10 parents pay attention to the content their children play. 68% believe that playing games provides mental stimulation or education, 57% believe games encourage their family to spend time together, and 54% say games help their kids stay in contact with their friends. Here are a few other stats:
- The average game player is 37 years old, while the average game purchaser is 41 years old
- Sixty-five percent of gamers play games with other gamers in person
- More than half (55 percent) of gamers play games on their phones or handheld devices
The only thing to bear in mind is that when it comes to such surveys, the definition of "gamer" is pretty vague. Most won't label those who tap away on their phone when they're bored as gamers, nor will they say those who play a half-hour of Solitaire on the computer before bed are gamers. I think the bottom line is this-
If you stood in front of a GameStop for a day and tallied everyone who went in, I'll bet you a hundred gajillion dollars that women will not make up 42% of the customers. In fact, I'll bet a fair sum that it isn't over 10%. ...it's all in how you interpret the word, "gamer."
Tags: video games, gaming industry, gamers, esa
6/8/2011 10:16:21 AM Ben Dutka
Put this on your webpage or blog:
Email this to a friend
Follow PSX Extreme on Twitter
Comments (38 posts)
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 @ 10:40:46 AM
What would it take for her to walk into a game store and buy a game to play herself?
7 up, 0 down
maxpontiac
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 @ 10:57:29 AM
I also believe LA Noire is on to something with skip-able action levels. She actually hates shooting things, but doesn't mind looking for clues or engaging in dialogue while playing games. She will however, go watch a movie that has shoot outs.
Last edited by maxpontiac on 6/8/2011 11:00:58 AM
4 up, 0 down
Grimm_Chaos
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 @ 11:24:17 AM
0 up, 0 down
maxpontiac
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 @ 11:28:08 AM
I have a very good friend who has a hardcore gaming wife. When we all play together, most guys are not very nice to her at all.
Perhaps the male gamer is as much to blame.
3 up, 0 down
shadowscorpio
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 @ 11:55:26 AM
A lot of people wouldn't think that Adrianne Curry was a gamer at first glance.
I can totally understand why female gamers stay in hiding. I was playing Uncharted 2 online and wouldn't you have guessed it, there was a guy bad mouthing all the lower skilled players . He saying things like "you newbs are trash" and "so an so , why are you still here? You don't even get one kill a game".
I was thinking to myself, "For heaven sake, let people just enjoy the damn game!" Funny things is that I'm not at a particular high level on UC2 multiplayer but when I was placed on this guy's team, he never bad mouthed me. In fact he actually apologized for accidently killing me with a grenade. wierd..
5 up, 0 down
vicious54
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 @ 12:38:06 PM
Last edited by vicious54 on 6/8/2011 12:47:23 PM
0 up, 0 down
Highlander
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 @ 10:42:32 AM
Reply
::rolls eyes::
My wife got sucked into games by JRPGs, and loved Uncharted, so much so that even though she's not an action game person (or so she says) she worked her way through most of Uncharted without telling me. I think she was afraid she'd look foolish. Now she's as much a gamer as I am, although I still like action games more than her. Give her another Burnout Paradise though, and she'll be happy for weeks and weeks of game time...
4 up, 0 down
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 @ 10:50:40 AM
2 up, 0 down
maxpontiac
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 @ 11:00:12 AM
^^ Well gents, that statistic tells the tale for me. That age group rules!!
0 up, 0 down
Highlander
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 @ 11:04:10 AM
Max, exactly, that age group rules, so why are games still focusing on the much younger gamers? Should there not be a greater focus on the kinds of games those 35-45 year old gamers grew up with?
4 up, 0 down
maxpontiac
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 @ 11:26:17 AM
I personally point the finger at Call of Duty. It seems nearly everyone is more concerned with making the COD level of profit! I can understand why, but I do not agree with it all.
4 up, 0 down
Grimm_Chaos
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 @ 11:30:21 AM
BUT yet in still if Devs were stuck in the same time period things would eventually just become monotonous and predictable. Some game genres may even start to become synonymous with one another.
0 up, 4 down
Highlander
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 @ 11:41:12 AM
I did not say that the game makers should abandon making games for younger gamers, I said that a greater focus was needed in making games for older gamers. Since the average age of a gamer is now in the 35-45 age bracket, focusing on making games for the 15-25 age group kind of ignores a large % of the potential buys, and you know what those 35-45 gamers have more money in their pockets.
However the way the industry is right now, there is next to no focus on making games that cater to gamers who grew up with gaming and are now 35-45 or older. Certain genre have all but died out. In any industry, you target your products at the different markets. Targeting a younger demographic is fine, but pointless if you lose focus on other demographic groups. Greater balance is required. It's not an all or nothing thing. I'm not asking for devs stuck in the past (and you can stop before you start harping on about age). I'm talking about devs producing games for all groups - I don't mean in a one game fit's all way, I mean by making separate games that are focused on different demographic groups.
Last edited by Highlander on 6/8/2011 11:43:01 AM
4 up, 0 down
shadowscorpio
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 @ 12:06:05 PM
To think if the game industry recognized that majority of gamers were actually adults, what type of games would be created and how current genres might change to appeal to a more adult crowd? That's not to say that games that appeal to kids wouldn't have their place I'd just be all for more games that involved a mature level of intellect as much as a fun factor.
If I'm not mistaken, wasn't Sony that helped more mature games enter the console gaming industry when they introduced the first Playstation. Just kinda seemed that way.
1 up, 0 down
Highlander
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 @ 12:15:50 PM
Anyway, Sony has always been more behind that kind of more intellectual/mature/grown-up gaming than others. Not exclusively of course. But even so, I think that approach by Sony is one of the reasons I stuck with them.
1 up, 0 down
Teddie9
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 @ 6:05:43 PM
Sorry man but with the "average" fps that's already happened.
0 up, 0 down
Fane1024
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 @ 9:31:16 PM
I'm 40 and I have no use for old school game design, so don't assume all older gamers want retro-style games.
It wasn't until the PS2 (and its Emotion Engine) that console games attracted my interest. And I've been gaming since Pong.
Last edited by Fane1024 on 6/8/2011 9:34:46 PM
0 up, 0 down
Underdog15
Thursday, June 09, 2011 @ 9:36:24 AM
CoD and it's effects on our generation. That is all.
0 up, 0 down
Dreno
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 @ 11:00:14 AM
Reply
And may girl is a little bit of a gamer. She mainly watches me play while she does her thing. But she'll play lbp and some other games from time to time.
2 up, 0 down
BikerSaint
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 @ 11:01:48 AM
Reply
I'm in GameStop an average of 4-5 times a week, and I only see about 1-2 women in there a month by their selves.
But I can't say whether they're actually buying for themselves, their kids, or somebody else).
1 up, 0 down
Claire C
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 @ 12:24:55 PM
4 up, 0 down
jimmyhandsome
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 @ 11:38:53 AM
Reply
Example: My girlfriend has plenty of games on her iPhone, but doesn't give a rat's ass about any of the console games I play. In fact, she probably despises them because they distract me from "more important things" like spending time with her. Long story short, she'd probably be considered a "gamer" within this survey but she is anything but.
2 up, 0 down
CrusaderForever
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 @ 11:48:39 AM
Reply
Last edited by CrusaderForever on 6/8/2011 11:55:23 AM
3 up, 0 down
Claire C
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 @ 12:23:06 PM
Reply
Surprise!
=^.^=
6 up, 0 down
Gone
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 @ 1:28:32 PM
7 up, 0 down
Ninja_WafflesXD
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 @ 1:07:06 PM
Reply
However, surprisingly, I found that gaming is usually more popular with the younger females (e.g. around 18) than say, the older females. Maybe because they are still stuck in that frame of mind that gaming is for the socially-impaired or men only?? I dunno.
Just my 2 cents, although I have to say that I found a number of females in my college that play games, as in, PS3-type games and not iPhone-type games.
Take one of my friends for example, who is a complete girly-girl at heart, yet had a brief addiction for DMC4 when staying over at my house. Not just watching, but actively participating a.k.a PLAYING THE GAME lol^^
If anything, I'd say that it were the females who are harder on other females for playing games rather than the guys.
Most of my guy friends actually prefer that I am a gamer just simply because it gives us something to talk about when things get boring:)
I know I love a good Xbox 360 vs. PS3 debate ;)
1 up, 0 down
Godslim
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 @ 1:53:22 PM
Reply
0 up, 0 down
Scarecrow
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 @ 2:04:22 PM
Reply
When 55% of the surveyed play on their phones or handhelds that's not not a gamer. Ok handelds yes but not those who play on phones.
0 up, 0 down
RadioHeader
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 @ 3:10:00 PM
Reply
When I got back into gaming I remember walking into the shop for a PS2 - at 22 years of age and thinking maybe I'm getting too old for this. Fastforward 10 years and somehow I'm younger than the average gamer. Rock on!!
I'm never gonna quit. TVs are so boring without consoles hooked up to them.
5 up, 0 down
mindmurderer69
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 @ 5:48:08 PM
0 up, 0 down
Darwin1967
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 @ 5:33:46 PM
Reply
2 up, 0 down
Fane1024
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 @ 9:54:56 PM
Cool. That means our female membership is bigger than I thought.
1 up, 0 down
Darwin1967
Thursday, June 09, 2011 @ 11:01:53 AM
1 up, 0 down
Teddie9
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 @ 6:00:04 PM
Reply
0 up, 0 down
___________
Thursday, June 09, 2011 @ 4:00:14 AM
Reply
never thought this day would come!
speaking of days i thought would never come, i have big foot, Sasquatch, Santa Claus, Jesus sitting right next to me!
the day we all thought would never come is FINALLY HERE!
the duke is in the building!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
sorry cole, but your put on the backlog ive been waiting a long 14 f*cking years for this!
0 up, 0 down
maxpontiac
Reply
Wednesday, June 08, 2011 @ 10:34:52 AM
I believe that there is an untapped demographic out there of non gaming women who love story rich cinematic experiences with high accessibility.
Here's to hoping more games like the aforementioned come out!