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According to ELSPA, teenage gamers are in the minority, and the average age of gamers in Europe is 25-35. Eh?
Surveys tend to be a load of old baloney, but this one is rather amusing. ELSPA, or the European Leisure Software Publishers Association (or the people who try and stop from buying violent games)has concluded its annual market survey with some rather strange results. When finding out the average age of games players around Europe, ELSPA claim their results point to those around 25-35 years of age. Cut to comedy visual of Nintendo executive spraying coffee over his monitor. Either we're way out of touch, or those results are a little... off.
Considering a very small percentage of games on the market are catered towards the adult market (and I don't mean that kind of adult market), and the majority of games released are geared towards a slightly younger audience, these results seem even more hard to believe. ELSPA claim the release of the PS2 and the Xbox, plus the rising costs of PCs raises the average age. Their research also suggests that a high percentage of gamers are single, have "little or no children" and a high disposable income.
So, are Nintendo wasting their time with games about cuddly little monsters and lost plumbers? Not judging by sales figures. Sure, more mature games like MGS2, GTA3 and Halo will attract the older game, but 35 year-olds? Get outta here, pops.
What do you think? Are older gamers out-numbering us young whippersnappers?
Surveys tend to be a load of old baloney, but this one is rather amusing. ELSPA, or the European Leisure Software Publishers Association (or the people who try and stop from buying violent games)has concluded its annual market survey with some rather strange results. When finding out the average age of games players around Europe, ELSPA claim their results point to those around 25-35 years of age. Cut to comedy visual of Nintendo executive spraying coffee over his monitor. Either we're way out of touch, or those results are a little... off.
Considering a very small percentage of games on the market are catered towards the adult market (and I don't mean that kind of adult market), and the majority of games released are geared towards a slightly younger audience, these results seem even more hard to believe. ELSPA claim the release of the PS2 and the Xbox, plus the rising costs of PCs raises the average age. Their research also suggests that a high percentage of gamers are single, have "little or no children" and a high disposable income.
So, are Nintendo wasting their time with games about cuddly little monsters and lost plumbers? Not judging by sales figures. Sure, more mature games like MGS2, GTA3 and Halo will attract the older game, but 35 year-olds? Get outta here, pops.
What do you think? Are older gamers out-numbering us young whippersnappers?
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You poor fools.
:-)
Did I ever tell you that my wife bought me games and porn for Xmas?
:-)
Did I ever tell you that my wife bought me games and porn for Xmas?
Jonman wrote:
For some reason,
> she got upset if I got in from work, and wanted to play Final Fantasy
> 10 for three hours instead of listen to her rant about the people she
> worked with. But then she wasn't a gamer.
--
I feel your pain brother
For some reason,
> she got upset if I got in from work, and wanted to play Final Fantasy
> 10 for three hours instead of listen to her rant about the people she
> worked with. But then she wasn't a gamer.
--
I feel your pain brother
I can't wait to whup my grandkids at GT24 on PS23. Of course, that's assuming that I can find a girl who loves games as much as I do.
Oh well, maybe not then.
Back to the point about gamers being single twentysomething blokes. I'll tell you why. 'Cos a lot guys who aren't single don't have the opportunity to game as much, unless their girlfriends/wives are also into their games.
My gaming suffered big time when I lived with a girl. For some reason, she got upset if I got in from work, and wanted to play Final Fantasy 10 for three hours instead of listen to her rant about the people she worked with. But then she wasn't a gamer.
Oh well, maybe not then.
Back to the point about gamers being single twentysomething blokes. I'll tell you why. 'Cos a lot guys who aren't single don't have the opportunity to game as much, unless their girlfriends/wives are also into their games.
My gaming suffered big time when I lived with a girl. For some reason, she got upset if I got in from work, and wanted to play Final Fantasy 10 for three hours instead of listen to her rant about the people she worked with. But then she wasn't a gamer.
I'm 28 and I'd agree with the results.
Older gamers have disposable incomes, no homework to worry about and nothing else to think of when we get in from work.
Unless your partner is a demanding monster that gets annoyed if you play video-games whilst in her company instead of lavishing all attentions on her.
Bah
Older gamers have disposable incomes, no homework to worry about and nothing else to think of when we get in from work.
Unless your partner is a demanding monster that gets annoyed if you play video-games whilst in her company instead of lavishing all attentions on her.
Bah
I am slap bang in the middle of that category (29) and agree entirely with the survey - I think they are accurate results. Look at the people in the queue for PS2 when it was launched - single men, high disposable income. With games costing around 30-40 GBP and Consoles in the 200GBP mark is it really that surprising? Anyway SR should be the last to complain!
On an entirely different note the ELSPA rating system is entirely voluntary and I only found out recently that there is no legal requirement for game shops in the UK to not sell ELSPA only adult rated games to children...only those with the BBFC ratings. That should be of more concern to the "mature" gaming popuation than the number of sales made!
On an entirely different note the ELSPA rating system is entirely voluntary and I only found out recently that there is no legal requirement for game shops in the UK to not sell ELSPA only adult rated games to children...only those with the BBFC ratings. That should be of more concern to the "mature" gaming popuation than the number of sales made!
My Dad's coming up to 50 and he's addicted to the PS2...
It's true, I tell ye, and when I go round to his on the weekends we ALWAYS play Pro Evolution and 4-player Tennis. It's great, but he's rather naff at Pro Evolution the first time he plays on it on the day, but once he plays me a second time, he gets a bit more challenging...he's very good at tennis, though.
If he can play at 50, I can too, and I intend to, mark my words, I'll still be playing on consoles whilst suffering from arthritis.
Although, I think my dad enjoys games a lot more than me, because, I think, he still isn't entirely used to such great graphics - there was no console until he was in his teens, and even then he didn't play on one.
I think I take consoles for granted. He doesn't. He enjoys them more and finds some things that I find common and boring rather entertaining and fun.
You gotta envy that, in a way, don't you?
It's true, I tell ye, and when I go round to his on the weekends we ALWAYS play Pro Evolution and 4-player Tennis. It's great, but he's rather naff at Pro Evolution the first time he plays on it on the day, but once he plays me a second time, he gets a bit more challenging...he's very good at tennis, though.
If he can play at 50, I can too, and I intend to, mark my words, I'll still be playing on consoles whilst suffering from arthritis.
Although, I think my dad enjoys games a lot more than me, because, I think, he still isn't entirely used to such great graphics - there was no console until he was in his teens, and even then he didn't play on one.
I think I take consoles for granted. He doesn't. He enjoys them more and finds some things that I find common and boring rather entertaining and fun.
You gotta envy that, in a way, don't you?
Gaming has been part of my life for more than I care to remember. Even now it's still as strong a hobby as ever, stronger even. I've booked a day off work to get the Gamecube (a WHOLE day) and intend to stay on it for most of the day when I actually get it home.
I'm sure when I have kids they will probably be embarrased later in life by my gaming addiction, but then aren't all parents embarrasing to their offspring?!
I'm sure when I have kids they will probably be embarrased later in life by my gaming addiction, but then aren't all parents embarrasing to their offspring?!
definately, most of my friends all still play games, whether it's a console or pc matters not.
our generation are probably the luckiest (30s) as we've seen the developement of video games from the start...they have almost finally reached the quality we used to dream of.(apart from total mind immersion}
so i can imagine there are alot of born again gamers.
our generation are probably the luckiest (30s) as we've seen the developement of video games from the start...they have almost finally reached the quality we used to dream of.(apart from total mind immersion}
so i can imagine there are alot of born again gamers.
How did they do the survey? That's what matters.
If they surveyed the age of each person buying games then of course the average age will fall around there for two reasons;
1) People that age have more disposable income and can buy games on an impulse basis
2) People buying games for their kids will be included. How many 5-10 year olds buy forty quid games? How many get games bought for them?
Call me cynical but I smell Microsoft behind this alleged 'research' - maybe they're trying to trumpet how their console has transformed the face of gaming in europe or some such nonsense.
If they surveyed the age of each person buying games then of course the average age will fall around there for two reasons;
1) People that age have more disposable income and can buy games on an impulse basis
2) People buying games for their kids will be included. How many 5-10 year olds buy forty quid games? How many get games bought for them?
Call me cynical but I smell Microsoft behind this alleged 'research' - maybe they're trying to trumpet how their console has transformed the face of gaming in europe or some such nonsense.
Bloody hell - am I the oldest here ? No I wont give away my age but I fall out of the 20 - 35 bracket.
I have been playing games since the good old days of the spectrum, Yes I had a ZX81 before that but all you could do was programme a block to move around a screen and yes it was amazing at the time.
My wife plays games occasionaly,(She likes bust a move and Time Crisis best) my children play games and at the moment I can whip them at anything (they are only 5 and 7 !) but the older one is getting better all the time.
We are selective about what games we let them play, we dont like them playing things that involve guns or fighting at the moment but dont mind them playing on platformers like Crash or Spyro etc. (I read a letter in Computeractive this morning about somebody who couldnt get his graphics card to work properly and he needed to sort it out so his 5 yr old grandson could play serious sam - !?! )
I have played many Mario games and will do so again in the future because I enjoy the games. I am at an age where I dont care wether the graphics are cartoony or whatever - I will play what I want to play because of the actual gameplay involved. The PS2 at the moment is upstairs and all of the 'adult' games (The resi games etc) are kept upstairs in a cupboard out of the kids way, The psx and N64 are downstairs where they can play when we say.
My dad bought himself a psx a couple of years ago after playing bam round mine one weekend. In the past he has owned such things as Binatone systmes, Atari systems and a Sega master system.
So what demographic will we fall under ?
I have been playing games since the good old days of the spectrum, Yes I had a ZX81 before that but all you could do was programme a block to move around a screen and yes it was amazing at the time.
My wife plays games occasionaly,(She likes bust a move and Time Crisis best) my children play games and at the moment I can whip them at anything (they are only 5 and 7 !) but the older one is getting better all the time.
We are selective about what games we let them play, we dont like them playing things that involve guns or fighting at the moment but dont mind them playing on platformers like Crash or Spyro etc. (I read a letter in Computeractive this morning about somebody who couldnt get his graphics card to work properly and he needed to sort it out so his 5 yr old grandson could play serious sam - !?! )
I have played many Mario games and will do so again in the future because I enjoy the games. I am at an age where I dont care wether the graphics are cartoony or whatever - I will play what I want to play because of the actual gameplay involved. The PS2 at the moment is upstairs and all of the 'adult' games (The resi games etc) are kept upstairs in a cupboard out of the kids way, The psx and N64 are downstairs where they can play when we say.
My dad bought himself a psx a couple of years ago after playing bam round mine one weekend. In the past he has owned such things as Binatone systmes, Atari systems and a Sega master system.
So what demographic will we fall under ?
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