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It's inevitable: Soon We Will All Become Gamers

timesonline.co.uk — The average age of a video game customer now hovers around the late twenties to early thirties. The variation on either side of that average reveals a fascinating picture, too. Many of the first generation of child gamers now approaching their forties have children of their own. Being a stranger to video games will soon be seen as eccentric.

Who dugg this? Made popular Jul 7, 2008

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  • MutatedNantuko, on 07/07/2008, -1/+23Pastor, meet Choir. Choir. Pastor.
  • zdiddy85, on 07/07/2008, -0/+21duh, Diablo 3 is coming.
  • inetiatic, on 07/07/2008, -1/+22We all should be gamers anyway! Then maybe we can remove the desire to follow main stream celebrities and people who have no serious talents..
    ..But then again we would start to idol people who are best at 'pwnzing teh newbs!' but thats better than acting, right?
  • inactive, on 07/07/2008, -0/+16I've read your average teenage American youtube comment, and beg to differ
  • ImpoliteAndEvil, on 04/06/2009, -1/+15I wouldn't say all of us, but certainly the vast majority. At what point will we stop calling them video games in the future I wonder? When it's reached holodeck status?
  • WhiskeyLemur, on 06/30/2009, -0/+131. Go to any restaurant - you'll immediately notice that one kid can easily out-shout 20 adults. That doesn't mean that there are no adults present.

    2. Perhaps those adults aren't playing the same game (or in the same party) as you. There are any number of adult-oriented gaming sites available, which means that, even during matchmaking, much of the adult element will be gaming as a coherent group, rather than scattered through the matchmaking pool as a whole.

    No offense, but your personal experience (aka anecdotal evidence) is not a valid basis for extrapolating broader trends.
  • blaze03, on 07/07/2008, -3/+15Summary: We are waiting for all the old people to die.

    Isn't it weird how a lot of society's problems such as racism, sexual orientation-ism, religion, misunderstandings of technology such as the internet and video games, etc. will largely be solved once the current group of 45+ year olds die out?
  • Haoie, on 07/07/2008, -0/+9There are more women gamers than stereotypes care to suggest, too.
  • Scynet, on 07/07/2008, -1/+10I think the wording is off. It's not like people who don't game suddenly "convert" into gamers. It's that NEW people - young kids - are more and more into gaming, and as old farts die, the new generation will be a "gamer generation".

    Of course, not everyone will be interested, but that much is obvious.
  • Kral, on 07/07/2008, -1/+10So the average age is late 20s to 30s, but all console manufactures refuse to allow 'Adults Only' games to run on their systems.. Why does the industry treat gamers like children when they obviously aren't?

    Things were so much better before the rise of DRMed console gaming - developers couldn't be locked out from producing a PC game so could present whatever vision they wanted.
  • MalkyMalc, on 07/07/2008, -2/+11Enough of this 'the average gamer is in his late twenties' *****! I've been on XBox Live! I've heard the screeches of the 8-16 year olds!
  • str1fe, on 07/07/2008, -0/+9Games seem to be in the same position movies were in a long time ago, what with when the first generation of movie watchers had kids, then their kids had kids, etc. And look how ingrained movies are to our culture. Games will be the same way eventually.
  • inactive, on 07/07/2008, -0/+8They said dismissive things about trains and planes too. I suppose there are still *some* people left not using those too.
  • KaiUno, on 07/07/2008, -0/+8Yup, the Amish.
  • widgetmaker, on 07/07/2008, -0/+8You miss the point, it's the fact that all people of all ages will start playing, no not everyone but just as movies, books, television are seem as a legitimate pass time for all ages, games will join them.
  • 0Xonox0, on 07/07/2008, -0/+6As time goes on, the scope of games expands, thus more people become interested in gaming. Just because more people are gaming it doesn't necessarily mean that everybody in the future will be playing WoW. There will be many genres of games just as there are many genres of movies now, everybody will have their preference.
  • whyufail, on 07/07/2008, -0/+6You don't, because it's not true unless you're a freaking addict. Play WoW much?
  • WhiskeyLemur, on 06/30/2009, -0/+5Has anyone else found their "games for chicks" assumption to be vaguely offensive? Nintendogs and karaoke? Really? _Obviously_ girls wouldn't like the "boys' genres" like MMO, FPS, RPG, RTS, and so on.... Maybe more of us would get into games if the industry realized that we're not all 12-yr-old Bratz fans.
    /rant
  • Koush, on 07/06/2008, -1/+6I'd like to get a 2nd opinion.....
    (times = bleh.)
  • KaiUno, on 07/07/2008, -0/+5It sure is, Mr. President.
  • RonBurgundy76, on 07/07/2008, -0/+5I like how your comment added just a bit more to that waste.
  • rhapsodisiac, on 07/07/2008, -1/+6Looking forward to it. ^^
  • inactive, on 07/07/2008, -3/+7I would have dugg you but because of the last sentence I did the opposite.
  • secrity, on 07/07/2008, -0/+4There are many people in their early 50's who play video games; they were old enough to have the income and interest to buy and play the original Pong and the 2600. People in their 50's were also the first people to play D&D and watched the original Star Trek when it originally aired. Many of these first generation video game players are eligible for AARP and have grandchildren. I know of several 50-ish gamers who play MPORG games daily (possibly addictively).
  • M724, on 07/07/2008, -0/+4At least it'll all be about personal effort and building skill to increase competitiveness, instead of drooling mindlessly following some fake personalities.
  • albinoMithos, on 07/07/2008, -3/+7No that's not a good thing at all. More people = more ***** games. It's already happening. There's an influx of licensed crap like American Idol, Barbie, etc. getting games now and overall the games have become ***** easy. Plus masses tend to get content with the ***** and we reach the state of gaming we're in today: ***** sequels, easy ass games, and companies not willing to take a risk to come up with better games. Nintendo is a perfect example. No, before you say it, the Wii wasn't a risk and nothing about it was innovative other than the fact that they finally had their old ideals realized with motion sensing. Square Enix is another example, sure they have some newer stuff down the line, but do we really need more Final Fantasy remakes? Also, ***** EA.
  • ScipiosLegion, on 07/07/2008, -0/+4lets hope the politicians are some of the first converts...
  • Exbzurq, on 07/07/2008, -0/+3Interactive media? Sounds kind of lame but it fits. I expect something based off of that like the way movie is based off of the phrase moving picture.
  • Andrwmorph, on 07/07/2008, -0/+3Just wait for Holodecks.
  • smitas, on 07/07/2008, -2/+5Don't think so, there are other activities which people could try.
  • inactive, on 07/07/2008, -0/+3Oh absolutely, it ill be able to steer voter attitudes with games. Imagine a game detailing the oil depletion/ environmental collapse situation using scientific data, from a Gorean perspective. The right wing will be arms, "stalinist propaganda zomg". Next step; darwinist gode games

    ... oh wait.
  • TritonX, on 07/08/2008, -0/+2Playing videogames doesn't mean you play all day, maybe you have a compulsive personality, but that's your problem, you don't have to be a dick about it. What's wrong with taking an hour to relax playing a game instead of watching TV. How about the time you are wasting watching and replying on digg, how about you go write a novel.
  • h0ly, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2It will be interesting when games get to be categorized into "mindless" vs. "intellectual" games, much like books (classic literature vs. self-help) and TV programs (cultural debates and documentaries vs. soap operas). Nowadays gamers think it's relevant to discuss "casual vs hardcore"... and there are not many games that tie-in with the real world and history in a more deep and meaningful way beyond shooting stuff. I heard someone was making a game about the holocaust though.
  • KingGorilla, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2Electronic gaming? I suppose tazer tag would be the exception
  • inactive, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2Absolutely, I am starting a course in professional game design in two months.
  • inactive, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2i tried telling her that
  • M724, on 07/07/2008, -1/+3Not gonna happen. We should wait until today's 20- and 30-somethings are in positions of power, then we can be cranky when the younger generation says something else is the future, and games (as we know them) are as dead as the radio.
  • inactive, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2Widescreen displays >> brainwave capture controls >> gesture capture >> tabletop augmented reality games >> >> facial expression capture >> stereoscopic headsets >> "standing" games capturing body stance >> high resolution GPS games >> outdoors augmented reality wargames >> dreamgames >> truly massive virtual environments >> ideological games >> value expansion games >> multiple content games >> ???
  • chaosblade77, on 07/07/2008, -2/+4What do you propose we call them? "Games" is generic, and video fits by definition.(Not necessarily for PC games, but for console games it does).

    I can't come up with anything at least.
  • inactive, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2what did you just call ma tribe?
  • alphaterminus, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2I got a pocket full of quarters and I'm going to the arcade.
  • rootsm3, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2Oh hayle no. I'm not a virgin anymore anyway. It's too late.
  • bosssmiley, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2Inebitaburrrr?
  • h0ly, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2It's true, in the past ancient board games *did* settle such disputes.
    There's little hope we can do the same in actual times though. Even if we could, Halo would not be the first option.
  • RonBurgundy76, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2Well, to be honest, I was really just being a smarmy *****. I don't agree with you 100%, but I do think that some folks take it a little too far.
  • inactive, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2While working at a large blue retail store that nobody likes I noted several individuals whose age ranged beyond 50-60. They were into FPS style shooters mainly.
  • pudds, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2Not all who game are gamers...
  • Nextrix, on 07/07/2008, -0/+2We accept you, one of us, one of us! Gooble Gobble!
  • aut0maticdan, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1I wonder if in 10 years, the average age will be late thirties to early forties. : ) Could it just be our generation? I'm right in the zone and spend a good chunk of change on console gaming.
  • madpuppy, on 07/07/2008, -0/+1you are right, Lythium

    I am on xbox live and I usually don't start playing till 10:30 11 pm
    I rarely have an issue with those little bastards. Playing halo 3 is much more enjoyable when you boot those pita's and fill it with people who want to enjoy the game.
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