A survey instigated by UK publisher and developer Codemasters has found that only 21% of gamers are children or teens, that 47% are in their twenties and that 32% are over thirty. Half of this latter group said they were over thirty-five.
In other surveys British media analysts Xtreme Information found that half of over-fifty year olds who own a PC regularly play computer games. Meanwhile, a poll released in the United States by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) found that game players now average 29 years old and that 17% are aged over fifty – up from 13% in 2000.
The Codemasters survey found that older gamers are attracted to video games because they improve mental and physical reflexes, provide a link with grandchildren and don’t require a partner to play. The survey found that many older gamers play almost every day for between one and three hours at a time – some for up to eight hours on a regular basis.
