Research from the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) in the UK has revealed that women now constitute the majority of gamers and that there are more gamers over the age of 44 than there are child and teen gamers.
Over 4000 people in Great Britain were surveyed online and face-to-face interviews were also held with gamers and industry experts.
Key findings
- 69% of Britons play video games (33.5 million people)
- Women make up 52% of those who have played in the last six months
- Those over 44 make up 27% of the gamer population
- Children and teenagers make up 22% of the gamer population
- 56% of people aged 45-54 have played a video game in the last six months
- 44% of 55-64 year olds have played in the last six months – as have
- 32% of 65-74 year olds
The growth in older groups and in women is attributed to free games, in particular free mobile apps. Smartphones are the most popular device for playing games (54% of respondents); followed by computers, consoles and then tablet devices.
An average gamer plays on three different devices.
In other gaming news, Microsoft has paid $2.5 billion for the game franchise Minecraft. Minecraft’s creator has spoken about the importance of 'community', freedom and openness for Minecraft users – the grown-up gamers of tomorrow!
Sources: IAB; endgadget; BBC.