Average Gamer is 33 years old
 

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/new...php?story=9342

"According to the report, which questioned a sample of 1,700 U.S. households, 69 percent of American “heads of households” play computer or video games. The average gamer was said to be thirty-three years of age, with 31 percent under eighteen years of age, 44 percent between eighteen and forty-nine and 25 percent fifty years or older. The average age of the most frequent game purchaser is forty years of age.

Males account for 58 percent of online gamers and females 42 percent."

This survey doesn't show the difference between console and pc gaming. If we're talking about console gaming only, I would be interested to find out the average age. I feel like there's no chance the average age is 33 and more like early 20's.

Everytime I go to EB, it's usually full of teenagers with a sprinkle of adults here and there.

That's because adults are smarter and tend to go to better stores... ;)

I can believe that the average gamer is approximately 30. Every kid that grew up with the Atari 2600 and/or NES would be in their 30s or close to it.

I don't buy 33, but I also wonder what they classify as "gaming" considering they said women make up 42% of online gamers. If that is true, it's fantastic, but I think they might be on that bejeweled and columns tip.

I too think the avg age is probably early 20s.

But not every kid that grew up with a Atari 2600 or NES are still gaming today.
How about all the folks that grew up with the N64/PS1 or even a PS2.

Atari was early 80's or they would be in their late 30's by now.

Well i am 33 but i think like most statistics that figure is distorted. There will be 90% of gamers who are 35 or younger and 10% that are over 35 thus giving an average age of 33. I have been gaming since i was about 6 years old. I remember playing Space Invaders and defender on the arcades and i have grown up with games. I find it hard to believe there are many gamers who are over 35 years old. And the figure for females online i think is just plain bollocks.

Or the adults have credit cards and shop online (possibly from work).
I did hear something that 50% of 'online gamers' are 'casual' (pogo, yahoo, etc.)
I think 33 sounds a little high for console gamers, maybe 25-28.
Of course averages can be misleading, what would be meaningful is a distribution curve showing each age, or something like that.

I remember when there wasn't a home system. And I was a gamer then. Damn, I'm old. :(

Crap! I'm below average. I've got some catching up to do.

I'm a 37 year old housewife and get video games or related mechandise for most major holidays. My hubby says I belong to the Cult of Final Fantasy. XD

BTW, anyone remember the name of that mid 70's arcade game with the rocket? This was pre-Defender and came about around when Pong was first out. And yay for Pong, Death Race 2000 and Battlezone!

*quick search* Okay, found it. It was Computer Space. Played that when my mom went back to college.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_Space

Sounds high to me for console games as well.

Too many little kids with GBAs, DSs etc. that should pull the average down to at least the mid 20's I'd think.

Probably just a sampling problem that doesn't capture the 12 and under demographic well enough or something.

I think the numbers are ridiculous. Kids play videogames.

Well there are parents who play video games and such. Who's putting up the money for system after system? ^^ We borrow games from our friends when their kids gets tired of it.

Then there the gamers who still have nostalgia for the games of thier youth, hence classic video games conventions. Tulsa had one last August.

For me, SNES, Dreamcast, PS1, PS2 and GameCube are better alternative than a couple of crappy TV shows anyday. The only problem is when me and hubby fight over gametime when a new title comes out. He works, so he plays in the evening or on weekends. I don't work, so I play during the weekdays. :lol:

As for female gamers, I know several. ^^ My mother has a Gameboy Advance she took on flights before she retired. Several of my friends are gamers, the oldest is her early thirties and the rest are in thier late '20. We all met in anime mailing lists and shared an interest in similar games. And lot of women play World of Warcraft. I don't do MMORG, mainly because of my crappy computer. >_<

Whew, I won't be 33 for another 7 weeks! Just barely avoided the "average age."

Thats scarey. I just assumed most WoW players that annoy me where like 14. Same with all those GTA and mass violence games that sells 30X better anything that requires reading.

As long as I can remember, this has been about the average reported age of a PC gamer....I wouldn't buy it for console gamers though.

Seems high to me as well. I am 29 and I have been a gamer since my parents brought home an Atari. The only exception would be my year at culinary school where I only owned a SNES with Killer Instinct and MK3. Somehow drugs, sex, alcohol and parties came first for that year. As soon as college was over I bought a Playstation with Tomb Raider and FFVII and resumed my gaming lifestyle.

My day used to game with me when I was younger and when I upgraded to a PS2 he got my original Playstation. I don't think he ever uses it. When I went home for Christmas a few years ago I took my PS2 and Madden home. He LOVED it and stayed up all night playing it with me. I think to him gaming has become an immature act for the most part but he understands it is a major part of my life. I may take the Wii home with me for Easter. The only thing stopping me is I am not sure I can leave my 360 behind now since I am addicted to Guitar Hero and I don't want to take more than one system home.

My dad owns a PS2 that he plays occasionally and he's 56. I think there are probably a lot of folks that were in their 20's when home consoles first came out that are still casual gamers today.

I am 33 and I swear the average age seems to go up every year. I guess that would be logical. My father who will turn 59 on the 21st of April just purchased a PS2, GT4, and a 700 racing seat and wheel. So you are never too old. :lol:

You would never believe the 33 age if you relied solely on the idiocy that happens to be on XBL every night. I run into at minimum at least 10 immature idiots or punk kids every single night on RB6 and GRAW.

I don't see what's so surprising at all. The average is obviously encompassing the 12 year olds playing Halo, through the 28 year olds still clinging to their NESes, and up to the 45 year old moms playing Bejeweled after work.

:shrug: I don't know a single person my age(31) that DOESN'T play games.

These averages normally do include things like online euchre, bejeweled, tetris, etc - casual gamer games.

Then again I'm 28 and every one of my friends and most of my coworkers my age all play at least SOME games - even if it's just Madden and the occasional Command and Conquer on the PC.

Wow. Really?
I'm the opposite. I'm 35, and out of the hundred or so of my friends, ranging in age from 28-38, only one person (besides me) plays video games with any sort of regularity (mine-sweeper/solitare on windows do not count). Though some of these people did have Ataris and NES machines when they were kids, they never got back into gaming after they became adults.

37 here :)