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In the 1970s, when video games were in their infancy, my grandparents loved playing cards, going to bingo and doing puzzles. No one told them they were “too old” to have fun.
But Charlotte Geeks member Daniel Blake has been told several times that he’s too old to play video games.
“I’m only 28,” Daniel told the Charlotte Geeks on Facebook. “I think it is normal for people my age and older to play them and continue to do so. What do you guys think?”
The Charlotte Geeks answered. Here’s just a sampling of what’s turned out to be one of the most popular discussions in the group:
According to a 2013 report by the Entertainment Software Association, the average age of video game players is 30. Out of all video game players, roughly one third are under the age of 18, one third are 18-35, and 36% are over the age of 36.
Some more stats from the ESA report:
* 58% of Americans play video games.
* The average number of years someone’s been playing video games: 13.
* 58% of parents play video games with their children at least once a month.
* 55% of video game players are male, 45% female. But adult women (18 and older) represent a greater portion of the game-playing population (31%) than boys age 17 or younger (19%).
* Of the most frequent game purchasers, 54% are male and 46% are female.
Are Video Games the New Fountain of Youth? WebMD article
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J.L. Hilton is a SF/F jewelry designer, the author of the Stellarnet Series published by Carina Press, and a contributor to CharlotteGeeks.com and the Contact-Infinite Futures SF blog. Visit her at JLHjewelry or JLHilton.com.
