Study Finds Average Gamer is Forty-One

Posted on September 27, 2006

A new study from Comscore has found that the average gamer is 41 years of age and has an average income of $55,000. The study also found there are now more female gamers -- 52 percent were female.

comScore Media Metrix, the leader in digital media measurement, today released the second quarter results of Game Metrix, a quarterly syndicated study analyzing gamers' cross-platform behaviors and attitudes. The study combines the passive observation of online behavior, including visitation to online gaming and gaming information sites, with the results of a survey of 800 respondents who provided their attitudes regarding gaming and other usage information.
Contrary to popular belief that gamers are primarily teenage boys, results of the study indicate that video games have much broader appeal. On average, gamers are 41 years of age with an average annual income of $55,000. Further, females account for 52 percent of the gaming audience. The average gamer has been online for nine years and 84 percent have broadband access at home.

The study also found that previous gaming experiences and word-of-mouth are the main motivating factors behind purchases of new games. The top reasons were "I played it before and liked it"; "It's a sequel to a game that I like"; and "I heard good things about it." Other purchase reasons including reading a review, watching an ad, price and "wanted to demo the game."

"The most popular drivers for purchasing games seem to fall into two basic categories - game experience and word-of-mouth," commented Erin Hunter, executive vice president of comScore’s Media and Entertainment Group. "These findings underscore the importance of marketing to, and listening to, experienced gamers. Familiarity with a particular game can influence both the gamers' direct purchase behavior, as well others' purchase behavior through positive word-of-mouth."

The study also found that heavy gamers (who played games at least 16 hours per week or played games on two or more devices for at least 11 hours per week) were more acceptable of some forms of in-game advertising. You can read the results from the study here. Adotas has an article about the new study of gamers.