The Thrifty Gamer

Do you think that most video game players are kids sitting bleary eyed in front of television sets with fingers and thumbs tapping away in a staccato like manner on the control buttons of a remote control or keyboard? Well, there are plenty of those kinds of kids for sure, but they are not the most prevalent number in the demographics of video game players. That would be the grown ups, or people over the age of 18 to be more specific.

The Entertainment Software Association, a top demographics and research company did a survey recently and found that adults make up 92 percent of the people who purchase video games these days and 80 percent who purchase video game consoles.

The average age of video game players is now up to 33, and getting higher every year it seems. This recent survey found that 67 percent of the Heads of Households play video games as a form of recreation, according to the Entertainment Software Association, or ESA. The average age of the most frequent video game buyers is 38 years old.

The evidence of how old video game players have become was quite evident recently when the release of Halo 3 was getting a lot of media attention. Every news story showed footage of die-hard Halo 3 fans waiting in line for the release of this latest Halo video game. Most of these fans were adults who have followed the Halo video game franchise for many years. Many television reporters showed up at these events and when they conducted interviews you could see that the zeal and fanaticism of these fans was second to none. Some even had costumes that would have made any serious Star Trek or Star Wars fan quite jealous.

There are a lot of parents playing video games these days. Even more interesting is the fact that 80 percent of parents who play video games said they play them with their children, and that this experience has brought them much closer together as a family. In the early days of the video games parents often dismissed them as nothing more than a diversion. The parents of today recognize the value of playing video games.

The grown ups of today are the first generation to be raised on video games. They were the first kids to play Tron, Pong, and Donkey Kong and they have never lost their interest in this kind of activity. They have matured along with video games, made them part of their everyday lives and used them as an escape from reality.

Some of the video games that are currently on the market are quite amazing in their technical and creative achievements. Corporations like Microsoft spend millions of dollars to create games like Halo 3 which offer an experience that is much more than a game. First person shooter video games like Halo 3 and Far Cry by Ubisoft put the players in the game and provide them with choices that determine the outcome. A person can play alone on their PC or with many other people online.

There are now games that offer the sense of touch through the use of special hardware that can be purchased. The hardware involves attaching sensors and transmitters to your skin. The result is a virtual experience that is so realistic you can literally feel it. This kind of interaction can be far more rewarding than simply watching a movie or listening to music. The adult entertainment industry sees the obvious value of this technology and they have seized upon the opportunity with great interest.

Video game developers have known for years that adults are their main customers. They are designing more and more games these days like Grand Theft Auto, San Andreas that are strictly for players over the age of eighteen.

More and more middle aged adults are playing video games these days. Back in 1999 only 9 percent of people over the age of 50 played video games. Now, in 2007 that number has increased to 24 percent.

The video game industry generates 80 billion dollars worldwide annually. Most of that money is made from the sales of video games and Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii video game consoles that are purchased by adults for themselves. That is, after they have purchased one for their kids, of course.

Michael P. Connelly is an Author, Artist and award-winning Filmmaker who writes on a variety of topics that effect people in their every day lives.

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