They’re memed about (okay boomer), aren’t always thought of as gamers, and younger people are often called boomers as an insult, but it turns out more baby boomers are playing games than you might think.
New data from analyst Newzoo has found that 42% of baby boomers are gamers. That’s according to its gamer consumer insights research as a weighted average across 20 different markets, tracking people who have played games on a PC, console or mobile device in the last six months.
Boomers are generally regarded as those aged between 56 and 65 years old – born during the post–World War II baby boom.
Newzoo also found that gaming takes up 10% of entertainment leisure time for baby boomers, and that 53% of baby boomer gamers are women – the highest share of any generation.
34% of boomers have played on a mobile device in the last six months, followed by PC then console, and the average amount of time that baby boomer gamers spend playing games per week is two-and-a-half hours.
The average age of a video game player in Europe is 31.3 years old, according to player demographic data published by UK games industry trade body Ukie.
The majority of 11-24 year olds are gamers, according to ISFE, which also found that according to their data, 31% of 45 to 64 year olds are gamers. You can of course expect this percentage to increase as younger gamers and esports viewers age over time.
More and more prominent older gamers have built a brand over the years. There’s DieHardBirdie, who became an esports champion aged 78 years old, winning the CSGO Senior League tournament with his older gamer team, the Silver Snipers.
There’s also 91-year-old gamer YouTuber Hamako Mori, aka Gamer Grandma, among others.
There’s more info in this Newzoo infographic, from the Newzoo Gamer Personas and also the Gamer Generations Report.
Dom is an award-winning writer who graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV as well as Riot Games and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Association up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and as an esports consultant helping brands and businesses better understand the industry.
Be the first to comment