Child's Play?

So, you think video games are just for kids? Well, you'd better think again. According to the Interactive Digital Software Association (IDSA), the average age for video game players is 29. More surprisingly, 40 per cent of PC games players in the US are over 36, 13 per cent of whom are over 50. And it’s not only a bloke thing either - 38 per cent of computer games players are women. The IDSA survey ranks traditional puzzle, board, card, - and as importantly, learning games as the most popular. For game consoles, action games also feature. Adult usage of console games is also on the rise. Studies report that one in ten adult users already have at least one of the current video game consoles, like the Sony Playstation 2, Nintendo Gamecue, and Microsoft Xbox.

The top three reasons to play support what most in-class instructors try to achieve: It’s fun, 87.3 per cent It’s challenging, 71.4 per cent It's fun to play with friends, 42.4 per cent Online game play is the next great market for the gaming industry. The IDSA research showed a 6 per cent increase in online game play among the most frequent users. The 37 per cent of players who play PC games or console-based games also reported they used mobile devices such as handheld devices, PDAs, and mobile phones for playing games while on the go. As for the theory that young gamers turn into staid, serious adults, it seems unlikely. According to IDSA, nearly 60 per cent of frequent game users, young people, and adults said that they expect to play games as much - or more, ten years from now. Image: Makezine