Report: Adult women gamers now double the number of under-18 boys

[MichaelB]

From ARS Technica Report: Adult women gamers now double the number of under-18 boys | Ars Technica

The Entertainment Software Association, best known for its video game rating system, issued its annual "sales, demographic, and usage data" report on Thursday, chock full of statistics about console, PC, and mobile gaming. The numbers are all worth poring over, but this year's report highlights a particular demographic explosion: adult women, whose gaming ranks now more than double the long-sought-after demographic of boys under the age of 18.

This still won't stop people from asking "What will you do all day".

 

[W2R]

I absolutely LOVE video games and play them for hours every day. This is my number one hobby. I spent $904 on video games and consoles last year, and $750 the year before. So far this year I have spent $306.

There are video games that are specifically aimed towards people like me, who are not into first person shooters or any other type of violent video game. For example, on my 3DS XL console I love Animal Crossing, Tomodachi Life, and the Professor Layton games.

It's wonderful to be at a stage in life where I can afford any game or console that I want, when I want it. I am eagerly awaiting Animal Crossing for the Wii U, if Nintendo ever decides to create such a game (so far it has not been announced).

 

[Silver]

My husband and I are avid gamers. We have played WOW (World of Warcraft) for six years and are both members of a very active and very successful raiding team made up of people from all over the world. We are the nerds people laugh about with the headsets and microphones staring at our PC's screaming at pixel monsters. It is surprising to many people how much strategy, teamwork, and effort goes into playing some of these games. It's all great fun.

The majority of players are younger males, but we have run into many older adults who play seriously and are excellent in leadership roles. One of the best raid leaders I ever played with was a woman who in real life was a civil judge in Brisbane, Australia. I'm glad to hear more woman are finding this hobby.

 

[aaronc879]

I absolutely LOVE video games and play them for hours every day. This is my number one hobby. I spent $904 on video games and consoles last year, and $750 the year before. So far this year I have spent $306.

There are video games that are specifically aimed towards people like me, who are not into first person shooters or any other type of violent video game. For example, on my 3DS XL console I love Animal Crossing, Tomodachi Life, and the Professor Layton games.

It's wonderful to be at a stage in life where I can afford any game or console that I want, when I want it. I am eagerly awaiting Animal Crossing for the Wii U, if Nintendo ever decides to create such a game (so far it has not been announced).

When I saw this tread title I thought for sure it was you who posted it. It's good to see you have something to keep you busy that you really enjoy. Just make sure not to let it take away from your time at the gym. There's time for both so enjoy.

 

[Katsmeow]

I also play WoW since 2007 and DH plays as well. Right now, I'm enjoying the Warlords of Draenor beta. I don't raid as seriously as I used to (mostly did flex this expansion), but I really enjoy WoW. I recently took off about 7 months which was nice.

I tend to play more PC games since I like to multi-task. Right now I have WoW on one monitor and this forum on the other. Also, my reaction time is just not as good using video game controllers. I do much better with PC games.

 

[W2R]

When I saw this tread title I thought for sure it was you who posted it. It's good to see you have something to keep you busy that you really enjoy. Just make sure not to let it take away from your time at the gym. There's time for both so enjoy.

Exactly! I only play video games during certain times of the day, and still go to the gym regularly with Frank. I also do not allow myself to stay up all night with my video games any more, so they do not interfere with my sleep.

 

[aja8888]

I don't play them anymore since my life turned into a video game when DW's three grown children (from previous marriage) all got divorced within a year of each other and moved in with us (not at the same time though) during the side show that followed.

However, neighbor's 7 year old son invited me over to play on his new XBox. For fear of losing, I declined.

 

[tmm99]

Great that people like that stuff. I know a lot of people who do. I kind of wished I did too - one more thing I could enjoy doing.

I don't game at all and I am female. I don't think I can coordinate my brain with my fingers and eyes the way those teenagers do. Well, even if I did, I just don't see any fun in it. I'd rather go bowling (and I don't like bowling..)

 

[easysurfer]

I also play WoW since 2007 and DH plays as well. Right now, I'm enjoying the Warlords of Draenor beta. I don't raid as seriously as I used to (mostly did flex this expansion), but I really enjoy WoW. I recently took off about 7 months which was nice.

I tend to play more PC games since I like to multi-task. Right now I have WoW on one monitor and this forum on the other. Also, my reaction time is just not as good using video game controllers. I do much better with PC games.

I don't play WoW, but was reading recently that Robin Williams was an avid player and there are talks of immortalizing a character for him in the game as a tribute.

 

[Amethyst]

I feel the same. Game graphics are so beautiful. But I have enough ongoing real-life problems to solve, that solving game problems to "get to the next level" or see the next scene just doesn't appeal. Besides, my limited free time is devoted to designing and creating needlework.

Amethyst

Great that people like that stuff. I know a lot of people who do. I kind of wished I did too - one more thing I could enjoy doing.

 

[photoguy]

I wish the article expressed the numbers as rates. I'm not sure what it means that that there are more gamers who are adult women than boys under 18 given that there are probably 4x or more adult women. Another interesting slice would be via money spent.

Wife plays way more games than me. She still plays Wow occasionally and has all sorts of puzzle games on her phone. I haven't spent more than a few hours on games in the past couple years.

I don't play WoW, but was reading recently that Robin Williams was an avid player and there are talks of immortalizing a character for him in the game as a tribute.

That must have been pretty cool hearing him on vent. I wonder if he stayed anonymous?

My programmable mouse I used for wow is now covered in sticky scum (I had it stored in a plastic box during our move and I think it outgassed and ruined the surface). So I'll need to get a new one if I ever start playing games again.

 

[Silver]

The only "celebrity" I have run into in WOW and on vent is Vin Diesel. We were in a pug pvp group ("pick-up-group" doing "player-vs-player") doing rated battle grounds and this one player told this guy he sounded like Vin Diesel. He just laughed. A few minutes later someone asked him outright if he was Vin Diesel....and he said yeah. But not to hold his crummy paladin playing against him.

 

[photoguy]

My wife watched the google interview with the guardians of the galaxy actors and vin diesel is a huge DnD fan so it makes sense he would gravitate to wow.

 

[clifp]

I have been a gamer all my life, first board game and then computer games, even dabbled in making them. I think it is wonderful that woman are now near parity in the gaming population.

I did quit the Massive role play games like WoW even in a retirement they were too much of a time suck. I never figured out how people could play them, and have a job, and a have family. Two out of three I get but all three WOW.

 

[Senator]

Great. Now women will be shooting up the schools too...

I don't play too many video games, other than Quicken and Microsoft Office. But I have played a few when I had more time. It is definitely fun killing other flying choppers and the 'enemy'.

 

[Katsmeow]

I did quit the Massive role play games like WoW even in a retirement they were too much of a time suck. I never figured out how people could play them, and have a job, and a have family. Two out of three I get but all three WOW.

I played WoW when I worked full time and had 3 kids at home. The kids were all 12 or older so that helped. I tended to play fairly late at night after others were asleep. DH started playing also, but we rarely play together. We talk about the game but just don't play much together.

And, while I was seriously playing it at that time I didn't have much time for any other hobby.

 

[CyclingInvestor]

I have been a gamer all my life, first board game and then computer games, even dabbled in making them. I think it is wonderful that woman are now near parity in the gaming population.

I did quit the Massive role play games like WoW even in a retirement they were too much of a time suck. I never figured out how people could play them, and have a job, and a have family. Two out of three I get but all three WOW.

Same here. I usually play a couple at a time (all on my phone now) for a year or two, then move on to new ones. Recently moved on from "Galaxy Empire" to "Clash of Clans" as my primary game, with "Tiny Village" and "Castle TD" as my backup time wasters.

 

[Greencheese]

I'd be interested to see the breakdown of money spent as well. Most female gamers I know would fall into the iPhone category, spending a few dollars here or there but staying mostly free while males gamers seem to be more of the ones buying consoles and the $60 games plus subscriptions.

Of course I just got my lady friend into the PC co op game Guacamelee and she loves it. It's got that challenging aspect without too much difficultly so we can play together. It's a hobby I would certainly see her enjoying more and more of as she gets better at gaming. Plus it's way more fun playing with her than having her watch me play.

 

[Katsmeow]

I'd be interested to see the breakdown of money spent as well. Most female gamers I know would fall into the iPhone category, spending a few dollars here or there but staying mostly free while males gamers seem to be more of the ones buying consoles and the $60 games plus subscriptions.

Well, not I. I pay for 2 WoW accounts (at one time I had 3, now I'm at 2). I've also paid for various account services (transferring characters, that kind of thing).

I play Hearthstone which is a free to play game but you can buy card packs (it is a card game played online). I've spent a few hundred dollars on cards.

 

[EastWest Gal]

I credit video games in helping DS to learn to read. He was struggling in school (first grade) when we moved to PA. Moved to a top rated school district. But he still struggled even though he was motivated. Got a Nintendo 64 and super Mario and Zelda Ocarina of Time. Especially Super Mario has characters who give short written instructions. So he would ask me to read them. I would go to the screen and point at the words as I read them. 4 months later he didn't need much help.


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

 

[Silver]

""Greencheese;1485538]I'd be interested to see the breakdown of money spent as well. Most female gamers I know would fall into the iPhone category, spending a few dollars here or there but staying mostly free while males gamers seem to be more of the ones buying consoles and the $60 games plus subscriptions.""

My husband and I each have a WOW account costing approximately us $300 a year for the subscriptions. The initial purchases for each expansion were about $60 each, so that's $120 every 2-3 years times 3 expax's. Plus...we change servers and factions and names sometimes, and that's about $30 each time. And of course we have to buy some of the "special" mounts for $15-30 each.

I once bid on a rare WOW "pet" on Ebay. It was a kite I really really wanted. I bid $120....but lost. It sold for almost $180. I still want that kite.....

 

[FUEGO]

We are (sometimes) avid gamers. I just bought a used playstation 3 for $125 and it came with a few good games and I spent $4 more for 2 more games off ebay (downloadable content!). That $4 equates to dozens or maybe hundreds of hours of nail biting fun and entertainment. We put the kids to sleep, then DW watches the wonderful scenery of God of War as I save the world from destruction.

DW is more of a classic gamer and rocks the 1989 Tetris on our original 8 bit Nintendo Entertainment System. Some day she may upgrade to our Super Nintendo (in all its 16 bit glory!).

Gaming was one of the things on my "Early Retirement Goals" list, and I'm finally stepping up to the challenge.

From a cost perspective, it's incredibly cheap entertainment if you buy games and systems that are a few years old. There are so many games out there that I doubt I'll ever catch up to the latest and greatest games anyway.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Now we are going to have to say re Internet trolls , "he's really a middle-aged woman playing video games in her own house" vs the "fourteen-year-old boy in Missoula" comment.

 

[Dreamer]

I have played Wii Fit games with my kids and granddaughter. I don't play any other type of games. I can't figure out what you are even supposed to be doing in them and I am definitely not fast at trying to play them. I think that I read that they are supposed to be good for you though (maybe mental focus).

 

[FUEGO]

I think that I read that they are supposed to be good for you though (maybe mental focus).

Sounds good to me!