Even in 2020, playing video games can come with lots of stereotypes attached: The nerdy male gamer; the little kids playingMario; or even the obsessedCall of Dutyplaying teenager. However, it seems that the latest research from the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) can help to set the record straight on at least a few of those stereotypes. Its report, 2020 Essential Facts About the Video Game Industry, demonstrates that gamers are far more than just a few niche groups, with 75% of U.S. households including at least one gamer.
The research also shows that gaming in 2020 reaches across the age ranges. While many will expect that 70% of under 18s play video games, the number of adults who play is not much different at 64%. When combined with the large number of over-50s who are still gaming, this means the average age of a U.S. gamer is now in the 35-44 year old group.
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Perhaps the biggest stereotype in video gaming is that not many women play, the report shows this too is not correct, with 88 million female gamers in the U.S. alone, making up 41% of all players. Another important group highlighted by the report isgamers with a disability, who make up over 21% of total gamers in the U.S. according to data provided by the AbleGamers charity.
The data in the ESA research does a good job of reminding the industry of the sheer size of the global gaming market, which is bigger than the movie and music industries combined in terms of revenue, reaching a staggering $120 billion in 2019. The highest grossing game of the year wasFortnite, which generated $1.8 billion despite dropping in revenue from 2018. With the lock down success ofAnimal Crossingamong other titles, and anew generation of consoles expected to launch before Christmas, it is likely than 2020 will prove to be even bigger than 2019.
While publishers and developers have certainly improved in making a variety of games accessible, the sheer size of the disability market in particular, shows that there are still some opportunities for making gaming even more accessible to all. Plus, with such a large percentage of the population in America and across the world playing video games, it’sprobably time for some of the classic gamer stereotypes to be retired, or at least saved for humorous memes.
Of course, with that being said,every player knows someone who fits those old stereotypes, and many will come across them online on a regular basis. So perhaps players just need to remember that as with most topics in life, variety and diversity abounds in gaming too.
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