Gaming, which started as a fun activity or a hobby, has evolved to become one of the biggest industries in the 21st century.
In the USA, the video game industry is valued at $65.49 billion. With mobile gaming, console gaming, and competitive gaming (e-sports) on the rise, it is clear that this market is only going to grow and go big in the near future.
Many people of any age play games. While PC and console gaming appears to have taken off in the early 2000s, mainstream gaming was popular in the '70s and '80s.
As a result, many modern-day parents are likely to be gamers, and an increasing number of millennial parents may be as well! Nowadays, gaming has become so big that pro gamers can make $12,000-60,000 a year.
If you liked reading this article about gamers who love to play video games, and you would love to learn more about the video game industry, game console tidbits, and mobile games, you must read these facts about video gamesand the first commercial video game!
Child And Teenage Gamers
Gaming is a universal hobby, and it can bridge the gap between generations. However, since gaming is immersive and, at times, a bit addictive, it can also keep children and teenagers hooked on their smartphone, game console, or PC. As a result, it is important for families and especially guardians to find a balance between the two.
Video games work on progression and reward mechanics, so they can be addictive. More and more games are becoming immersive, and so, eventually, it can interfere with a child's studies as they game more.
On top of that, games are no longer just for fun; they bring up mature and violent themes, and this can affect a child's personality.
Teenagers are known to rage when the game gets stuck or if they are playing multiplayer games and their teammates falter during ranked matches.
Many teenagers avoid social interactions so that they can engage in gaming, and this can affect their social lives—becoming really isolated in the world of a computer or console video game. Extended gaming for hours on end can result in poor health due to poor posture, dehydration due to not drinking water during multiplayer sessions, and poor sleep.
Gaming is fun and is encouraged but within limitations. When taking care of a child, it should be ensured that children play games with a G or PG rating. Children should have fixed hours for gaming.
One should not engage in gaming before bedtime. As guardians, you can also tell your child to get up and stretch if they are playing for an extended period.
You can also play video games with your kids too. However, try not to scare your child with games. The stereotypical gamer's image in 20 years of a bloodshot-eyed, bloated figure who seems depressed and sleep-deprived cannot be proven scientifically.
For teenagers, it might be difficult to interfere during their gaming sessions. So, one way would be to play video games or review games before giving them a game to play on the PC or game console.
Talking with your child regarding sexist tropes in online gaming platforms or any problematic themes in a game could be a great way forward.
An interesting fact about gaming is that it has been proven to improve hand-eye coordination, so gaming is not just fun. Nowadays, students can also learn through immersive gaming by using VR technology.
PC And Console Gamers
The console wars between the companies making PlayStation and Xbox are very real and keep the gaming community alive. However, among gaming machines, the PC master-race seems to often get the higher ground. But the difference between PC gaming and console gaming might come down to simple preference.
A console is solely developed for gaming. Hence, the hardware may not always be top-of-the-line, but it is enough to run the games. On the other hand, console gaming is cheaper than building PCs, and one can have a relaxed gaming session just by sitting on the couch.
With wireless controllers and vibration feedback, console gaming can be quite immersive too. You have console-exclusive games too, which are well optimized to run on specific consoles. Plus, they have brought multiplayer games into the mix as well.
PC gaming has always come across as a traditional and advanced gaming option. It has been estimated that there are around 1.75 billion PC gamers in the world.
Generally, you need technical knowledge and money to build a decent gaming PC. However, you get better frame rates and graphics output when it comes to gaming on a PC.
Better customization ability, the versatility of gaming peripherals (you can even use wireless controllers to play on PC), and using mods make PC gaming exciting and different. Even traditional inputs like mouse and keyboard are often considered the best option for first-person shooters and competitive shooting games.
Women As Gamers
Since the '90s, it has been assumed that gaming is for boys only. However, as the gaming culture has evolved, the stereotype has fallen apart. It has been seen that around half (41-45%) of gamers in the USA are women. This shows that gaming is not for boys only; it is also traversing across all genders too.
Women play video games on different platforms, from mobile phones to consoles and PCs. Many women-only teams also participate in online gaming and e-sports, like Cloud9 White, playing Valorant.
Several female players engage in gaming for the rush of competition and to improve themselves. Some like to play for social status and to connect with others.
However, a problem that many female gamers face is continued harassment from other players. Video games from previous generations have not had many games with female protagonists either, making video games grounded within the boys-only stereotype.
However, video games from the current generation are changing. Games like Horizon Zero Dawn, Control, The Last Of Us, and Tomb Raider either have female protagonists or strong female characters.
The video game industry also has many famous female role models who stand out. An example is the Naughty Dog creative director, Amy Hennig, well known for working on the famous Uncharted series, which has been turned into a Hollywood movie, with more movies on the way.
Average Age Of Gamers
As per research, it has been seen that the average age of gamers in the USA is around 18-34 years. It is not surprising that millennials and the Gen-Z crowd have taken playing video games to a whole new level.
However, it can be difficult to assign a specific age level to a gamer based on research. Many children and teenagers start gaming early in life, and it has been seen that around the 15-19 age group, people game casually.
There are older gamers as well. Around 7% of all gamers in the United States are over the age of 65.
Clearly, playing video games caters to a lot of different ages, from adults to children, across the world. So, it would be difficult to pin down the age of an average gamer in any country.
Gaming Culture
Since there are many gamers who constantly play video games or discuss video games, along with the game industry, there has been a growth in the gaming culture too. The internet, of course, has helped popularise the gaming culture further.
It can be said that the gaming culture became quite popular back in the 2000s, with many multiplayer role-playing games, as well as mobile games, becoming popular online. While competitive shooters had not become too popular due to low internet speed, multiplayer online video games like World of Warcraft and EverQuest brought people together.
In Japan, cosplaying became popular. People started reenacting game characters by donning their unique outfits, hairstyles, and even imitating them.
Adults of all ages, without any gender barrier, started engaging in cosplaying different games.
However, like all cultures, the ugly side of gaming culture also came into play. With competition on the rise, gamers have become toxic, with trash-talking a common form of trolling and bullying.
It can be said that since gamers remain anonymous behind their gamer tags, trash-talking can be an easy outlet. Being toxic is also quite gender-specific, and women who play games get a lot of hate.
Despite all that, gaming culture has evolved, and now many gamers have become internet stars. With apps like Twitch and the streaming of games becoming more and more popular, the video game industry's streamers are one of the top content on the internet.
Streamers with unique personalities have also become heroes among many viewers and have even attracted non-gamers and adults of all ages. Playing video games is no longer just a pastime for many.
It has become an aspiration and even a job for some.
Even if you're an average gamer on a computer, smartphone, or console, gaming is a great way to bond with friends and family of all ages. There is a large variety available on the market to suit all kinds of people.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for facts about gamers then why not take a look at first video game console, or longest time playing video games.
