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Why Are Older People Playing More Video Games

Gaming is becoming popular among seniors

By Anna YurovskikhPublished 2 years ago 6 min read
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If you imagine someone gaming, you traditionally expect to see younger generations. But numerous studies have proven that it’s no longer for kids and young adults. A 2020 survey by the market research company NDP Group revealed interesting stats. We can see that users play more across all gamer demographics.

But it also registers a huge increase of old people gaming. Mature players started to hang out more in the virtual world. Compared to the previous year, adults aged 55-64 spend 48% more time on that. If we take the group 65+, the increase amounts to 45%.

It inevitably influences financial issues. Old guys aged 45-54 started to spend more by a whopping 76%. While 55-64 – by 73%. Let’s have a closer look at the possible reasons for such changes.

Popular Genres

Old people playing video games prefer a variety of genres according to Statista. Users aged 16-64 took part in this online survey. For players 45-64 years old, the most popular titles are shooters and action adventures. Then come puzzles, racing, and online board games.

Reasons for Old People Gaming More

A Pandemic Boost

An increase of elderly gamers was marked several years ago, before the COVID 19 outburst. The AARP company (it advocates for retired persons in the US) did research in 2019. It showed that 44% of Americans aged 50+ regularly enjoy video titles. In 2016, this number was no higher than 38%!

Nevertheless, the pandemic boredom clearly played its role. Just think about the following facts:

  1. Elders were forced to spend more time indoors. Going to the park and socializing in any way was out of the question. So, they had to find an alternative hobby and started to play more.
  2. Seniors had money to spare. They didn’t spend money in restaurants, theaters, or on other live events. Increased spending power allowed them to use it for new entertainment purposes.

By the way, the AARP video games are worth paying attention to. A special section features nice browser-based adventures that are popular among the elderly.

Being Closer to the Youth

Enjoying video games is a chance to get to know your kids and grandchildren better. Especially when they’re small. One can discuss in-game features and always have topics to talk about. And if there is no opportunity to see each other regularly, multiplayer titles will help. In a world like Animal Crossings, one can communicate and always stay in touch.

On Kevin Games, there are a lot of options to choose from. It’s a family-friendly portal that is suitable for any age. Adventures are conveniently grouped for better navigation through the website. Old legends and brand new titles are available through a browser. No downloading or installation makes the launching process very simple.

Aged Pioneers of Gaming

Have a closer look at the spike of playing adults aged 50-60. This generation was there when the first arcades and game console Atari were blooming. They grew up on Ms. Pac-Man and witnessed the development of the industry. The feeling of nostalgia is inevitable when diving into old-styled adventures. Check out our article. It explains why we get emotional hearing a familiar tune or seeing pixelated visuals.

How to play those challenges now? If you'd love to try a few retro titles, here's a tip how to do it easily. It’s a museum of ancient journeys available through the browser. There are special offline and online simulators to power outdated challenges. One can find legends ported from Atari, Sega, and Nintendo Switch gear. The portal features such computer adventures as Batman: Return of the Joker, Frog-Man, Tetris, etc.

Fighting Loneliness

It’s a well-known fact: the older population has fewer opportunities for social interactions. It’s often a reason for deep depression and stress. But one can connect socially online, and chat with peers while doing something entertaining. There are a lot of ways to do this. Most computer adventures feature in-built chats. Others offer opportunities to speak with your opponents or partners in real-time. Whatever adults choose, it provides a better immersion into the gameplay.

If you’re looking for the best options for older users, check out this list. It even has multiplayer titles to connect with others. There are such cool picks as Warcraft, Animal Crossing, and Minecraft. These are among the favorite digital toys both for kids and older generations.

Healthy Brain Training

Gaming for the elderly (55 and older) is very useful: it keeps their mind sharp. Most adventures make people focused and stimulate their brainpower. This is why everyone is recommended to enjoy digital challenges. It has the same effect as reading. And it may even reduce the chances of having Alzheimer's disease.

The best options are all kinds of puzzles and memory-based titles. A lot of them can be found online. Unlike their physical alternatives, they’re handheld games and are easy to carry along. Besides, constant upgrades make any journey a pleasure to return to. The progress is saved, so you can monitor your previous results. As well as see if you’re doing better or worse.

Positive Emotions

It’s not very hard to be happy when retired. One just needs to keep that connection to the world and find a nice hobby. If gaming is on the list of favorite activities, it’s great. It keeps people over 55 mentally fit and opens new communication channels with friends and kids.

However, most elder citizens are deprived of such entertainment. There is a stereotype that it’s only for the youth. Luckily, such beliefs are becoming outdated. The retired (55+ years old) become better tech-savvy. They can download and get the hang of the title on their own. It means that more gamers have positive emotions thanks to gaming.

Summing Up

Now you know how many people play. And why elderly gaming is such a big part of it. PS4, Nintendo, PC, and other gaming systems should better focus on the needs of this age group. Our society is becoming more digitized than ever. Electronic devices are easy to access and control even by beginners. It offers lots of benefits for the retired: a great chance to find new hobbies. It’ll help them stay focused, keep their mind sharp, and connect with others. Including their friends and younger generations.

However, it’s vital to remember about security. It’s not only about antivirus software to protect devices. Joining multiplayer arenas, one should remember which information is safe to share and which isn’t. There are always bad people who would use it for blackmailing or harassing senior users.

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About the Creator

Anna Yurovskikh

I'm interested in gamedev and create stories on different aspects of gaming industry. I work as a freelancer and it allows me to travel whenever I like. New cultures and amazing games are the two things I like most :)

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