Move Over Teens–Parents Are Playing Video Games

Although teenage boys are still the most avid video game players in the U.S., they’re being joined by another group ...their parents and grandparents.

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More than 10 million Americans 50 and older became active video gamers over the past three years, according to an AARP survey.

The rise in older gamers is fueled in part by people who use gaming to spend quality time with grandchildren, but many are also drawn to video games for enjoyment and intellectual challenge.

 

“It’s stress release, connecting socially and staying mentally sharp,” said Alison Bryant, AARP’s senior vice president of research. “This is wonderfully bite-sized bits of entertainment for them.”

You may find this hard to believe but women accounted for the largest increase in older gamers in recent years.

Americans over 50 spent $3.5 billion on video games and accessories between in first half of the year, up sharply from $523 million during the same period in 2016, according to AARP. They spent an average of $70 when purchasing video games.

About 164 million people (including seniors) played video games in 2018, which helped the industry grab a record $43.4 billion in sales.

(WIVB-TV/CBS)