ESA Reports Reveals Almost Half of Video Game Players Are Women, Adults Majority of Gamers

Video games aren't just for children and teen boys anymore. A new report from the Entertainment Software Association, detailing their annual breakdown of video game demographics, has revealed that video games are enjoyed by a diverse audience in these modern times.

According to the ESA's data, the average age of a gamer is 30 years old, and is someone who has been playing video games for 13 years. While video games were once thought of as the domain of children, it's now been shown that 68 percent of gamers are 18 years old or older, a finding most likely tied to the prohibitive price of consoles and software, and increasingly sophisticated games continuing to come out more and more every year. After all, spending $60 on a game for a child can be an expensive investment for a parent, and the mature content that video games often deal with can be a turnoff for parents.

This is supported by the ESA, which states that 93 percent of parents pay attention to the content of their children's video games, with 88 percent feeling the ratings system is useful for picking out games. Considering most stores will not let those under a certain age buy "Mature" rated games, it is no wonder parents have become more attentive to what their children are playing.

The ESA also found that 45 percent of all gamers are female, with 31 percent of all gamers adult women. This is a larger percentile then young boys, who are often thought of as the stereotypical video game market. Boys 17 years old or younger only account for 19 percent of gamers overall. This, again, most likely ties into more mature titles available to gamers today, as well as a general mainstreaming of video games over time.

The study also explored social and mobile gaming as well. The ESA found that 25 percent of gamers play social games, with 36 percent playing on their smartphones and 25 percent playing on other wireless devices. With the steady rise of the mobile gaming industry and the continued success of the Nintendo 3DS (and to a lesser extent the PlayStation Vita), this figure will most likely continue to grow in the coming years.

Finally, the study claims 52 percent of parents feel as though video games have a positive effect on their children's life. Parents reportedly believe video games are poisitive because they can bring families together, provide mental and educational simulation, and giving children a chance to connect with friends.