Breaking the Stereotypes

When you think of an average hardcore gamer, you might picture a 20-something year old guy sitting in his mother's basement, punching away at the controller. However, a recent study suggests that the hardcore gaming demographic lies elsewhere. According to a study by the NPD group, the six to 17 year old age bracket accounts for 45% of heavy gamers, and about a third of avid console gamers. If that weren't crazy enough, 21% of heavy gamers are females! For those of you looking for a girlfriend who's an extreme gamer, there is hope!

With the study showing that the main demographic is younger (and more female) than previously assumed, might this lead to more "kiddie" games? Perhaps, but rest assured, the "rated M" games sell quite well. But given these statistics, maybe Nintendo wasn't all that crazy this whole time.