When it comes to stereotyping, we all are guilty of pigeonholing others and who can be the bigger victim of stereotyping than a
typical teenage gamer sitting in his parents' basement, surviving on the dubious diet of potato chips and cola. See, what we did there? We stereotyped again, and ESA aka The Elecronic Software Association just proved that we could not be more wrong. According to a report released by the association, an average gamer is more likely to be in their 30s, rather than in their teens. In fact, good 29 percent of the gamers are above 50 years old, while under 18s constitute mere 18 percent of gaming population.
The report also debunked the myth that women are not interested in gaming. While 42 percent of the gamers are female, if you venture into the world of hardcore gaming, 48 percent of the residents there would belong to fairer gender. Another myth that gamers tend to be anti-social loner has also been put to test and turns out that it is not true either. As many as 65 percent of gamers play games with other gaming enthusiasts in person.
Only 19 percent gamers are ready to loosen their purse strings for playing games online and even here strategic games like board games, card games and puzzles beat 'hardcore' games hands down. 47 percent of the 'purchased' games belong to board games and puzzles category and only 11 percent are MMORPG.
Now, it's time for some cold cash figures. In 2010, the gaming industry saw the turnover of $25.1 billion. This included the expenditure on gaming software, hardware and accessories.