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Age
Preconceptions of Age Crumble
The stereotype of the average gamer is that of an adolescent boy. From this idea we draw
many of our perceptions about gaming and gamers in general. The reality is, according to
the Entertainment Software Association of Canada
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the average age of the North American game player is 33 years old. According to Griffiths,
Davies and Chappell (), 60% of the online playing community were at least in their 20's.
This is in stark contrast to the generally held stereotype. If, in fact, the older player
is the norm, concerns over younger players in general may be misplaced and feed into the
myths the media shrouds over the public regarding videogames and gamers. The important
questions become one of demographics. We hear about the popular games being violent ones.
The important thing to bring under consideration here is what percentage of these popular
games is actually being played by youth?
Purchasing Video Games
The average video game buyer is 40 years old. Parents are wise to be concerned with their
children playing violent games, but statistics show a different story then the one heard
on the nightly news. In fact, 89% of parents participate in purchasing or renting video
games (ESA, ); therefore, parents are the ones deciding what games are being purchased.
This means it is important for parents to have access to high quality and relevant information
so they can make educated decisions about the type of games brought into their home.
Parents Need Help
The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) and the Entertainment Software Association of
Canada offer a .
Their objectives aim is to assure parents when they go into a store to rent or buy a game,
the retailer is working with them to keep inappropriate games away from youth. Video game
retailers need to be held responsible for educating the public about video game ratings,
just as parents need to utilize the information in order for the ESRB's
to be successful.
Another important issue is pressure from children on the parents to rent and/or purchase
certain types of video games. The system of rating gives parents knowledge of game content
but also give a basis for supporting their decision to their children. The norms of the
society we live in have a strong impact on the behaviour of both children and parents.
The more information is available to the parents, the better they can be informed and the
better decisions they can make in terms of what their children are exposed to. These types
of norms have generally been established for books and more recently for magazines and movies.
They are currently in the process of being established in the gaming world. To illustrate this,
a parent would not expect a retailer to let their child purchase a playboy magazine, just as
they should not expect their child to walk out of a store with an adult rated video game.
The video games themselves are not good or bad; it is the individual content that needs to
be considered.
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Photo by merala
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