Average age of German gamers continues to increase

• Average age of German gamers increases to 35.5 years
• Largest increase in gamers recorded in 50+ age group
• Approximately half the German population plays computer and video games
 
Berlin, 7 June 2017 – Gaming is becoming increasingly popular among more senior players in Germany. The average age of computer and video gamers in Germany is now 35.5 years, compared with 31 years in 2011 – an increase of 4.5 years. The rise in the average age is attributable to strong growth in the number of gamers in the 50+ age group: the number of gamers in this age bracket increased by half a million to 8.7 million people in the space of just twelve months. As such, this group not only accounts for a quarter (25 per cent) of all gamers in Germany – it is also the largest group of gamers there is. These are the figures published today by the BIU, the German Games Industry Association, based on data collected by market research company GfK. [quotation cite=”BIU Managing Director Felix Falk”] ‘The rising average age of German gamers and the growing popularity of games clearly show that computer and video games have become firmly established as an everyday medium.’[/quotation]  
‘The rising average age of German gamers and the growing popularity of games clearly show that computer and video games have become firmly established as an everyday medium,’ says BIU Managing Director Felix Falk. ‘With their diverse content and new technologies, games appeal to all age groups.’
 
34.1 million people currently play computer and video games in Germany. This equates to 46 per cent of the total population. Meanwhile, the ratio of male to female gamers remained very balanced once again in 2017: 17.9 million of Germany’s gamers are male (53 per cent of all gamers), with 16.2 million female gamers accounting for the remaining 47 per cent of all gamers in Germany.

Strong demand for computer and video games in Germany

The high level of interest in computer and video games is also evidenced in the overall German market for computer and video games and gaming hardware: the German market for computer and video games experienced strong growth yet again in 2016. Sales of games for PCs, consoles, handhelds, smartphones and tablets and fees for online networks such as PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live Gold totalled 2.13 billion euros in Germany last year. And while there was a 15 per cent decline in the market for games consoles and corresponding peripherals such as gamepads down to 747 million euros compared with 2015, the overall market – comprising computer and video games, fees for online networks, hybrid toys, and games consoles and peripherals – developed stably in 2016: as was already the case in 2015, sales in this area totalled 2.9 billion euros in Germany last year.
 
Further information on sales in the overall German market for computer and video games and for gaming hardware can be found under the link https://www.game.de/en/blog/2017/04/07/strong-demand-for-computer-and-video-games-sales-up-7-per-cent/

The results for the overall German market were published by the BIU as a press release in April 2017.

About the market data

The data used is based on surveys conducted by the GfK Consumer Panel, GfK Entertainment and GfK POS Measurement. The methods used by GfK to collect data on Germany’s digital games market are unique in terms both of their quality and their global use. They include an ongoing survey of 25,000 consumers who are representative of the German population as a whole regarding their digital game purchasing and usage habits, and also a consumer panel. The data collection methods provide a unique insight into the German market for computer and video games. Please note: discrepancies between this year’s sales revenue figures for the hardware market in 2015 and the figures provided last year are the result of adjustments made to the range of products covered. It now includes gaming peripherals such as gamepads.

About the BIU

The BIU, the German Games Industry Association, is the association of the German computer and video games industry. Its 28 members are developers, publishers and suppliers of digital games. Together, they represent over 85 per cent of the German market. The BIU is, for example, the organiser of gamescom. As an expert partner for media and for political and social institutions, the BIU answers all questions on the topic of digital games.

Press contact:

Martin Puppe
BIU, the German Games Industry Association
Charlottenstraße 62
10117 Berlin
Phone: +49 (0)30 2408779-20
Fax: +49 (0)30 2408 77911
Email: puppe@biu-online.de
game.de
Twitter: @game_eV
Facebook.com/BIUeV

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