Got news?   tips@destructoid.com  |  Never miss a story:   RSS + Twitter + YouTube
Hey! New here? Destructoid is a gaming discussion community, updated nearly every 20 minutes. Make a quick avatar to comment and enter our contests. Take the tour!

 


Home Things gamers do updates

Study shows gamers are more likely to marry, make more money than non-gamers

2:32 PM on 10.22.2008, Dale North 28 comments

Study shows gamers are more likely to marry, make more money than non-gamers photo
     Things gamers do

We knew it, you knew it. The old gamer stereotypes need to die off, and studies like this one just help to prove that we gamers are not all socially deficient shut-ins. In fact, the new study by IGN Entertainment and Ipsos Media CT shows that gamers may be better off than the non-gamers.

Here's the bullet points of this study, which polled 3,000 participants:

  • 55% of gamers are married
  • 48% have kids
  • single gamers twice as likely to date
  • average age of new gamers: 32
  • average household income $79,000, better than non's $54k
  • more socially active than non-gamers
  • 13% more likey to go to the movies
  • 11% morely likely to play sports
  • 9% more likely to go out with friends

Take that, judgemental non-gamers! I don't even know how the old stereotypes are still around. Are they? This information is right in line with my friends and fellow gamers. Do you feel it is accurate?

[Via Gamasutra]


Next page: More Trends stories




J03yyz's Avatar
J03yyz at 10/22/2008 14:33
lol gamefaqs forums disagree with these studies
killias2's Avatar
killias2 at 10/22/2008 14:34
How did they define gamer? I mean.. I could easily see an open definition including like 70% of the young-to-mid adult demographic.
Altered Beets's Avatar
Altered Beets at 10/22/2008 14:35
This isn't very scientific and demonstrates absolutely nothing about nothing, but it would be a nice thing to believe.

A) The methodology isn't great

B) The relationship could be inverse, meaning that people who are married, have carreers, etc, are more likely to have time and money for games, rather than the other way around.

Still, any attempt to collect reasonable game research data is worthwile.
falinter's Avatar
falinter at 10/22/2008 14:39
Put that in your pipe and smoke it non-gamers.
Agent Orange's Avatar
Agent Orange at 10/22/2008 14:41
It's not like anyone is going to be using this data to write a college thesis or anything but it's certainly good to see something that can stave off some of the more archaic stereotypes.
Shin Ra's Avatar
Shin Ra at 10/22/2008 14:50
the studys crap; any one who played Rockband,halo,gutarhero regularly consider them selves a "gamer" its the new cool thing kids being a "gamer"... fucking bandwagon
gamadaya's Avatar
gamadaya at 10/22/2008 15:22
What do you mean by "gamers"? The kinds of gamers I know are way less likely than the rest of the population to do any of those things, except they are likely to make more money, but I just happen to have smart friends.
noxious's Avatar
noxious at 10/22/2008 15:26
Personally, I'd like to see this information relative to how many hours a day the "gamer" spends gaming.

Perhaps in the form of a pretty graph. Or many pretty graphs.
el_chack's Avatar
el_chack at 10/22/2008 15:30
"Core" gamers or "Casual" gamers?

Of course, now that every family owns a Wii and play High School Musical, they name themselves "gamers".

Of course I use to hang out with friends and I enjoy dates, but I don't think that poll was applied to actual "gamers".

Why don't you DToiders make a poll with better resources (us)?
MotoRobo's Avatar
MotoRobo at 10/22/2008 15:37
Polls, studies, statistics=useless.
dmgi's Avatar
dmgi at 10/22/2008 15:46
@falinter:

Who is that directed towards, non-gamers reading Destructoid?
Holyetheline's Avatar
Holyetheline at 10/22/2008 15:47
That's some perfect information right there.
naia-the-gamer's Avatar
naia-the-gamer at 10/22/2008 16:06
If the NARP's I've been to are any indication, I would say gamers are pretty social individuals... and very drunk individuals.

This is regardless of who they polled for this study.
InfraredChimera's Avatar
InfraredChimera at 10/22/2008 16:09
@Dale North

My father-in-law subscribes to the "games are for kids" archetype. He does try to debate me on it, but usually he comes with no valid points, just opinions.
Strife381's Avatar
Strife381 at 10/22/2008 16:11
I call bullSh!t. I agree with "Half left" that most gamers probably lie on surveys. I would like a Destructoid survey that first brakes down the type of gamer: Casual, Core, Hardcore. Or something like that.
weedgan's Avatar
weedgan at 10/22/2008 16:14
This article is sort of irrelevant because well, theres not many people left these days that DON'T play games.

Even if it's some college frat douchbag, he still plays madden and halo.
casualweaponry's Avatar
casualweaponry at 10/22/2008 16:16
Man, join the Dtoid NY group. Most of us hang out constantly, and we party HARD.

I swear, like every other weekend is a NARP. I need to hang out with them more often though.
Prince Ghidorah's Avatar
Prince Ghidorah at 10/22/2008 16:20
48% have kids, but what percentage are named Sephiroth?
whormongr's Avatar
whormongr at 10/22/2008 16:20
I am getting married in 2 weeks....
mix's Avatar
mix at 10/22/2008 16:28
I'm a gamer who is commonlaw with another gamer and things are good! A lot of my non gamer friends do make less money....they might have something here.
t00l's Avatar
t00l at 10/22/2008 16:32
The Cinema's hardly the most social environment, the idea of going to the effort of dressing up and heading to the multiplex for a quiet yarn instead of getting pissed with mates would say the opposite especially on a regular basis....

Plus...... Marriage? What? Any Mess can get married, it hardly implies that you are indeed a social champion! Its settling down, and at a young age it could be considered to be one of the most anti-social things you can do! Settle down, drop your friends and happily wave goodbye to awkward nights out at the club standing in the corner sweating for some attention. Eventually you get a girl and cling on for dear life! And the longer you hold onto your MRS the longer you can avoid such awkward situations again...... plus offering you that one person to talk to when you do venture your greasey ass out the door so you dont feel the urge to communicate with anyone else again.

In truth this survey proves nothing, its usually only the ignornat or socially over active that dont bother with gaming. Look around my man everybody plays games now, even if its just an exhibition match in FIFA every now and then.But that doesnt mean the stereotype will ever truelly go away, it'll be kicked around for generations to come, like the Irish drunk thing...... which I'm quite happy to self perpetuate! :D
Gorelord's Avatar
Gorelord at 10/22/2008 20:29
well Im broke and cant get laid so that proves this study wrong.
liquidcabbage's Avatar
liquidcabbage at 10/22/2008 20:56
how is that possible...
AClockWorkMelon's Avatar
AClockWorkMelon at 10/23/2008 13:55
I find flaw with this survey. It says gamers make more money on average than non-gamers...

... could it be that people with more money are more likely to shell out dough for games than those who can't afford them?
Archanai's Avatar
Archanai at 10/23/2008 19:57
It's very likely that the majority of people they polled are people who only have Wii Fit and think it makes them "gamer", but regardless it definitely helps with the gamer public persona.
prev next

Returning Dtoiders: login now to post a comment

Destructoid is an open discussion community. You don't need to "audition" to post a comment - just Create an avatar now - it's fast and free: PLUS you also get your own gaming blog and begin posting stories and uploading videos in our open community area that may also appear on our home page. Sign up and we'll guide you through it, it's easy and 100% anonymous.




 Original Videos

 Reviews
Mad Dog McCree Gunslinger Pack
Overlord II
Yosumin Live!
Let's Tap
Ghostbusters: The Video Game (Wii)
View all Game Reviews

 Community blogs -   39703 Dtoiders!

This month's theme: Untapped Potential

New to Dtoid? Read the survival guide


 Originals

Retroforce Recap: so what about those dirty games, now?











more original Destructoid stories



 Popular now more













Destructoid is:
Nick Chester
Editor-in-Chief
Jim Sterling
Reviews Editor
Dale North
News Editor
Hamza Aziz
Community Manager
Anthony Burch
Features Editor
Rey Gutierrez
Video editor & director
Niero
Founder, publisher
Letters to the editors
tips@destructoid.com
Associate Editors
Ashley Davis Jonathan Holmes
Brad Nicholson Jonathan Ross
Brad Rice Jordan Devore
Chad Concelmo Matthew Razak
Colette Bennett Tom Fronczak
Conrad Zimmerman Topher Cantler
Dyson Samit Sarkar
Contributors
Adam Dork
Ben Perlee
Daniel Lingen
Joseph Leray
Joe Burling
Mikey
Will Maddock
Stella Wong




get involved

register or login
post a blog
post a forum
enter a contest
discuss a review
contribute a news tip
write a guest editorial
support

new member's guide
login assistance
tech support
report abuse
email our editors
read our dev blog
nuclear crisis?
keep in touch

RSS feed
Twitter
Facebook
Myspace
Flickr
Game nights
Meet-ups
seriously

about us
advertising
terms of use
privacy policy
jobs at MM
buy our crap
our network

Tomopop
Japanator




Destructoid is an independently-run publication forged by our love of video games and the gaming community's need of accountable enthusiast press
living the dream since March 16, 2006