Do RPGs attract an older demographic?

[dragon wench]

In Thug's wedding announcement thread, Moltovir raised a point that has me curious. He mentions that RPGs seem to have an older audience... I have sometimes wondered about this myself. However, I'm also wondering if it is a phenomenon somewhat unique to Game Banshee, because I have stumbled across numerous RPG forums that are predominently populated by a more teenaged demographic.

At Game Banshee SYM, the BG1, BG2 and PST forums, in particular, have often had an older player base. Indeed, as I recall it was especially Baldur's Gate Two that drew people to Game Banshee in the first place....

Does anyone have any theories, data or thoughts on the subject?

[Xandax]

Not really - I don't think so.

I just think GameBanshee (SYM) attracts an older audience

Maybe it is somewhat true with "old school" RPGs, such as BG1+PS:T and similar, but the RPGs like SW:KotOR and NwN and Morrowind, I strongly doubt attracts an older audience.

[moltovir]

RPG's and TBS games need one thing that not many teenagers possess these days: patience. Thats reason #1 for me. Most young people skip tutorials or manuals and play games that require only 4-5 keys to function. Compare that to the thac0 and ac system of BG2 (it took me a long time to figure that out, since i'm not a D&D vet), and you'll know why BG2 is played more by middle-aged (between 20 and 35 years old) people. My 12-year old brother stopped playing Age of Wonders 2 after 2 hours because it "was too slow" and "too hard, with all that functions and keys!" (but, compared to really old games like Master of Orion, even AoW2 is easy as pie). Teenagers get a kick out of a nice explosion or brains splattered against the wall, but i enjoy a long, expressive, humorous (the subtle kind of humor), multiple-choice dialogue, a perfect strategic manouvre or a new spell combo which kills that near-invincible enemy.

[Gwalchmai]

I'm not sure how to answer the question, since I'm feeling particularly pre-pubescent today...

[Yeltsu]

Originally Posted by moltovir

RPG's and TBS games need one thing that not many teenagers possess these days: patience. Thats reason #1 for me. Most young people skip tutorials or manuals and play games that require only 4-5 keys to function. Compare that to the thac0 and ac system of BG2 (it took me a long time to figure that out, since i'm not a D&D vet), and you'll know why BG2 is played more by middle-aged (between 20 and 35 years old) people. My 12-year old brother stopped playing Age of Wonders 2 after 2 hours because it "was too slow" and "too hard, with all that functions and keys!" (but, compared to really old games like Master of Orion, even AoW2 is easy as pie). Teenagers get a kick out of a nice explosion or brains splattered against the wall, but i enjoy a long, expressive, humorous (the subtle kind of humor), multiple-choice dialogue, a perfect strategic manouvre or a new spell combo which kills that near-invincible enemy.

I strongly disagree with you, I am 17 year old and I have played bg1+2 iwd 1+2, Fallout 1+2 and I am waiting for PST to arrive in my mailbox. And I know numerous people my age who have done the same. I think that "older" games like bg and pst are mostly played by older people, simply because young people doesn't know they exist!

An example: I discovered BG2 because my friends older brother showed me the game, the same with IWD. I found Fallout after being bored and looking for fun games on the internet, when I stumbled across Black Isles old page.
And I discovered PST right here on Gamebanshee, which I found when I was looking for walkthroughs for NWN.

All the "old" gamer (e.g people over 25) I know play games like Doom 3, Battlefield, fifa and Diablo 2.

So I think you are wrong to say what you did about teenagers.

[moltovir]

I based that answer on my own experiences. I also know 25-year olds that play Doom 3 and teenagers that play RPG's, but most of the gamers that i know only play hacknslash, fps and rts.

[Moonbiter]

I think Moltovir makes an excellent point. There is a reason for the Console Explosion and the seemingly dire times for RPGs on the computer. Tabletop gaming is of course a completely different matter, as it's a social gathering. Some 10-15 years ago, RPGs were the royalty of computer gaming. There is not a doubt in my mind that this was due to the fact that mostly older people owned their own personal computers. Younger people were stuck in the arcades playing their shoot-em-ups or fighting games. Most people I knew who had consoles like the Megadrive at home, bought them for their kids. Today most kids have their very own machine AND a console, as well as Gameboys and even games on their mobiles. Hence, instant-access games are at the top of the statistics.

[Yeltsu]

That's because most of the rpg produced today are crap. At least with an fps you know what to expect.

[Moonbiter]

Au Contraire, Asriel. The RPGs, the very FEW true RPGs produced today are actually rather brilliant. Morrowind and Beyond Divinity for instance. Which of course leads us back The Wench's initial question, with a little twist: Do you have have to be an adult to discover and enjoy traditional RPGs?

[Yeltsu]

Originally Posted by Moonbiter

Au Contraire, Asriel. The RPGs, the very FEW true RPGs produced today are actually rather brilliant. Morrowind and Beyond Divinity for instance.

I agree, but how should teenagers with little to none experience in the field be able to tell the really good rpgs from the horrible ones, If you look at the back, most of them mostly say the same

[C Elegans]

A quick search on the web tells me that according to sales statistics and polls, the average age of computer gamers have rised over the last 5-6 years. I found no age statistics for type of games though, but I am sure such statistics can be found.

My personal experience is that on internet, it's not the type of game but the style of the forum that determines the age of the members. I have heard some people claim that only kids play D2 and RPG:s like Planescape or Baldur's gate is for more "mature" and "intelligent" people. However, I am a member of two Diablo forums, and although I haven't exactly made a matrix with demographic data, I am fairly sure that both D2 forums have a higher average age and a higher average educational level than SYM or the BG2 has.

Of course gamer's demographics cannot be assessed from forum populations only, a vast number of people play games without ever using internet forums related to those games.

[Xandax]

Originally Posted by Moonbiter

Au Contraire, Asriel. The RPGs, the very FEW true RPGs produced today are actually rather brilliant. Morrowind and Beyond Divinity for instance. <snip>

That is so much personal taste.
You can't claim Morrowind is a brilliant RPG, and then use it as an argument.
I find it trivial and bland at best.
I know it has won awards, gotten good reviews and sold large numbers, but so has Diablo.
Claiming games are brilliant (or the oppersite) is purely subjective.

[Moonbiter]

Of course, Xan, but that's not the point, is it? This thread isn't about that. How do you feel about the issue at hand?

[Ned Flanders]

I started playing CRPG's as a preteen and I still play them. For me personally, it is a combination of my preteen D&D days and my father's interest in video games.

A few years after playing D&D, I found wizardry I, II, III, etc..., followed by gateway to and temple of apshai (epyx), , the ultima series, the bard's tale(s), below the root, SSI D&D game, questron, zelda series, wizards crown, and up to BG's, IWD's, NWN's, Morrowind, fable, KoToR, etc...

Basically, I've been playing them since I found them. I think it just depends on the person. I would agree that GB is, for the most part, an older community. But by that measure I don't think it's right to say only older people play CRPG's.

I'm not certain patience is a relevant factor either. I've been devoid of patience all my life but I've yet to have a problem dissecting a 200 page video game manual.

Regarding the average of age of the gamers I think has many factors. First and foremost is exposure. 10 to 15 years ago, computers were not a household item. Now they're everywhere, to not have one in the home almost seems odd. Because computers are everywhere, you've got more companies making games, competitive marketing, and parents who want to know what their kids are into. Parents in tune start to like certain games as they're not all mindless plus I think it helps people feel young, certainly a better alternative than plastic surgery. You can also factor in cost and global divorce rate or total population period. More single older people who need something to do with their time. A 14 year old is doubtful to save up 1500-2000 dollars to buy a new system but an adult might have an easier time coming up with the cash. Doom 3 alone probably raised the average age of the gamer by 2-3 years. By the time you've completed upgraded your system so you can run the damn game with a decent frame rate, one has probably dropped close to a thousand dollars.

[dragon wench]

lol! I didn't expect that many replies in so short a time!

I have been thinking a bit about this since posting. I think what may have happened is that around the time Buck began Game Banshee games such as the Fallout series, BG series and PST were at their peak. It is possible these games attract an older audience, and perhaps individuals in this category helped to lay the foundations of GB...hence the older demographic.

I have also noticed, of late, that there are many younger members now at GB, as well as at SYM. I'm wondering if this is a reflection of the shifts that have occurred in the RPG genre in that it has, in many cases, become more action-oriented.
Not to say that all teens only like action games btw