More and more adults and seniors discover the beauty of gaming: almost every second American aged 50+ plays video games at least once a month, the number relentlessly running up for the last decades. A well-recognized stress reducer and health enhancer – if taken in the right dosage, gaming improves memory and multitasking, helps to socialize and gain new connections, etc. – video games have been overlooked by the older generation, but not now: older people are embracing gaming, writing prodigious success stories and becoming real stars in the industry.
However, even though more than 50 million of American seniors were playing video games in 2019 (not a majority like those in the mid-30s’ yet still a whopping number), the rise in the share of elderly gamers still remains unnoticed by software developers – maybe because it happens amidst even the larger overall boom of the video gaming industry, maybe due to a high risk of developing one-size-fits-all games.
Nevertheless, seniors are already here and they are dying to see more adult games. But what would this game look like and would it be worth to develop one? Let’s try to find out.
Purchasing Power of Seniors
You might be surprised, but seniors are the fastest-growing consumer age group, especially in developing markets, where they account for slightly more than half of all consumer spending. In fact, the purchasing power of gray-haired gamers has doubled since 2010 and is expected to rise in the ongoing decade.
Personal health is the obvious priority among seniors, but leisure eats a considerable share of an average senior’s budget as well, including video games. Whether this is nostalgia or too much free time on hands, games, especially story games like Skyrim, God of War, or Fortnight, enjoy wide popularity among retired seniors – they can play as much as they can and spend as much as their savings and pensions can afford. On par with the global aging – according to the World Population Ageing Report, in 2050, there will be more people aged 60+ than adolescents and youths – it can be safely said that seniors will be getting more and more attention as a group with the greatest purchasing power.
How to Make Seniors Love Video Games: Must-Have Game Qualities
- Flashbacks of Happiness
There’s a fair share of elderly gamers that would never exchange their favorite games for anything else. They hate Warcraft III: Reforged for its tacky graphics; they truly love the original and want to indulge in nostalgia for the game they’ve once excelled in. These are the seniors that will always cherish those flashbacks of happiness and stick to their communities no matter how small those become as time goes by.
- Pleasant Expectations
Unlike a relatively small group of seniors unwilling to explore new horizons, a much broader contingent of older players are pleased with games that give them something to look forward to. This might be a long-awaited game update, an opponent’s reaction, or a new feature to be unlocked – the key is the suspense that thrills and makes the gaming routine (and life in general) more interesting.
- Puzzles to Solve
Not only playing video games is beneficial to the cognitive capacity of seniors, but it also gives them a chance to unleash their intellectual and creative potential, and in more ways than Newfoundland iGaming sites are offering them right now. Former businessmen, scientists, writers, and representatives of many other intellectual occupations would be happy to shake things up and prove themselves – and their game opponents – that they are still in shape. Competitive games are one of the most beloved by and seniors.
Ageism is Becoming Obsolete – Be among the First to Ride on the Trend Reversal
The challenge of creating games for seniors, including ones with physical impairments, is as burning as attractive, both intellectually and financially. As of now, the average age of a gamer is around 35, and there’s no slightest doubt that this already formidable number will continue to grow as the world ages. That said, the marketing of games for seniors is still underdeveloped if not to say non-existent. What a goldmine gap to fill, huh?!
