Elderly Gamers Feel Forgotten by Gaming Industry

Elderlygamers are already a big part of the gaming market, and their share will only grow. Still, many of them feel that developers are not taking their needs into account. An interesting article on just such a topic was published on the German websiteMein-MMO.de.

There are more and more gamers in their fifties

As it turns out, people over 50 account for 25% of all gamers in the US. In Germany, this percentage is even higher - it is as high as 33%. Given these figures, one might be surprised that many game development companies do not pay enough attention to tailoring their productions to the needs of elderly players.

Asked for comment, Celia Pearce, who teaches video game design at Northeastern University in Boston, listed some of the most important elements that developers should take care of in order to make their productions fit the needs of elderly users.

1. First of all, fonts are often too small, and many games do not offer an option to enlarge them. Controls are also a problem, as some of the gamepads and other such devices are not suited to people with arthritis and other conditions. Better guides are also needed.
2. Sizable problems arise in mutliplayer. Matchmaking systems often fail to properly match rivals for elderlyplayers. On top of that, such users want more widespread crossplay options, because it's so they can play with friends who have other hardware platforms.
3. Experts emphasize that video games can be a valuable part of elderly people's lives. They entertain, help keep their minds fresh, and enable them to make new friends and maintain old contacts.
4. Interestingly, studies show that elderly gamers are not just looking for gameplay. Many of them also place a high value on the quality of the narrative.

The article also mentioned the high popularity of Diablo IV among elderly people. It is due, among other things, to the fact that many of them began their adventure with the brand more than twenty years ago, on the occasion of the release of the first and second installment.

• surveys and research
• stats (games)