Average Age of German Gamers Continues to Increase

Key insights

7 takeaways

01
The average age of German gamers rose to 35.5 years in 2017, up from 31 years in 2011.
02
The 50+ age group is the largest segment of the German gaming population, growing by half a million people in one year to reach 8.7 million total players.
03
Approximately 34.1 million people in Germany play computer and video games, representing 46% of the total population.
04
The gender distribution of German gamers remains balanced, with 17.9 million male players (53%) and 16.2 million female players (47%).
05
The total German market for computer and video games, including software, online network fees, and hardware, remained stable at 2.9 billion euros in 2016.
06
Software sales for PCs, consoles, handhelds, and mobile devices, alongside online network fees, generated 2.13 billion euros in 2016.
07
The market for gaming consoles and peripherals experienced a 15% decline in 2016, falling to 747 million euros compared to the previous year.

Summary

The average age of computer and video gamers in Germany has risen to 35.5 years, up 4.5 years from 31 in 2011. The German Games Industry Association (BIU), drawing on GfK market research data, published the figures in June 2017 to show that games have become an established everyday medium appealing to all age groups.

The increase is driven mainly by the 50+ cohort, which grew by half a million players to 8.7 million within twelve months. This makes it the largest single gamer group, accounting for 25 percent of all players. Overall, 34.1 million people in Germany play computer and video games, equal to 46 percent of the population. The gender split remains nearly even, with 17.9 million male players (53 percent) and 16.2 million female players (47 percent).

Market data for 2016 shows continued strength. Sales of games across PC, console, handheld, smartphone and tablet platforms, plus online network fees such as PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live Gold, totaled 2.13 billion euros. The console and peripheral hardware segment fell 15 percent to 747 million euros. The combined market, which includes games, network fees, hybrid toys and hardware, held stable at 2.9 billion euros, matching 2015. Hardware comparisons were adjusted to include gaming peripherals such as gamepads.

The data comes from GfK's Consumer Panel, GfK Entertainment and GfK POS Measurement, including an ongoing survey of 25,000 consumers representative of the German population on game purchasing and usage habits. The BIU represents 28 member developers, publishers and suppliers, covering over 85 percent of the German market, and organizes gamescom.