In preparation for the upcoming ‘Social Gaming Monitor’, analysis of the data by Newzoo/Gamesindustry.com and TNS, generated from 13,000 respondents aged 8 years old and up, shows that the average age of people playing on social networks is below 30 in US, Germany, France and the UK.

At least 29% (US) of people who play games on social networks is under 20. This age group represents an even larger share in key European markets: UK (31%), France (35%) and Germany (39%). Only 8% of US social gamers is above 50, ahead of Europe, with an average of 4%. The analysis forms part of the preparation for the upcoming ‘Social Gaming Monitor’ by Newzoo/Gamesindustry.com, which is expected to confirm these findings and analyse how the casual and social markets overlap, in terms of both playing and paying.

Peter Warman, MD of Newzoo/Gamesindustry.com: “When looking at the complete picture, we found the demographics of social gamers to be very close to that of the typical online casual gamer active on large game portals, also in terms of age.” Commenting on a recent study concluding that the average age of the social gamer is 43, Warman says, “Their conclusion was based on a survey among only 18+ year olds. It is therefore not at all surprising that their average age is extraordinarily high; it is clearly not a representative number. Data from kids and teens is vital and should always be taken into account.”

Social networks as primary casual gaming destination: 24% in US, 10% in EU

Social games attract slightly more women than men: 59% female gamers versus 41% male in the US. In Europe the difference is even smaller and in France male players (54%) outnumber female players. The data also showed that of the more than 45 million social gamers in the US, a quarter states that their social network is their primary gaming destination, leaving the key EU markets, with more than 10 million social gamers, far behind at only 10%. The percentage of players that consider a social network as their main game destination is expected to grow strongly given the increasing popularity of “social gaming”. Five high-resolution graphs have been released and can be found at www.todaysgamers.com.

The Casual, Social and Mobile Gaming Monitor

The ‘Social Gaming Monitor’ is part of a broader survey offering periodic insight in key Western markets in 4 fast changing areas:

1.      Online casual game portals: market shares / reach of top 10 portals, brand awareness, brand perception, money spent on all business models.

2.      Social networks: preferred social networks, time spent, gaming behaviour, overall and game spending, genres, motivation

3.      Mobile (incl. iPod/iPad): game behaviour, spending, download vs. installed games

4.      Digital distribution: downloading activity, genres, spending, download sources

This regular survey will reveal more details on user profiles, game preferences and money spent on social networks and various game platforms. RealGames and King.com are among the launch partners for the new periodic survey.