Gaming audience diversifying with growth

With the unprecedented growth the videogame industry has seen in recent years, the audience of gaming is evolving and becoming more mainstream. According to a recent report from IbisWorld, the average American gamer today is 35 years old and the average age of a game buyer is 39 years old. Thanks in large part to games like The Sims and Wii Fit, 38 percent of U.S. gamers are women. Over the past five years, women have gone from making up 33 percent of the market to 38 percent.

Also thanks to Nintendo's Wii, which is being used in retirement communities and nursing homes, 24 percent of gamers are over 50. Once you start gaming, you don't stop. And Wii has started many casual gamers at a late age. We already have grandparents gaming with their kids and grandkids on Wii.

The heart of the game industry remains the 18 to 45 year old male demographic, which represents 37 percent of the gamer market. The average gamer has been playing for 12 years. It's a hobby that's not often turned aside by Americans as they grow older. And those gamers who grew up with original games like Pong and Pac-Man are still gaming in their 40s and beyond. This report found that there's no indication older gamers plan on giving up their hobby. A whopping 67 percent of household heads currently play games in the U.S.

With this broad audience, it's no surprise that gaming is recession proof. It always has been, but this year will see a 9.5 percent increase in sales, according to IbisWorld. Their new report forecasts game sales of $40 billion this year. And looking ahead, double-digit growth is expected to continue. IbisWorld predicts the game industry will balloon to over $63 billion in five years.