Lockdown sees the rise of over 60s gamers, G2A data reveals

New data from G2A.COM, the world’s largest digital marketplace for gamers and geeks, has today revealed a significant shift in interest surrounding the US online gaming market in the past months. The figures gathered by the gaming trading platform, which is used by over 20 million gamers and geeks around the world, highlight a 155% increase in users’ searches across US for the first four months of 2020 only.

With the global pandemic locking down all 50 states, a G2A.com survey reveals that 86% of people had spent more time playing online games since the announced measures. While social distancing requirements have inevitably meant more young people will spend their time in front of consoles and PCs, data shows that an increasing number of elderly gamers are also to blame for the recent spike in interest.

The rise of over 60s gamers

G2A.com figures highlight that while under 18s remain the most dedicated gaming enthusiasts in the U.S., with 93% admitting they had spent more time playing online games during lockdown, their grandparents are also increasingly seeking entertainment and comfort in gaming.

Following the coronavirus outbreak, G2A.com data reports a 200% surge in searches made by people over 60s on the global gaming marketplace. What’s more, according to a survey G2A conducted across the US in May, over half (51%) of those aged over 60s said they have been spending more time gaming since the beginning of the pandemic, with 42% of them admitting to dedicate 20+ hours a week on this hobby.

The grey-haired gamers seem more open to exploring different genres than their younger peers, with the type of games preferred by this age group spreading almost evenly across most popular categories – single shooter (22%), action (16%), adventure (14%) and beyond (other 20%).

The recent surge in interest among older gamers might be a result of social distancing measures forcing the elderly to find new ways to spend quality time with grandchildren. Yet, the fact that 49% of those over 60s report that the pandemic hasn’t affected their gaming habits, suggest that a big percentage of them are regular gamers, who are drawn to this hobby for enjoyment and intellectual challenge.

Online games considered essential

While the pandemic has seen consumers cutting back on most of their purchases, G2A’s figures suggest that gaming is seen as an essential part of people’s lives during lockdown, with the average spend on online games across US seeing only a slight change (2% increase) for the period between January and May.

The social benefits of gaming have become even more apparent now as people of all ages are looking for alternative ways and common activities that bring them closer to others. What’s more, statistics highlight a significant surge in interest across all age groups in multiplayer games such as World of Warcraft (205%) and GTA V Online (552%).

The trend is reflected in the spending habits for both – personal use and gifting – with over 40% of people reporting to have purchased games or codes as a present to another person.

Bartosz Skwarczek, CEO and co-founder of G2A commented: “Online gaming is an increasingly social activity for people of all ages, so it is no surprise that we see a mainstream adoption and recognition of this hobby during challenging times like these. Games offer a rich set of experiences and topics that help people stay entertained, connected and find room for joy, even in difficult times.”

Figures also suggest that the lockdown is shaping new gaming hubs in the US with Maryland, Virginia and Mississippi all seeing over 75% upsurge in the number of new users. Kansas on the other hand has seen 25% increase in new users’ interest yet reported the biggest shift in spending (40% increase) for the first four months of 2020 only.

While the type of games people enjoy the most vary between ages, G2A data shows that action, single shooter and adventure games are the most popular genres across all gaming enthusiasts. According to the global gaming marketplace, the top three titles that saw the biggest increase in interest for the first four months of 2020 are GTA V Online (552%), Dark Souls III (340%) and Minecraft (272%) – which could be a result of the number of casual and retired gamers joining hard-core players to enjoy all-time favourites.