Happy New Year! Looking for a new hobby? Older gamers’ participation in online gaming rose 33 percent in recent years — but what’s behind this phenomenon?

Since the debut of Pong in 1972, gaming companies have targeted teenagers and young adults with their consoles and games…but all that may be changing.  Statista estimates that 15% of video gamers are over age 55, with 6% being 65+ — and that demographic is increasing.

Leveling Up: The Benefits of Online Gaming

In an article published in The Drum, advertising executive Will Humphrey described the online gaming industry as “having gone mainstream,” with the older adult demographic growing by almost 33% in the last few years. According to a 2018 study published by the National Institute of Health, older adults who play online games increase cognitive functions such as  reaction time, memory, and attention span.

The rise of online multiplayer games brings the chance to reduce isolation by creating a “clan” to socialize and connect with while gaming. Video game company Xbox collaborated with McCann London on the award-winning “Beyond Generations: Gaming Against Loneliness” campaign, in which they donated gaming consoles to retirement centers to reduce isolation by “relationship-building” with different generations in the online gaming community.

Here’s a look at the campaign and how it worked.

Getting in the Game: What You Need to Get Started

If you are a noob (that’s gamer lingo for a newcomer), there are numerous gaming consoles for online gaming. The three most widely used gaming consoles are Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo. Playing their games online requires a monthly subscription fee ranging in price.

Aside from a gaming console, other essential equipment are headsets (with a microphone) and a comfortable chair. You will need a gaming mouse and a large monitor if you choose to game from your computer.

Online Gamers: Where Next?

Interest in senior gamers is beginning to transition from a novelty to an accepted part of the gamer landscape; Lenovo has been active in sponsoring teams of older players: the Silver Snipers  and the Grey Gunners.

However the all time champ of older gamers may well be an 81 year old great grandmother with the handle WoWGrandma78 – whose gamer skill is such that an audience of some 95,000 viewers watch her play World of Warcraft in real time on Twitch, a video game live stream platform.

In an interview with AZCentral.com, WowGrandma78 said she loves the collaborative team atmosphere, the mental workout, and engaging with her global viewers. For beginners, WowGrandma78 recommends “choose a game that you like to play and, most of all, have fun doing it!”

Your Turn

What online games do you favor?  Let us know in the comments!

Deborah Reale is a digital marketing and communications consultant specializing in social media, analytics, content writing, and editing. Ms. Reale has written for Business Development Magazine, Construction Industry Today, and quoted in Investor’s Business Daily and the book Social Media in Action. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business management and a graduate degree in business administration.