How Old is KSP's Userbase?

[Eric S]

Or, teenagers like yourself are the people most likely to be free to read this forum in the middle of a weekday. But thanks for the first age poll in which I am not "Other/too old to bother with."

Yeah, last time I saw a poll for age range for a video game (I think it was KSP but I'm not certain) the end range was something like 25 and up, and the person was shocked that he got as many 25+ responses as he did (I think it was the highest category, mostly because he broke down the sub-25 groups into 4-6 year brackets).

Not as bad as the time I was asked that if I was over 18, why was I still playing video games. I'm not sure if the person thought that adults lose interest, or that adults have more interesting things to do. I just told him "Because it's fun. Trust me, going out and getting drunk gets old really fast unless you're very easily entertained." I think the last time I went out with the intention of getting drunk was back when I was... 23? Over half a lifetime ago.

[jfx]

This is a complete reverse of the last Poll results. Quite shocking. And now get off my launch lawn.

[rtscaptain]

I am 23 and male.

[BlazingAngel665]

I feel mildly offended that 17 year olds are lumped in with the 11 year olds.

[babbo]

I wonder about how much the survey really reflects the userbase of KSP. It certainly explains a lot about the userbase of the forum, though.

[Canopus]

I feel mildly offended that 17 year olds are lumped in with the 11 year olds.

Me too. Not really fair

[AceMgy]

I feel mildly offended that 17 year olds are lumped in with the 11 year olds.

Well, when you're 27 looking back...

Why are you offended again?

[Finis]

(And yet you seem to use "lol" unironically.) 38-year-old here, who's been doing astronomy for a living for longer than some of the people on this forum have been alive...

That reminds me of something from about eight years back. I was TAing a college freshman astronomy course, and one of my students asked to borrow a calculator for the test since she'd forgotten to bring her own. Since I'd already given out the few university-owned calculators we keep on hand for these sorts of things, I loaned her my old solar-powered TI-36 scientific calculator, circa 1986. Then it hit me that the calculator was older than the student...

So yeah, you young'uns need to get off my lawn.

Tone is difficult sometimes in the casual nature of forum conversation. I was/am amused that it seemed like the 14 year old gamer I was responding to implied (deliberately or not, this is my interpretation) that video games are new enough that us old guys are just discovering them and getting interested in them.

It's the same conversation I had once with my grandfather. I was seventeen, and just bought my second car (but the first car I bought with my own money); a 1967 Ford Mustang. I was quite proud of it, and showing it off to my papa "explaining" all of the engine specs and neat retro things about the car. And, in a condescending way that suggested my old grandpa didn't fully appreciate the horsepower of my new ride. A car that was nine years older than I was.

My grandfather just laughed and said, "(Finis), I remember when this car came out brand new. I was in my forties. You've never lived in a world where cars didn't exist. My first Car was a Model A, and my friend's and I turned a 1932 roadster into a hot rod when I got back from The War. -- I think You are the one that doesn't appreciate the horsepower in this baby."

Shut me up pretty fast.

Point is, the conversation never changes. Every generation thinks the level of technology belongs to them. I'm from the Birth of the Console generation of gamer. We think we own video games, and along comes a kid who has never lived in a world without graphics cards and broadband internet access being excited we're "Discovering" video games. So I lol'd, because it's the same thing all over again.

No offense to the kid -- or my grandfather.

Edited June 21, 2013 by Finis

[ecat]

It will be interesting to see how this pans out.

There was a study last year which revealed the average age of gamers to be 37 and 43% (iirc) are female. The under 17 group should end up a minority, but games cover such a wide spectrum these days and I don't remember the study going into details such as genre.

[stupid_chris]

18 here, going in college in astronomy really soon Been interested in space since I was a child, and first I wanted to ba an astronaut, until I realized my asthma definitely ruled me out of the potential candidates (goodbye CSA). But still, I decided to recycle this passion to astronomy so I'll be doing that rather soon I guess

[TheTriniFlyer]

13 here, am I the youngest? Time to have an 'age-off'!

And to reply to Finis : "I think it's great kids your age are taking an interest in video games besides "Gears of Slaughter: XI" " :

Actually To be honest, I am probably the only one in my class if not school that doesn't like Super Gore - FPS games like COD or Halo so... I am unique like all the other young KSPers.

[MoonHeadJohn]

24

Woop! Majority!

[Loocas]

15. I thought the largest part of the community would be of about my age. ._.

[AustralianFries]

17, here. Shoot, I want to be part of the older group.

[Finis]

13 here, am I the youngest? Time to have an 'age-off'!

And to reply to Finis : "I think it's great kids your age are taking an interest in video games besides "Gears of Slaughter: XI" " :

Actually To be honest, I am probably the only one in my class if not school that doesn't like Super Gore - FPS games like COD or Halo so... I am unique like all the other young KSPers.

"I'm unique like all the other..."

Actually, I know lots of kids (I used to be a substitute teacher for high school/jr high until I decided to go freelance writer/editor) who are interested in (mostly) non-violent games. The Sims, Minecraft, Don't Starve, etc. So you aren't alone.

I used to let (read: bribe) my students play on DS's or other hand-helds during free periods if they were playing non-violent games. A surprising number of kids had them.

[DChurchill]

I'm going to take a guess that you're the 51+?

48 in September

[AustralianFries]

48 in September

That's really cool. Also, I like your avatar.

[stupid_chris]

"I'm unique like all the other..."

Actually, I know lots of kids (I used to be a substitute teacher for high school/jr high until I decided to go freelance writer/editor) who are interested in (mostly) non-violent games. The Sims, Minecraft, Don't Starve, etc. So you aren't alone.

I used to let (read: bribe) my students play on DS's or other hand-helds during free periods if they were playing non-violent games. A surprising number of kids had them.

I am for myself a big fan of Nintendo games. Pokemon, Zelda, Metroid, and Halo are my favourite series. And Halo it'S really just for the story, because without a story this game would be like CoD, another boring linear FPS game that looks exactly like the one before. The last trailer from the E3 on Halo 5 is confirming what I thought: They are departing from the first's trilogy storyline of don't-let-the-bad-aliens-kill-us to an internal psychological intrigue and I'm really excited about it.

[AHO]

13 here, am I the youngest? Time to have an 'age-off'!

And to reply to Finis : "I think it's great kids your age are taking an interest in video games besides "Gears of Slaughter: XI" " :

Actually To be honest, I am probably the only one in my class if not school that doesn't like Super Gore - FPS games like COD or Halo so... I am unique like all the other young KSPers.

Wow, in all honesty your pretty mature for your age!

[Omicron314]

Obsessing over every little advance in human spaceflight for 13 human years. I would like to pursue a career in astrophysics, although, thanks to this game, a job in rocket science is definitely an option.

And (un)fortunately, due to my age, retiring to Mars should be possible, but I doubt it will be 'on the house' of spaceflight industries.

[Arkran]

22. Wooo for majority!

[SuperWeegee4000]

13 here, am I the youngest? Time to have an 'age-off'!

And to reply to Finis : "I think it's great kids your age are taking an interest in video games besides "Gears of Slaughter: XI" " :

Actually To be honest, I am probably the only one in my class if not school that doesn't like Super Gore - FPS games like COD or Halo so... I am unique like all the other young KSPers.

*still 13*

[rryy]

13 here, am I the youngest? Time to have an 'age-off'!

And to reply to Finis : "I think it's great kids your age are taking an interest in video games besides "Gears of Slaughter: XI" " :

Actually To be honest, I am probably the only one in my class if not school that doesn't like Super Gore - FPS games like COD or Halo so... I am unique like all the other young KSPers.

Nope, me too.

I remember one time one kid came up to me and asked if I play CoD or something like it and I said, "No, I don't like those kinds of games," and then he just assumed my parents don't let me.

[MoonHeadJohn]

17, here. Shoot, I want to be part of the older group.

Give it a year

[rustylugnut]

13 here, am I the youngest? Time to have an 'age-off'!

And to reply to Finis : "I think it's great kids your age are taking an interest in video games besides "Gears of Slaughter: XI" " :

Actually To be honest, I am probably the only one in my class if not school that doesn't like Super Gore - FPS games like COD or Halo so... I am unique like all the other young KSPers.

13. Glad to see other younger kids here. I was starting to think I may be the only one. I play halo/cod/battlefield games but I also like games like ksp too.