“The average game player is 37 years old.”

That is according to Entertainment Software Association. And the average age of the most frequent game purchaser is 41 years old.

Here's additional analysis from CNN:

At the beginning of the 21st century, the average gamer was pushing 30 — mid-to-late 20s, to be exact. They weren't playing as often as they did in their adolescence, but in between entry-level jobs, earnest slacking and higher education, there was still ample time to game.

Fast forward to today, and the average gamer is 37, according to the Entertainment Software Association. The average age of the most frequent game buyer is 41 — nearing Just for Men-type levels. They're raising kids. In the middle of a career. Worried about retirement.

If true, is this normal? Remember when our parents told us that games were just for kids? I bet the recession and currently high unemployment rate had a lot to do with median age increase.