

An Analysis of MMORPG Player Demographics and MMORPG Player Stereotypes - clryan
http://themetricsystem.rjmetrics.com/2009/06/24/who-plays-mmos-an-analysis-of-mmorpg-player-demographics-and-mmorpg-player-stereotypes/

======
csbrooks
The most interesting statistic to me was the one that seems to indicate MMO
playing cuts into (or replaces) TV watching time. That's actually kind of
reassuring to me. I think it's healthier for people to play MMO's for hours on
end, then to veg out watching sit-coms. At least with an MMO you're using your
brain, right?

~~~
patio11
It mostly replaced TV watching for me. Then I kicked WoW and started running a
business. Less dragons to kill, sadly, but _much_ better loot.

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a raid on the old inbox. I've had customer
support on farm status for a while now but still feel the need to do it every
day.

------
stcredzero
Perhaps this doesn't show that most MMORPG players are unhealthier than the
average American in terms of spending too much time on unproductive electronic
media. Perhaps what this shows is that American society as a whole wastes too
much time!

<http://images.salon.com/16dec1995/comix/tombug.gif>

~~~
hellweaver666
absolutely - if those people spent the time doing something productive (like
forming a startup), they could make a huge difference to their lives.

I used to play WoW extensively, but quit after it became to time intensive -
now I sit in front of a computer working on personal projects and freelance
work.

~~~
LogicHoleFlaw
Disclosure: I enjoy playing a certain MMO. I _really_ enjoy it. It's a primary
hobby of mine along with motorcycles, hiking, and (other) video games.

I think a large part of the appeal of MMOs is that they provide an easy
artificial hit of accomplishment. Self-growth is measurable in an extremely
concrete manner. At the same time the effort involved is much less than is
required for most 'real life' accomplishments. All you have to do is show up.

When you combine a dose of accomplishment with easy access, fantastic realms,
and social interaction the appeal of the game becomes extremely strong. As a
replacement for TV I think MMOs are a healthy improvement, in moderation. The
underlying focus on personal improvement is a far sight better than watching
Al Bundy's latest exploits, or the sensationalism and fear-mongering of the
latest news special.

I recently moved to Seattle, where I knew one friend from college and had
several online acquaintances. By hooking in to their social lives I now have a
healthy amount of social interaction. My list of friends here would be much
thinner if not for these online encounters.

Certainly there are more productive ways to spend one's time than to play
video games online. But there's nothing wrong with kicking back and quaffing a
virtual ale with a few friends.

My thoughts on this subject are still undergoing rapid evolution. My embryonic
project which I want to develop into a startup is taking some of these ideas
and running with them.

------
ramidarigaz
>currently only 60% of MMO players are male (BBC) and this percentage
continues to shrink as more and more females are starting to play MMOs.

I love stating the obvious.

This article actually jives pretty well with me. The statistics in this
article seem to match my group of friends that play WoW.

------
Tw1zzler888
We're building a casual MMO, and find that our user base is 50/50 male/female.
This is awesome for building a community (nobody wants a sausage-fest), but
hard for gameplay, as the 2 groups want totally different things...

