Busy mums overtaking teenage boys as the new gamers

MELBOURNE - Gone are the days when mums would pass time by gossiping or shopping-the new age mothers are giving tough completion to teenage boys as gamers.

The Interactive Entertainment Association of Australia in its latest report shows 46 per cent of the country’s gamers are female, with the average age 30 years.

One such example is of Brisbane mother-of-three Caryn Garbutt, who often has a game of poker going on her iPhone while she is doing the ironing.

“Or maybe I will be idly playing away at Birdstrike, Corn Frenzy or Froggy Jump while I am sitting beside my children doing their homework, or when I am sitting in the car waiting for them at school. It is a great release,” the Courier mail quoted Garbutt as saying.

John Passfield of 3 Blokes Studios, which specializes in casual and social games said today’s gaming market was no longer limited to teenage boys, with casual and social games now ‘exploding’.

“They are easily accessible - no joysticks or consoles. If a busy parent has five minutes to spare while waiting for their child outside school, they can de-stress with a quick game on the iPhone,” he said.

“Facebook games are a big favourite with busy people, too. Farmville or Frontierville are the kind of games you can come back and forward to in between chores,” he added.

Research showed adults, who grew up with computer games, are more inclined to game than adults of 20 years ago.

Guy Blomberg of Brisbane gaming bar Mana Bar said it was not only the social games and puzzles that attracted women.

“We recently held a competition for the release of the new Halo action game and it was a woman who won,” he said. (ANI)