[Edaily Reporter An Yu-ri ] The gaming industry is turning its attention to “seniors” as a new user base. This shift comes as the user base of teens and young adults is gradually shrinking due to low birth rates and the diversification of content, while the number of middle-aged and older adults with purchasing power is steadily increasing. Game companies are strategizing to secure new growth engines by expanding games and content targeted at this demographic.

Kim Tae-hwan, co-CEO of Kakao Games Corp.(293490), said during a conference call to announce second-quarter earnings on the 5th, “We are researching games and content targeting people aged 50 and older worldwide,” adding, “We expect to be able to show tangible results starting in the third quarter of next year.”

The reason the gaming industry is focusing on middle-aged and older adults is their high purchasing power. According to the Korea Creative Content Agency’s “2024 Survey on Game User Trends,” the gaming penetration rate among people in their 50s is 44.6%, which is lower than that of teens (81.4%), people in their 20s (85.1%), and people in their 30s (74.4%). However, in terms of purchasing power, those in their 50s surpassed teens and people in their 20s.

According to the 2025 Korea Game White Paper, the average monthly spending on mobile games per user was highest among those in their 40s at 23,000 won, followed by those in their 30s (21,000 won), 50s (20,000 won), 20s (16,000 won), and teens (15,000 won). This means that while middle-aged and older adults make up a smaller proportion of users, their actual spending is greater.

A similar trend is evident in PC gaming. When comparing the average “spending on paid PC game downloads” by generation in the same survey, those in their 40s had the highest average at 118,000 won. This was followed by △those in their 30s at 99,000 won △ those in their 50s at 76,000 won △ those in their 20s at 80,000 won △ and teenagers at 59,000 won.

MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role-playing games), “puzzle & quiz” games, and web board games are particularly popular among middle-aged and older adults.

According to Mobile Index, as of July, users in their 30s accounted for 51.12% of the MAU (Monthly Active Users) for NC (NCsoftCorporation(036570))’s “Lineage M,” exceeding half of the total. Users in their 40s also accounted for 23.17%. Kakao Games Corp.’s “Odin: Valhalla Rising” was found to have 40.57% of its users in their 30s and 23.39% in their 40s.

Netmarble Corporation(251270)’s “SOL: Enchant,” released this year, also showed that users in their 30s and 40s accounted for 39.7% and 22.5%, respectively.

During the same period, the web board game “Hangame Poker Classic” byNHN(181710)had the highest MAU share among all age groups for users in their 40s, at 32.98%. The share of users in their 50s also reached 11.31%.

The gaming preferences of middle-aged and older adults differ from those of younger generations. They show a higher preference for games that can be enjoyed with relatively little effort, such as idle games or casual games, rather than FPS (first-person shooter) or Soulslike genres that require quick reflexes. In particular, with the recent popularity of idle games, game companies are increasingly expanding content that lowers control difficulty and improves accessibility.

Overseas as well, older gamers are emerging as a new market. According to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) in the U.S., there are approximately 57 million gamers aged 50 and older in the U.S., a figure that has surpassed the number of gamers under 18. They account for 38% of gamers worldwide and 56% of U.S. gamers.

Bob De Schutter, a professor of game design at Northeastern University, stated in an interview with local media, “At a time when younger gamers are spending less on free-to-play games, focusing on older gamers is a way to tap into a market that has not yet been fully explored.”