Correlating age and start of playing polls

[Sarigar]

Born in '71, and started gaming in 1980.
I believe it is the EN crowd demographic that falls in this age group as a majority. We've "settled" and have more free time to visit the boards. Although family, job, and grad school doesn't leave too much free time.

 

[Stormborn]

Born in the time period, 1972, but didn't start gaming until a few years ago. My mother was one of those that firmly believed in the whole Mazes and Monsters stuff, and yet bought me both Fantasy novels and computer RPGs. it was different I guess. Go figure.

 

[Treebore]

Born in 66, first played in 1985.

As for any poll on the internet being representative of anything. It is representative of people who own computers and have internet access, of people who work at places that give them internet access so they can sneak to boards like these, and of people who own/have access to computers with internet who actually bother to come to boards such as these.

Most players I have met do not come to these boards, even when they have the access. Like in my current group, only 3 out of 7 of us come to ENworld and we all have internet access. The DM has a hard time getting all of us to even go to his website that is directly related to our game.

So any internet poll, on any subject, is not representative of any "group". Unless it is completely about access and use of the internet.

When I see CNN and other news agencies using their internet polls as true indicatios of what the public opinion is I want to get ill. Never believe such polls. Also remember any poll has at least a 5% chance of being totally wrong, usually 10% or higher. I mean totally and completely wrong, not just a +/- 3 to 10% error. Most people don't take 15 hours of probability and statisitcs in college. The biggest thing i learned was that polls are not worth a whole lot more than a well informed opinion, yet people treat them as a whole lot more than that. The other thing I learned is how easily such data can be manipulated to support whatever view you want it to.

So my advice to you is: never, ever, believe statistics, just go with your instincts. They have gotten you this far.

 

[Rafael Ceurdepyr]

Okay, I'll confess. Born 1960, started gaming about 1977-1984 or so, long hiatus, back into it (with a vengeance and more disposable income) a year or so ago.

 

[RSKennan]

I'm with those who wonder how representative online polling is...

However, I'm a young 'un. I was born in 1978, and I began playing in 1986/87.

 

[Gronin]

Interesting poll. I was born in 1973 and began playing in 1981, so I'm right at the trailing edge of the That's me you're talking about bracket.

Somewhat tangentially, when did Mazes & Monsters and the "D&D made my kid commit suicide" hype begin? I wonder how that correlates to your poll results.

Mazes and Monsters was released in 1982 and the whole D&D is evil thing has been going on for as long as I can remember. I remember one group that claimed that when your character reached eighth level you the player were brought in to the inner circle and taught the real black magic. Even today you don't have to go too far down a search engine listing for Dungeons and Dragons before you find out about the supposed evils.

I was born in 1961 and started playing in 1976 (and I'm still gaming, as does my wife and the oldest of my kids). As far as rpgs dying out....I same to remember the same cry when Magic came out and we survived that.

 

[palatineknight]

Born in 1972 and got my copy of the Dungeons and Dragons set in 1982 as a brithday present. I have enjoyed the ride ever since.

 

[Corinth]

Born in '74, so I'm as old as D&D. Started in '81, so it's been be 23 years.

 

[sjmiller]

Since I was born in 1965 and started gaming sometime around 1979, I think I fall outside the margins of the poll. Still, interesting to see all those youngsters starting that early.

 

[Zudrak]

Born in 1972, started playing in 1981. I was 9, my brother was 8. We've been gaming ever since. Greyhawk rocked then (In Search of the Unknown) and still does now.