D&D General Some Interesting Stats About D&D Players!

The full cover spread for Phandelver and Below, by Antonio José Manzanedo​

GeekWire has reported on the recent D&D press event (which I've covered elsewhere). Along with all the upcoming product information we've all been devouring over the last day or two, there were some interesting tidbits regarding D&D player demographics.

• 60% of D&D players are male, 39% are female, and 1% identify otherwise
• 60% are “hybrid” players, who switch between playing the game physically or online
• 58% play D&D on a weekly basis
• 48% identify as millennials, 19% from Generation X and 33% from Generation Z
• The majority of current D&D players started with 5th Edition

 

[Parmandur]

Anyone know how this marketing research was conducted? Also, was it surveying only players of 5e or did it include people currently playing D&D of any edition?

The answers to those questions could tell us more about why the data seems to disagree with previous surveys.

But this result doesn't disagree with any survey that I am aware of...? Even ENworld, pwr Morrus, skews young for the people viewing the site...younger than WotC market research number even.

 

[Charlaquin]

But this result doesn't disagree with any survey that I am aware of...? Even ENworld, pwr Morrus, skews young for the people viewing the site...younger than WotC market research number even.

Huh. Do the young-uns just lurk? I feel like I’m among the younger cohort of regular posters here, and I’m 32.

 

[Parmandur]

Huh. Do the young-uns just lurk? I feel like I’m among the younger cohort of regular posters here, and I’m 32.

Yes, moat of the millions of unique visitors don't post, basically:

As I did last year, this is a look at EN World's demographics. This period is June 2020 to June 2021. The data reflects over 5M unique visitors and tens of millions of page views. The short version -- over the last year, the user base has become younger, and (slightly: 3%) less male. The average EN World reader is now an 18-24 year-old American male (last year it was a 25-34 year-old American male).

Another Year of EN World Demographics!

As I did last year, this is a look at EN World's demographics. This period is June 2020 to June 2021. The data reflects over 5M unique visitors and tens of millions of page views. The short version -- over the last year, the user base has become younger, and (slightly: 3%) less male. The average...

www.enworld.org

 

[Lanefan]

But this result doesn't disagree with any survey that I am aware of...? Even ENworld, pwr Morrus, skews young for the people viewing the site...younger than WotC market research number even.

In the current data, that it shows there's no players older or younger than certain ages seems a bit off, given that past surveys have shown minorities there. It's a bit hard to believe that both the over-55 and under-15 cohorts have completely disappeared from D&D.

Of course, this current survey seems to have asked people to self-identify into generational brackets, the cutoffs for which are uncertain and always slowly changing. (e.g. the first time I heard "Boomer" it was in reference to those born 1946-1955, i.e. fairly soon after the war; since then it's expanded to include another decade or so) This IMO further hammers any hope of getting much useful data.

 

[Retreater]

Huh. Do the young-uns just lurk? I feel like I’m among the younger cohort of regular posters here, and I’m 32.

I assume the younger players are all talking about D&D on their devices, like Zunes.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

• 60% of D&D players are male, 39% are female, and 1% identify otherwise
• 60% are “hybrid” players, who switch between playing the game physically or online
• 58% play D&D on a weekly basis
• 48% identify as millennials, 19% from Generation X and 33% from Generation Z
• The majority of current D&D players started with 5th Edition

Gen X, roll on the Age and Aging table in your battered copy of the 1E DMG.

 

[Charlaquin]

In the current data, that it shows there's no players older or younger than certain ages seems a bit off, given that past surveys have shown minorities there. It's a bit hard to believe that both the over-55 and under-15 cohorts have completely disappeared from D&D.

Just because those cohorts are proportionally too small to make up a full percentage point doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Again, I belong to a group of people that makes up around half a percent of the world’s population, yet here I am, existing.

 

[bedir than]

Huh. Do the young-uns just lurk? I feel like I’m among the younger cohort of regular posters here, and I’m 32.

Mostly yes. Even on massively popular social sites the most common user is a lurker.

 

[Lanefan]

Just because those cohorts are proportionally too small to make up a full percentage point doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Again, I belong to a group of people that makes up around half a percent of the world’s population, yet here I am, existing.

That's just it - previously those cohorts were each several percent; and while maybe the previously under-15 group have largely aged into the next category, the same seems unlikely of the 55+ group. In fact, if anything the reverse would be true; over time more people would be aging into that category, unless for some reason they all put down their dice and stop playing on their 55th birthdays.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Four pages of arguing about statistics and how to evaluate them is very on-brand, D&D nerds. Well done!