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

 

[mamba]

Considering I'm on an FB group (D&D for Old Dudes) that has 37,199 members and Boomers out number Gen Xers 2 to 1 in there, I doubt it.

pretty much a self-selecting group, totally representative of the ratio of Gen Xers to Boomers playing

 

[Parmandur]

Considering I'm on an FB group (D&D for Old Dudes) that has 37,199 members and Boomers out number Gen Xers 2 to 1 in there, I doubt it.

37,199 people is a rounding error in the D&D fanbase...

 

[Parmandur]

The only difference here is previous surveys had a 40+ category, while this report (not survey, just a report about a survey) stops at Gen X and doesn't list Boomers at all. Which, if it's totally accurate means they both changed their methodology and found that there were so few Boomers it wasn't worth even mentioning them as a category.

Or, more likely IMO, the report isn't quite accurately reporting what the survey actually asked. If gen X was supposed to be 40+, it's totally in line with prior data.

Yeah, this is second hand reporting, there are major unanswered questions.

That Milleniels and Gen Z are the vast majority of players seems really clear, though.

In fact, thinking about this today, I realized that I have never played an RPG with anyone born before 1984. In over 20 years of playing.

 

[Achan hiArusa]

pretty much a self-selecting group, totally representative of the ratio of Gen Xers to Boomers playing

Considering that apparently this survey was also, I think it is justified.

 

[Achan hiArusa]

it is based on neither, not sure where you got this idea from

Considering I read the article and a few others with the same source. I think I'm okay. Though I do not know the actual number of respondents, we can probably multiply those Millennial and Gen Z numbers by 13.7/50. Now unless you have a PhD in Math or Physics or a CPA you can stop biting at my ankles. Thank you.

 

[Parmandur]

Considering that apparently this survey was also, I think it is justified.

No, there is no "this survey." Thisnis a report on what theybhabe gleaned from their professional market research...which is controlled for selection bias.

 

[mamba]

Considering that apparently this survey was also, I think it is justified.

my point was a group for ‘old dudes’ will attract old dudes, a general survey will not. Heck, I am Gen X but do not consider myself ripe enough to join an ‘old dude’ group, it’s not what I am looking for, maybe once I am 70

 

[mamba]

Considering I read the article and a few others with the same source. I think I'm okay.

Great, then explain how you got to this being based on 40M, not 50M, and your distribution of players per generation

Though I do not know the actual number of respondents, we can probably multiply those Millennial and Gen Z numbers by 13.7/50.

why do we do that? And why by this? We have a survey that says ‘this is how people self-identified’, why are you second guessing that? At most you can argue there maybe was no Boomer option, so all Boomers chose Gen X instead (not that we actually even know that), but that does not change Gen Z or millennial percentages

Now unless you have a PhD in Math or Physics or a CPA you can stop biting at my ankles. Thank you.

I don’t need one to wonder how you arrive at your post. If you have some math that gets us there great, I am looking forward to seeing it.

Right now I don’t think there is any however. It doesn’t take a PhD to see that the percentages are not based on 40M (wherever that is from) or 50M (total number of D&D players ever over the last 50 years).

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Sudden statistical insignificance is a noteworthy thing though -

Looking back, all the prior surveys had a 40+ category, which would be both Gen X and Boomers. I wonder if someone's misreporting the survey.

The oldest millennials are 40+.

 

[Anarchclown]

39% women? Where are they? I go to several cons per year and organize events etc. I'd say after critical role became a big hit we're up to maybe 20 from 10 or less. But almost 40%. I'm very sceptical that this is truly representative of the numbers of actual players.

I'd love if they were right though and even if they aren't that's the direction we're moving in which is a good thing as long as we don't make it inhospitable for little autistic and socially awkward boys like me when I started a very long time ago in the process.