Summary
A high school asked its senior students their favorite video game, and while expected results likeFortnitewere present,Baldur’s Gate 3also made a surprise appearance. But it wasn’t thatBaldur’s Gate 3made an appearance that had some scratching their heads, it’s how it appeared.
It’s well-known that games likeFortniteandRobloxhave a young userbase. An analysis in 2018 concluded that about 62% ofFortnite’s players were in the 18-24 age range, but it’s possible these numbers are inaccurate consideringEpic’s later efforts to restrict content by age. Likewise, a study in 2022 showed that the age distribution ofRobloxusers were 15% 13-16, and 21% 17-24, making for a fairly youthful userbase.
However, the results in this particular yearbook may need some adjusting, or at least an explanation. According to a photo posted to Reddit, the official breakdown of the favorite game among seniors of this high school is as follows:
It’s presumed that “Baldon’s Gate 3” is a misspelling of Larian Studios’Baldur’s Gate 3, and while the original post doesn’t seem to clarify this as being the case, it seems like a pretty safe presumption giventhe explosive popularity ofBaldur’s Gate 3.Redditors seemed interested in the apparent misspelling ofBaldur’s Gate, riffing on the typo with apparent delight.
Some Redditors seem to have an explanation for the odd distribution of results and suggest an exceptionally low sample size. It’s unknown how many students were asked, how many responded, and how the question was presented, but user TheGrimTickler guesses that the number of student respondents was either exactly 20 or 40 students in total. Assuming 20 students responded, the distribution becomes:
If the number of students that responded were 40, these amounts would be doubled. It’s unclear what the age demographic breakdown is among players ofBaldur’s Gate 3, but the proliferation ofGen Z-themedBaldur’s Gatemodsmayhelp Larian win over younger players.
The Kids are Alright and on Fortnite
20-40 senior students at an unknown high school doesn’t exactly make for a definitive breakdown of favorite games among gamers in their late teens, but it does line up a bit with current gaming trends among age groups. In addition to the age ranges amongFortniteandRoblox, estimates say that 43% ofMinecraftplayers are between 15 and 21. DespiteBaldur’s Gate 3reaching multimillions of salesand the general apathy of high schoolers towards age ratings, its mature themes nonetheless may have kept it from making a more noticeable impact on the particular group of students polled for this yearbook.
Baldur’s Gate 3
WHERE TO PLAY
Abducted, infected, lost. You are turning into a monster, but as the corruption inside you grows, so does your power. Forge a tale of fellowship and betrayal, sacrifice and survival, and the lure of absolute power. Caught in a conflict between devils, deities, and sinister otherworldly forces, you and your party will determine the fate of the Forgotten Realms.THE ULTIMATE D&D EXPERIENCEChoose from a wide selection of D&D races and classes, or play as an origin character with a hand-crafted background. Adventure, loot, battle, and romance as you journey through the Forgotten Realms and beyond. Play alone or as a party of up to four in multiplayer – and select your companions carefully.A CINEMATIC STORYTELLING EPICForged with the new Divinity 4.0 engine, Baldur’s Gate 3 gives you unprecedented freedom to explore, experiment, and interact with a world that reacts to your choices. A grand, cinematic narrative brings you closer to your characters than ever before, as you venture through our biggest world yet. Romance, deceive, aid, obstruct, and grow alongside your friends thanks to Larian’s next-generation RPG engine.
