Average litrpg readers age?

[ThisAdamGuy]

I have two and a half questions:

1. Has there ever been, like, a survey to determine what the average age of litrpg readers is?

1 1/2. If not, do we at least know if it skews more toward older or younger readers?

2. If the majority of readers are younger, will they be open to reading about an older protagonist? Without going too deep into it, my story's main character is fifteen when the world gets remade and the system takes over, and then he "wakes up" thirteen years later. A big part of the story is going to be about him coming to terms with his new age and body, the fact that he missed out on a big chunk of his life, and the new expectations people are suddenly putting on him. But I'm a little worried that if most litrpg readers are teens and young adults, they won't be interested in reading a book where the main character is almost thirty. What do you guys think?

 

[StoneInky]

I have two and a half questions:

1. Has there ever been, like, a survey to determine what the average age of litrpg readers is?

1 1/2. If not, do we at least know if it skews more toward older or younger readers?

2. If the majority of readers are younger, will they be open to reading about an older protagonist? Without going too deep into it, my story's main character is fifteen when the world gets remade and the system takes over, and then he "wakes up" thirteen years later. A big part of the story is going to be about him coming to terms with his new age and body, the fact that he missed out on a big chunk of his life, and the new expectations people are suddenly putting on him. But I'm a little worried that if most litrpg readers are teens and young adults, they won't be interested in reading a book where the main character is almost thirty. What do you guys think?

Yeah, but who cares? You've gotta screw with some expectations, or you're going to end up with a bunch of tropes in a trenchcoat. Think Howl's Moving Castle. Sophie's a grandma, but everyone still loves her cuz it doesn't matter. Or the dozens of isekai manga with middle aged protagonists.

Plus, if the MC even acts younger, it'll matter even less.

 

[Golden_Hyde]

considering that most LitRPG works are under Shounen demographics, then you'll bet the readers/audiences are teens and young adults.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

I suspect, given who I know writes them, it's an inverse bell curve where the most readers are either older readers who grew up on "old school" RPGs (so the "Nostalgia" Factor) and very young readers for whom the idea is new and fresh (the "Gee, Wow!" factor). Those in the middle see them as kind of mildly insulting - "You couldn't write a book without having mechanics? What kind of writer are you? You expect me to read through tables and crap? Screw you, punk"

 

[Tempokai]

1. There wasn't any as far as I remember. It's usually 18-24, give or take, the usual age when people read or write litrpg earnestly. When I was reviewing those litrpg writers, everyone were in that age gap. I'd say that the age doesn't matter, the experience of reading such stories matters more. RR and WN is 100% made from younger audiences, SH is mixed.

2. That's a backstory. People don't care about it unless it enhances or decreases the enjoyment of the story. You can make him thousands of years old, but if you can't persuade people into believing that he has experience, it's usually DOA. Basically, it's all about believable causes and consequences that the experience grants to MC, violate that, and reader drop it once they find it as inconvenience.

 

[LilRora]

You can check out Thistlelight, I'm not sure it's on SH but I saw it briefly on RR. It got on Rising Stars for a while, iirc.

I think the vast majority is around high school or college age, but a lot of them won't really care if a character is old.

 

[beast_regards]

You are writing in the format that expects the readers to have independent income. Paying for advance chapters and paying for the sites like Royal Road simply wouldn't work if the vast majority of the audience were children, as someone would question where all that money goes.

 

[Fairemont]

People are paying you guys?

 

[beast_regards]

People are paying you guys?

Me? No. But someone is paying the Royal Road, clearly.

 

[SurfAngel_1031]

I have two and a half questions:

1. Has there ever been, like, a survey to determine what the average age of litrpg readers is?

1 1/2. If not, do we at least know if it skews more toward older or younger readers?

2. If the majority of readers are younger, will they be open to reading about an older protagonist? Without going too deep into it, my story's main character is fifteen when the world gets remade and the system takes over, and then he "wakes up" thirteen years later. A big part of the story is going to be about him coming to terms with his new age and body, the fact that he missed out on a big chunk of his life, and the new expectations people are suddenly putting on him. But I'm a little worried that if most litrpg readers are teens and young adults, they won't be interested in reading a book where the main character is almost thirty. What do you guys think?

You asked a great question. I wish I knew myself. I've toyed with the idea of LitRPG, but I'm not used to writing in first person, so all my ideas are in outline just waiting for me to stop being scared.
Along those lines I found that the research by reading method was unsatisfying. I found a few that I really enjoyed but most of the genre here is either abandoned or not all that good.
Given your question, I also should know my audience. >.<

Oh well. ?

 

[CharlesEBrown]

You asked a great question. I wish I knew myself. I've toyed with the idea of LitRPG, but I'm not used to writing in first person, so all my ideas are in outline just waiting for me to stop being scared.

Why in first person? Most LitRPG I've seen is not (though at least one started out that way and was changed to third person after readers complained!).

 

[SurfAngel_1031]

Why in first person? Most LitRPG I've seen is not (though at least one started out that way and was changed to third person after readers complained!).

The few I've seen have all been first person with the character narrating the whole thing. Especially the "system". I thought that's what I the norm was. If you can suggest a good book I'll take a look.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

The few ice sun have all been first person with the character narrating the whole thing. Especially the "system". I thought that's what I thought the norm was. If you can suggest a good book I'll take a look.

Have not been able to find the titles, but the late James M. Ward never wrote in third person (did approach "true second person" with some of TSR's "Choose Your Own Adventure" books, though) and was in the middle of a series of LitRPG books that involved historical mythology (IIRC he'd sent the third of at least five planned books off to his editing partner about a month before his passing, and was about 1/3 of the way into the fourth one).

Though the writing (or, perhaps more accuratly, translation) is erratic at best and downright lousy at worst, the first LitRPG (before I even knew what LitRPG was; honestly thought it was more akin to the old Lone Wolf and Cub or the Steve Jackson game/books starting with Wizard of Fire Mountain) I encountered was the audionovel version of "My Vampire System" - which is the one I know of that started in first person, but fans HATED it that way and shifted to third person around episode 30 or 40 (out of over 1000, eventually going back and redoing the early chapters as well) - it was originally a manga series.

My own modest attempt (Digital Cowboy, AKA Digital Cowboy Dane at PocketFM) is also third person.

 

[SurfAngel_1031]

Have not been able to find the titles, but the late James M. Ward never wrote in third person (did approach "true second person" with some of TSR's "Choose Your Own Adventure" books, though) and was in the middle of a series of LitRPG books that involved historical mythology (IIRC he'd sent the third of at least five planned books off to his editing partner about a month before his passing, and was about 1/3 of the way into the fourth one).

Though the writing (or, perhaps more accuratly, translation) is erratic at best and downright lousy at worst, the first LitRPG (before I even knew what LitRPG was; honestly thought it was more akin to the old Lone Wolf and Cub or the Steve Jackson game/books starting with Wizard of Fire Mountain) I encountered was the audionovel version of "My Vampire System" - which is the one I know of that started in first person, but fans HATED it that way and shifted to third person around episode 30 or 40 (out of over 1000, eventually going back and redoing the early chapters as well) - it was originally a manga series.

My own modest attempt (Digital Cowboy, AKA Digital Cowboy Dane at PocketFM) is also third person.

I loved those "Choose your own Adventure" books! They've been out forever, and most of them are great. I know that wasn't your point. Lol. Yeah, I've noticed that the writing for it is rather hit or miss. Either way, I'll take a look at yours. Might give me a different perspective.

Thanks!