Are social games cool now? Gen Y is 30 percent of US social gamers

Social games aren't just going "hardcore", but it seems they're no longer just for old middle-aged folk. According to an eMarketer report citing data from Information Solutions Group (ISG), 30 percent of US social gamers are between 18 and 29 years old. That figure is as of September of this year, and in January 2010, Generation Y made up for just 15 percent.

With that change, the average age of the social gamer has dropped from 45 to just above 41 years old. So, social gamers are getting younger--how did this happen? Well, "hardcore" games are generally for younger audiences, so perhaps the recent boom in strategy games on Facebook accounts for at least some of this shift. Generally speaking, social games are slowly becoming more visually attractive and action-packed. Take The Sims Social, CastleVille and Mafia Wars 2, for instance.

As for what this could mean, social game makers are likely going to create games that are more appealing to this younger crowd. That's especially considering the data from ISG finds that younger social gamers are more likely to pay up for virtual items. Will 2012 be the year of the Facebook shooter? Probably not, but you can probably expect more games like this.

Will social games change now that younger players are getting into the mix? If so, how will they change, and if not, why should they remain the same?