Computer geeks are getting older

Think of a computer games nerd and you think of a spotty teenager locked in his bedroom hunched over his keyboard for hours on end.

But the image is changing - the games enthusiast is just as likely to be a married man in his 20s or 30s, according to a new study.

The average age of a hardcore gamer is 27 and three in ten of them will have children of their own. The study found women were less likely to grab the keypad because most games were designed by men. That had produced a string of 'testosterone fuelled fantasies' featuring fighting, soccer and driving fast cars, said the the European Leisure Software Publishers' Association. However, it added the games world could be about to change with the launch of titles such as Britney's Dance Beat, aimed at girls.