As the gaming sector continues to evolve, Lightspeed Research, (part of Kantar and WPP), has surveyed UK gamers to understand how gaming habits are developing. Overall 67% of people surveyed have played a game in the last six months. The research on this group of gamers shows that social games, brain training and fitness games broaden the appeal across age groups and genders and smartphones are increasingly being used as a games device.
Fixed consoles currently most popular way to play
Fixed games consoles, e.g. Xbox, Playstation3, Wii, are at present the most common way to play games, with 60% playing these in the past six months. At 47% Smartphone games are the next most likely to be played, while social games and handheld console games have been played by about one third of respondents in the same time period.
Social gaming extends appeal
52% of respondents have tried social gaming and Facebook remains the dominant platform, particularly for women (49% compared to men at 37%). The over 55s are keen social gamers with one third having played this kind of game – and at 43% they are more likely than any other age group to be daily social gamers. By contrast whilst the 18-24 years demographic is more likely than older age groups to have played a social game, they are the least keen on regular social gaming, with 41% only playing once a month or less. One in five gamers has bought in-game credits or in-game items, increasing to a third of all 18-34 year old gamers.
69% of console owners own a fitness game
Of the 69% of console owners that own a fitness game, almost half (49%) play them at least once a week. Women are the main owners of fitness games (76% v 63%), but men are more likely to be regular players with 53% of men playing at least once per week, compared to 45% of women. More than 60% of the over 45s own a fitness game and at least half play them at least once per week.
Gaming on Smartphones appeals to all ages
The use of Smartphones as games devices is booming across all age groups.18-24 year old gamers are more likely to have used their Smartphone as a gaming device than a fixed traditional console in the past six months. For other age groups, 36% of 25-34 year olds, 29% of 35-44 year olds, 18% of 45-54 year olds and 14% of 55-64 year olds say their smartphone is the device they game on most often.
A fifth of respondents play brain training games weekly
27% of respondents have played a brain training game – half of those (51%) on a console. These games are most popular with younger respondents; 78% of 18-24 year olds have played compared to half (50%) of 55-64 year olds. 71% of respondents with kids said their children play educational games and at 54% it is the parents who are most influential in the choice of the game, followed by kids requesting them at 33%. 8% said the school had recommended a game for their child.
60% of gamers spend up to 30 minutes a day playing
The majority of gamers are interested in short bursts of gaming, an indicator of the potential for Smartphone based games, especially for commuters. A dedicated minority of 11% play for two or more hours a day in an average week, and when all gamers were asked which type of device occupied the most time overall more than 50% reported using a PC or fixed games console, indicating that for dedicated gaming sessions, traditional console and PC gaming is still favoured.
Ralph Risk, Marketing Director for Europe says “Gaming is no longer the preserve of the young: gaming has gripped people of all ages in the UK, whether on a dedicated console for a few hours, or for a few minutes on a Smartphone. More and more brands are harnessing the power of games to keep players’ attention for longer.â€
