Two and a half hours a day are spent gaming, playing until 10:58pm. They own two consoles, 18 games and take a month to complete each. The gamer stereotype ”couldn’t be more wrong.”
It was social media network Pixwoo.com who commissioned the study. It also found that woman are ”just as likely to be gamers” as men - and these are full adults with families.
The study canvassed 2,000 people in the UK who label themselves as a gamer, and found on average they’d spend 12 hours and 32 minutes enjoying console games each week. ”The image most people have of a gamer is usually a young boy, holed up for hours in end in their bedroom, only stopping the game for food, drink and toilet breaks. But these results show that the stereotype couldn’t be more wrong,” said a Pixwoo.com spokesperson.
The researchers also found that an average of two arguments per week take place between the gamer and their partner over their pastime. One in twenty says it’s a consistent issue for arguments, while 15% revealed it fuelled a break-up.
Over 75% said they’re unlikely to ‘grow out’ of their gaming habits. The study also showed that, while most switch off around 10:58pm, many have stayed up as late as 1.12am. Damn you pleasure centre of the brain!
Nintendo Wii was the leading console, followed by PS3 and then Xbox 360. 44% admit they’ll ‘treat themselves’ with a PS4, Xbox One or new PC within the next 12 months. “This snapshot into the lives of ordinary gamers disputes many myths about the pastime, showing how integrated gaming is into our daily routine,” they said.
The average gamer will:
*Play computer games five days a week, for 2 hours and 32 minutes each day.
*Will stay up until 10.58pm playing games
*Has stayed up until 1.12am on occasion
*Owns two different consoles
*Owns 18 games
*Can complete a game in four-and-a-half weeks
*Will go to a midnight opening for a new game once a year, spending four hours queuing each time
*Has two rows a week with their partner about gaming
*Has five online friends in the gaming community
*Is 35 years old
*Earns £23,244 a year
*Is married or in a relationship
*Has one child
*Drives a Ford, Vauxhall or BMW
*Works almost 32 hours a week