According to a new survey released today by PopCap Games, half of U.S. and U.K. mobile gamers favor mobile devices as their primary home game platform. The finding was part of a research project that projects a 125 million mobile gamer population in the U.S. and U.K.
“We already know that people play mobile games ‘on the go,’ but now we are seeing mobile gamers largely favor their mobile devices for home use.” said Dennis Ryan, VP of Worldwide Publishing at PopCap. “If you add the fact we are seeing a deluge of new gamers coming in through mobile, we believe mobile gaming is invading the last bastion of video game consoles and personal computers: the home.”
50 percent of the mobile gamers in the survey agreed that mobile gaming is their favored method of game play at home over traditional consoles, computers and handheld gaming devices, while tablet-only players preferred home play on mobile devices even more at 57 percent.
The new survey also claims that the top five places to play mobile games are at home on the couch with 69 percent of U.S. and U.K. gamers surveyed, as a passenger in a car or on a bus or train at 63 percent, at home laying in bed at 57 percent, waiting for an appointment at 55 percent and while watching television 41 percent, while those who play mobile games exclusively on tablets confirmed that they play more at home on the couch and while watching TV (at 78 percent and 52 percent) than other mobile gamers. Those who stated that they play mobile games only on a smartphone were more likely to play in situations that required waiting, such as while at a restaurant, in line at a store, or at an appointment.
Many reported playing mobile games in offbeat places – a combined total of 10 percent confessed to playing mobile games either in a church or other place of worship, or while driving a car and/or while watching a movie at a theater. Of those surveyed, eight percent confirmed they had played mobile games while in class at school and nine percent had played at a sporting event, six percent of those surveyed had played mobile games at work during a meeting or a conference call, and four percent had played while at the gym and almost one out of 10 mobile gamers (nine percent) reported that they had been late or missed an appointment, class, ride or flight because they were caught up playing a mobile game.
These sorts of distracted or naughty gamers and those who play in unorthodox places tend to be male, younger than 35 years old, with 78 percent playing daily. This group also spends more money on mobile games and are more likely to play mobile games with friends and plan to spend an average of $49.63 in 2012 on mobile games, game currency or content vs. $29.04 overall.
Source: InfoSolutionsGroup.com
