A new survey from Bigpoint reveals that the stereotypes associated with online gamers are false. A global survey of 6,663 "online gamers" found that most considered themselves well-rounded individuals with real world friends, good looking, and in relatively good health. The Bigpoint Gamer Survey presents a different image of online gamers - attractive, healthy, cultured, and popular with the opposite sex.
Around 62 percent of players said they had more friends in real life than online. Around 55 percent of players under 20 said they have more real friends than online friends, and 73 percent over the age of 50 claimed to have more real-life friendships. A total of 28 percent of the people met most of their friends online and went on to meet them in real life. Only a tenth of all gamers said that their only real friends were online gamers.
More than half of them – 52 percent said that they meet up with their friends regularly each month. A third (34 percent) claim to see their friends on a daily basis, though most of these tended to be younger players.
Bigpoint press officer Janine Griffel said that the image of the lone gamer playing on their own may be a thing of the past:
"Our study shows that online gamers are attractive individuals with healthy and active social lives. Social and casual games are very popular among our users for the reason that they emphasize being social. The trend’s definitely moving away from single-player games to social-based experiences."
By region, 40 percent of all surveyed players came from Turkey, 21 percent from Germany, 14 percent from France, and 11 percent from the United States. Approximately 58 percent of participants were under the age of 20, 26 percent were between the ages of 21–30, and 20 percent were aged 31–40. Only 12 percent were older than 40 and 5 percent were older than 50. The majority of participants - 89 percent were male. Around 32 percent were married, 61 percent were single, and 6 percent were either divorced or separated.
The full details of this survey will be released at Casual Connect February 8–10, in Hamburg, Germany.
Comments
Re: Survey Says: Online Gamers Aren't Dorky Loners
The article states the online gamers they surveyed claim to have more friends in real life than interent friends and that they are good looking: That is no different than asking anyone else who has good self-esteem. The idea of claiming to have more online friends than friends in real life would be some what embarrasing in the society we live in. Nevertheless, online friends are still friends.
I think they are missing the bigger picture here. If loners are willing to do a survey, it would most likely involve a token of exchange, and they wouldn't mind claiming to be loners. AND just because someone who plays online doesn't necessarily exclude them from being a loner. Online gaming is purely perspective. Having skill in a game does involve a lot of pressure from the community, especially if you always join servers under the same name... And of course some people play online just to play, no chit-chat.
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"Because this town is under the stranglehold of a few tight eyed Tree Huggers who would rather play Hacky Sack than lock up the homeless" -- Birch Barlow
Re: Survey Says: Online Gamers Aren't Dorky Loners
Dorky loners get a bad rap. They're blamed for almost every anti-social problem, up to and including serial murder. Yet the fact is, most serial killers are frustrated extroverts. Real loners want to be left alone, so going out in search of victims hardly fits their MO.
As for gaming, anyone who seeks out friends online is by definition NOT a loner. Online gamers are social by definition, so the results of this survey are hardly surprising or a 'news' item. Now if the survey polled gamers who DON'T play online, THAT'S where the real loners are. We don't play online because, apart from a very few trusted friends, we want the rest of this planet's arseholes to leave us the hell alone.