'An Exploration of Online Casual Gaming' Finds Strong Emotional and
Physical Engagement with Online Games Across Nearly Every Age Group
NEW YORK, July 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Online casual gaming holds an
exclusive place in the lives of gamers' of nearly all ages because it is
both emotionally and physically engaging, according to MTV Networks' new
study: "An Exploration of Online Casual Gaming."
As part of the study, 3,520 interviews were conducted among gamers from
ages 8 to 60 in five different demographic groups: Kids and Tweens; Teens;
Young Adults; Adults; and Boomers. While all of the groups were actively
involved with gaming, they had different reasons for being strongly
connected to online casual games. Younger gamers participated to do things
they can't do in real life. Among adults, moms used games as "my time" to
relax and escape, while dads used games to recharge themselves and compete.
Boomers said they felt physically transformed after playing online because
the games kept their minds sharp and refreshed.
"Whether it's competition, aspiration or relaxation, online casual
games often serve necessary emotional and physical functions for gamers,
making these games more 'crucial' than 'casual' for those who play most,"
said Colleen Fahey Rush, MTVN's Executive Vice President of Research.
"While the reasons for playing vary among age groups, it's clear that
online casual games play an important and often essential part in the lives
of gamers."
Among the entire study, seven in 10 surveyed were frequent visitors to
casual gaming sites, visiting at least once a week. The field spent an
average of 12 days per month on the sites and 92 minutes per visit. Gamers
treat casual gaming sites in a far from casual way, as three in four
surveyed spent at least a half hour on each visit to gaming sites. Adults
and Boomers were the most likely to visit casual gaming sites every day, as
nearly half of the group visited regularly, according to the study.
Segmenting the Casual Gaming Market
MTVN's casual gaming study found six different segments of casual
gamers: Time Fillers; Rechargers; Virtual Me; Gaming Enthusiasts; Guilty
Pleasurists; and Average Joe Wannabees. The Time Fillers came from all age
groups, but were most likely to include stay-at-home moms who said that
gaming was the perfect way to kill time when there was "nothing better to
do." Rechargers spent 92 minutes playing games every other day, which was
the highest among all of the groups, and consisted largely of adults and
boomers who rewarded themselves with games that left them refreshed and
energized. The Virtual Me segment -- mostly Kids and Tweens -- used the
games as an opportunity to do things they couldn't do in real life, from
flying to caring for a pet. The Gaming Enthusiasts, which mostly included
Kids, Tweens and Boomers, appreciated the adventure and accomplishment that
accompanied casual games and spent 88 minutes every other day engaged with
them online.
Guilty Pleasurists love the fact that gaming is a great way to "blow
off some steam," however they do have some associated guilt as it can often
take them away from other things they feel they should be doing. Despite
their hesitation, the group -- consisting mostly of students -- still
averaged 75 minutes of gaming two times per week. The Average Joe Wannabees
spent an average of 80 minutes playing every other day, but they didn't
want to tell anyone about their gaming obsessions. The majority of the
group was constructed of Teens, Kids and Tweens.
"This study proves that the conventional wisdom around who plays online
casual games doesn't match the new reality," said Dave Williams, Senior
Vice President and General Manager, Nickelodeon Kids and Family Games
Group. "Casual games continue to gain broader appeal across demos and, as a
result, the opportunity to serve more audiences and capture more value from
these games is greater than ever before."
Where and What They Play
The study found that online gamers talk about and share their favorite
games, with 49 percent of those surveyed claiming they find gaming sites
through friends. Search also plays a big role, with 40 percent of
respondents utilizing search engines to find games sites. No single site
dominated the casual gaming category, but there was high satisfaction among
all of the sites that were used. The most popular gaming destinations
listed by the surveyed group were gaming-specific sites and included MTVN's
Shockwave.com (http://www.shockwave.com) and AddictingGames.com
(http://www.addictinggames.com), both of which recently introduced new
site-wide community features. Action and adventure games were most popular
with Kids and Tweens, while puzzle games were the favorite among Adults and
Boomers preferred card and casino games.
The Role of Advertising
Of those surveyed, 90 percent preferred having advertising on gaming
sites to paying a fee for games and many were open to branded games.
Surprisingly, dads were the group most willing to pay for games, which was
echoed by the fact that overall, males were more likely to pay for games
than females.
Dads also had the best reaction to branded games, as 34 percent of them
held a better impression of a product or brand after playing a sponsored
game. Overall, the study concluded that consumers react positively to
branded games in which the product and message are integrated and game is
fun.
The complete results of the study are available upon request.
MTVN's Nickelodeon Kids and Family Group is home to Addicting Games and
Shockwave, the preeminent social gaming sites on the Web. AddictingGames is
the number one independent gaming site, coming off its best month ever in
June 2008 with 10.7 million unique visitors, who spent on average of 30.5
minutes on the site during each visit (comScore Media Metrix). Shockwave,
the original casual gaming site, hosts more than 400 games, including more
than 100 exclusive self published titles.
About MTV Networks
MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is one of the
world's leading creators of programming and content across all media
platforms. MTV Networks, with more than 150 channels worldwide, owns and
operates the following television programming services -- MTV: MUSIC
TELEVISION, MTV2, VH1, mtvU, NICKELODEON, NICK at NITE, COMEDY CENTRAL, TV
LAND, SPIKE TV, CMT, LOGO, NOGGIN, THE N, VH1 CLASSIC, MTVN INTERNATIONAL
and THE DIGITAL SUITE FROM MTV NETWORKS, a package of 13 digital services,
all of these networks trademarks of MTV Networks. MTV Networks connects
with its audiences through its robust consumer products businesses and its
more than 300 interactive properties worldwide, including online,
broadband, wireless and interactive television services and also has
licensing agreements, joint ventures, and syndication deals whereby all of
its programming services can be seen worldwide.
SOURCE MTV Networks
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Related links:
http://www.addictinggames.com
http://www.mtv.com http://www.shockwave.com
CONTACT:
Mark Jafar of MTV Networks, +1-212-846-8961,
mark.jafar@mtvstaff.com
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