Survey Says.....

[ShadowHM]

I just knew that there were a lot more than Lavcat and me. :lol:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...videogames_dc_1

By Ben Berkowitz
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Think teenagers are spending all night long playing online games on the computer? Wrong -- it's their mothers burning the midnight oil.

AOL, a unit of Time Warner Inc. news , released a study on Tuesday showing that U.S. women over the age of 40 spend nearly 50 percent more time each week playing online games than men and are more likely to play online games daily than men or teens. Of those women over 40 who had formed online friendships, AOL said, more than 20 percent converted those virtual connections into real-life relationships.

Fueling the arguments of those who say that gaming takes away from other activities, 44 percent of the women over 40 who responded to the survey, conducted by Digital Marketing Services, said they spend less time watching TV or movies, reading or being physically active because of their game play.
More than a quarter of those women, the survey found, play their favorite games between midnight and 5 a.m. Women in the poll tended to favor word and puzzle games.

About half of teens surveyed reported spending more time playing games than reading and more than a quarter doing more gaming than homework.
AOL also did research on gaming habits in major cities, finding that people who play games online in Los Angeles are far more likely (31 percent) to form off-line relationships than the national average (18 percent).
Atlanta and Boston were the most game-happy cities overall, at about 8 hours per capita per week, the survey said.

The survey was conducted online with 3,613 respondents between mid-December and mid-January, the company said.

[AtomicKitKat]

Heh. Nice to know. Too bad 40 is still a little old for me. I still have a few more centuries to live, dammit!

Nice to know that there's a more mature(mentally speaking) crowd out there to counter-balance the flood of adolescent jackasses though.

[whereagles]

I like experienced women. Was never too fond of itchy teenagers lol.

[--Pete]

Hi,

U.S. women over the age of 40 spend nearly 50 percent more time each week playing online games than men and are more likely to play online games daily than men or teens.

While the movement of women into the workplace is still continuing, and the number of two income families is still increasing, it remains a fact that there are more women in the 25 to 65 age range that are not in the job force (EDUT) than there are men of that same age braket (END EDIT). Thus that statistic could be nothing more than a reflection of a larger number of women in that age bracket having more "disposable" time (in analogy to "disposable income") than do men.

The phrase "online games" is also misleading. To the "gamers" of the world, that implies the various RTS, FPS, RPG, MMOxx, and so forth. But, the reality may be a lot more along the lines of PopCap, etc., not to mention the zillion and one casinos that let one play free or very cheap slots, video poker, poker, etc. A more complete survey that takes more factors into account may generate some meaningful statistics.

So, are more women than men "gamers"? My years of observation, in game groups, in arcades, and online, indicate that that is not so. Perhaps I haven't spent enough time at the Tai Pai sites :)

--Pete

[ShadowHM]

But, the reality may be a lot more along the lines of Pop Cap, etc., not to mention the zillion and one casinos that let one play free or very cheap slots, video poker, poker, etc.  A more complete survey that takes more factors into account may generate some meaningful statistics.

A number of the women in my extended family play bridge online, when they are not at actual bridge tournaments. The wording of the survey would certainly include them too.

[Griselda]

What program do they use to play online bridge? Some folks over at RB have been talking about getting an online bridge game together, but we've never followed through. A major sticking factor has been that none of us are familiar with bridge software that can be used online.

-Griselda

[DeeBye]

The phrase "online games" is also misleading.

Agreed. My wife plays online card games with her RL friends. She uses the card games as a way to spend some time and chat with her friends without the need to get together physically. Many of her old highschool friends live quite far away, and an online card game is a nice way for her to catch up on things without the need for long distance phone calls. The game is secondary to what's really important for her.

[Vandiablo]

It's time to reveal the truth! I am not really what I appear... this is SO difficult... I am really Van's mistress. It's all been a big charade. I feel so guilty. "Van" is just a persona loosely based on my flatulent-yet-affable dog, who doesn't know a computer from a toaster oven. (What? You thought mistress as in sex? Sorry, no.) It's me who was addicted to Diablo, not him. All the "real" Van does is drool on the keyboard sometimes. It wasn't hard to write all that stuff about witches' costume malfunctions in Hell-- which reminds me, Barngrille was me too and is loosely based on my hamster. And now you know why Mary Kay had an easy time with rouge.

(And by the way, Luke-- Pete is my father, and he isn't just a curmudgeon online, but is that way in life BION!)

I don't know if you're ready for the real "shocker" (heh) tho: Bolty. Yep. Me. But not the same way Van is. You see, Bolty is the "next generation" of Landroo. I'd spell Landroo properly but I think he's still out there, parsing, parsing, parsing. Anyhoo, Bolty was my improved version of the bot, capable of producing and maintaining a website, and on occasion making a post that looked like it was really written by a human being. Remember when we had an almost-profile pic of Bolty getting the first crack at a new game? Couldn't quite see my face, eh? There was a reason for that. It's not too difficult to dress like a guy, tho I was afraid I'd cut my hair too short and would give myself away.

Anyway, it's nice to get that off my chest, and now that I've come clean I feel freer to discuss important things like how our personal relationships make us feel and how to help us all get the emotional validation that we as real people crave and deserve, and feel wonderful that I no longer have to disguise myself with macho and/or adolescent posts.

Once again, I am sooooo sorry, I luv you all and it hurts me to know that I've deceived you all for so long. Well, my euchre group is ready and so I've got to go.

-V

[Drasca]

neon turtles!

[DeeBye]

stuff

You just made me fall out of my comfy computer chair.

edit:

[NiteFox]

I require permission to save that, upload it to my webspace, and use it whenever I feel like it.

Edit: Any chance you know where I can get the "Total Blackout in Springfield" flashing sign?

[WarLocke]

-V

[NiteFox]

What program do they use to play online bridge?

I bet any amount of money that a lot of folks use Yahoo! Games.

[whereagles]

Bridge base online normally has 1000-1500 players online all the time. All play and tournaments are free ;) I play there sometimes - alias: whereagles.

[--Pete]

Hi,

Still chuckling.

--Pete

[Griselda]

That looks like just the thing, thanks! :)

I may look you up, but be warned that I'm not that great of a player. I played in college, and really enjoyed it, but was never all that skilled even back then. Now, I can usually manage to put a card down in every trick. :P

-Griselda

[DeeBye]

I require permission to save that, upload it to my webspace, and use it whenever I feel like it.

Edit: Any chance you know where I can get the "Total Blackout in Springfield" flashing sign?

I didn't make the image; I found whilst browsing the 'net. Go ahead and share it as many times as you want. The internet needs more Homer Simpson spinning.

I forgot about the Total Blackout in Springfield one. That would be hilarious, but alas I cannot seem to find it.

edit: I do have an animated .gif of the clowns dancing on the floor from the episode where Homer goes to clown college. It's ~90k though so I'll just post a link to it.

[channel1]

I'm not surprised. Well over half of the adults that play Toontown are mothers of kids that they bought the game for. I hear a lot of reports that the kids rarely get to play, because mom is using the account. There are also a lot of cases where people get a second account, so that the kids can play at the same time.

I notice when playing with the women that they tend to talk a LOT more than the guys. They treat it as a social activity, and not just a game.

They also seem to open up a lot more than people do in Real Life. Maybe it's a sense of security, having the 'puter between them and the people on the other end.

-rcv-

[DeeBye]

[WarLocke]

Hehe, yeah, that one works better on a non-white background. Mind if I crib it?


EDIT: o rly?