In celebration of Women’s History Month and the launch of its Me time-Game time women’s campaign, GameHouse, a U.S. casual games developer, publisher, and digital video game distributor (a subsidiary of RealNetworks), commissioned Pollfish to survey over 800 U.S. and UK consumers aged 18 years+ through 65 years+ about their interests, passions, how they spend their ‘me time’ and how mobile gaming factors in to this.
The results show that 74% of women are today playing mobile games once (some of them several times) per day, with more than 67% of those surveyed quoting mobile gaming as a vital part of their downtime or ‘me time’. When asked specifically how they like to spend their ‘me time’, across the board, respondents of all ages said they choose mobile gaming as a key means to relax and relieve stress, with a vast 73% majority of 35 to 44 year-old women playing mobile games during their ‘me time’.
ACTIVITY, DEVICES AND GENRES
For all respondents aged 18 years+, gaming ranked the sixth most popular way to relax and unwind. Amongst this, a considerable 33% of 35-44 year-olds surveyed said they favor playing games, with 25% of 45-54 year-olds and 20% of 55-64 year-olds enjoying playing games in their ‘me time’.
Further, 60% of all women aged 18 years+ said they see gaming as fun, with over half valuing it as a means to ‘relieve stress’, and 39% as a possibility to ‘take a moment for myself’. Additionally, two thirds of women aged 18 years+ said they feel ‘relaxed’, ‘stimulated’, ‘engaged’ or ‘focused’ when on their mobile, proving that mobile offers balance and the perfect escape from day-to-day commitments for all ages.
In terms of preferred mobile game genres, Bubble Shooters, Puzzle, Word, Board and Collapse games ranked the highest, with 48%, 35%, 35% and 32%, respectively, playing these genres currently or over the past three months. Overall, women value the problem solving, challenge, growing and strategic thinking aspects of gaming the most. Of those surveyed, mobile remains the most popular gaming platform for women, with 42% playing games on Android and 54% on iPhone.
WOMEN SEARCHING FOR FREE TIME
Globally, almost three quarters of women are playing games in 2023. Female gamers in fact represent 48% of the global mobile gaming market; with 21% of adult mobile gamers being women aged 36 years+. Yet women continue to feel guilty about taking ‘me time’ with 34% of respondents saying they sometimes feel guilty about taking their ‘me time’; and 15% saying they frequently or always feeling guilty taking ‘me time’, compared to just 7% of men.
Respondents stated that often they must limit ‘me time’ to a few times per week, either just before bedtime or first thing in the morning, when they are ‘free of chores’ or ‘when the husband is at work’ and ‘kids are at school’. Worse still, some don’t take it all. For instance, 60% of 35-44 year-olds said they don’t get enough or any ‘me time’.
Besides, 46% of those surveyed aged 18 years+ said they feel they don’t get enough or any ‘me time’, with just 32% saying they get an average amount. Within this, 60% of 35-44 year-olds responded they don’t get enough or any ‘me time’. The research shows that kids play a bigger role in when women get their ‘me time’.
About this study, Simonetta Lulli Gomez, CEO, GameHouse, expressed: “As a company, we are on a mission to design around female gaming preferences and to encourage women to take their ‘me time’ and enjoy it! GameHouse has an unrivalled heritage of the past 25 years in creating the type of games that women engage with the most. We believe that our casual mobile and PC gaming experiences, with strong relatable characters and story narrative, provide the perfect escape from day-to-day commitments, an opportunity to unwind and recharge your batteries.”
For her part, Emmi Kuusikko, Head of Product Strategy, Insights and Growth, GameHouse, added: “Our research shows that women seek ‘me time’, but feel guilty about taking it and that women find mobile gaming to provide the perfect escape, a means to unwind and have fun. GameHouse’s ‘Me time – Game time’ campaign celebrates female gamers across the world and encourages women to claim their ‘me time’. We all need it!”