Research Reveals Casual Games Provide Mental Balance, Stress Relief and Relaxation

RealNetworks the leading developer, publisher and distributor of casual games, today announced research findings that demonstrate U.S. adults who play computer games play "casual" games for a quick mental break. Sixty four percent of respondents cited game play as a way to unwind and relax, while 53 percent play for stress relief.

Real is providing new details about the casual games social phenomenon that more than 70 percent of people buying casual games from the company are women age 40 and older. The findings are from a survey conducted by Harris Interactive®, a worldwide market research and consulting firm, and focus groups hosted by best-selling author and women's lifestyle expert, Jennifer Louden.

Casual games are non-violent games that are simple to learn and difficult to master, and categorized as games that players can leave and pick up again easily. Play time can vary from a few minutes to hours. Digital puzzles, word games, card games, board games, and classic arcade games are all classified in this category.

The research found:
-- Women over age 40 who play casual games:
- 67 percent play casual games at least four times per week
- About half (47 percent) play every day
- About 60 percent or more would rather play a casual game than talk on
the phone, knit or do other projects at home (such as building or
painting)
- About 50 percent would rather play casual games than go to a movie or
spend time cooking

-- Men and women ages 18 and over who play casual games:
- 64 percent do so as a way to unwind and relax
- 53 percent do so for stress relief
- 42 percent cite the activity as a way to keep his/her mind sharp
- Among those with children, 75 percent see educational benefits for
their children who play casual games
"It's a wild concept, but I see this trend as a way for women and men to establish mental balance and embrace a healthy form of comfort," Louden said. "Surprisingly, more and more women are turning to casual gaming as a way to cope with stress and take a brief escape from daily responsibilities. As an author and life coach, I've worked with thousands of women for nearly 15 years to develop and encourage ways to better care for ourselves and create healthy, balanced lives that fit our individual needs. It's fascinating to see how people are using technology to comfort themselves."

According to Louden, many people indulge in "shadow comforts," things that we think will make us feel better but don't, like eating too much, shopping for things we don't need or watching TV. Alternately, casual games-which attracted 100 million PC users in 2005-can stimulate the mind and combat loneliness, further supporting mainstream adoption among men, women, senior citizens and children.

"We've always known that the appeal of casual games extends far beyond that of traditional video games, but never fully understood why until the results of this research," said Michael Schutzler, senior vice president, Games Division at RealNetworks. "Now, with insights from the research conducted by Harris Interactive and Jennifer Louden telling us that people play for stress relief and mental balance, we can appreciate the social impact of casual games and better serve our customers."