A recent study, sponsored by Pop Cap games, has found that over 20 per cent of casual gamers are disabled. Many of them, who are also devoted consumers, cite benefits from playing these games, including stress relief and a sense of accomplishment.
The survey was conducted with 13,296 casual game players, including 2,738 disabled gamers, between April 2 and 17, 2008. Of the latter group, over three quarters of them identified their disability as "moderate" or "severe”.
Nearly two thirds (64%) said they played casual games every day, while another 28 per cent said they played several times a week. Comparatively, only 57 per cent of ordinary gamers said they played casual games every day.
Casual game were said to provide relief to disabled participants, as 94 per cent said these games brought them physical or mental benefits. These ranged from deeper sensations of achievement and "belonging," to distractions from loneliness or chronic pain, stress relief, mood lifting, learning opportunities, improved concentration and better coordination.
The main types of casual games preferred were "puzzle" (84%), "word and trivia" (61%) and "arcade" (59%) being the three most-cited genres. As well, "Card" (54%) and "hidden object" (51%) games rounded out the top five categories among disabled gamers.
The casual game industry represents a significant portion of the gaming market with an estimated 300 to 400 million players worldwide.
More details:
The Able Gamer
Study Finds Casual Games Popular Among Disabled Players
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