Mobile Gaming Trends

Survey shows why most play browser games instead of consoles

Become a member of GB MAX to gain exclusive access to the industry and to the most influential global B2B leadership community in the business of gaming, entertainment, and tech. Join now and also get a VIP ticket to GamesBeat Next (Nov 2-3, SF).

Everyone’s busy freaking out over Grand Theft Auto V, but most people are still getting their gaming fix from more modest sources.

A new Harris survey by Goo Technologies shows that a small majority of Americans, 52 percent, are playing browser-based games.

Goo surveyed 2,046 adults aged 18 and older. It was conducted online. When asked, these were the top reasons for why those polled prefer playing the simpler, console-less games:

  • They aren’t as expensive as buying a game console: 49 percent
  • I don’t have to download and install game software: 43 percent
  • I don’t need to be tied to one console: 31 percent
  • It allows me to interact with my friends online: 26 percent
  • I can start a game on one device and continue on another: 25 percent
  • It makes me more mobile: 25 percent
  • I can play at work: 19 percent
  • I can hide the fact that I’m gaming more easily: 10 percent

Goo also asked where people preferred to play:

  • On the couch: 60 percent
  • On a plane: 50 percent
  • In bed: 45 percent
  • While on the toilet: 34 percent
  • On a train: 34 percent
  • At work: 25 percent

A whopping 2 percent of those polled also said they’d like to play during sex, which sounds exhausting.

Goo Technologies is a web technology company based in Stockholm.