This week, we at the Hideout finally have proof that playing online bingo is better than a night in front of the telly! The undeniable truth comes from the recently published 2009 UK National Gamers Survey. Backed by the TNS and Games industry.com, it would seem that the results conclusively show that the UK currently has more online and console players than anywhere else in Europe!
How we make media work for us
What's more, of those questioned, an amazing 73% ranked playing games as their favourite game over most other media available to them. In response to this staggering revelation, Stephen Palmer, Group Director at TNS Technology supporter of the survey stated that, "In several cases, young and old are even moving away from traditional media and spend their free time playing games instead". The survey is interesting to all those invested in the gaming industry as it also suggests that 86% of girls are now playing games regularly and even more interestingly that 42% of people over 50 are now playing games than reading magazines. Both these statistics challenge the traditional idea of a gamer, who is stereotypically portrayed as a young man, and this challenge means we will have to incorporate women into the idea of the gamer. In fact, with so many women known to play online bingo it's highly probable that most of the figure given was taken up with fans of our very own favourite game!
What's brought about this huge shift?
Reflecting on the survey's results, Palmer goes on to say that, " The variety of games on offer has drawn in segments of the population that would not ordinarily be associated with gaming, which has turned the traditional view of the 'gamer' on it's head. With the pressure put on media through advertising cuts, gaming is emerging as the forum through which to target consumers of the future."
So what does this mean for the future of online bingo?
In conclusion then it would seem that this widely regarded survey suggests yet again that despite the economic downturn, players are still happy to pay to play online games in the UK. As a result of this it's not unreasonable to expect the numbers joining online bingo to continue to rise. This is good news for all existing players as a booming market is a competitive market that continues to challenge its existing offers and promos.
Since we can continue to expect more value for money sites to come online while the boom in the industry continues, we can also keep on confidently trying out new sites Such as Giggle Bingo and Budget Bingo and all they have to offer to see how they measure up to existing ones. What's more we can also expect a reasonable return from whichever site we sign up with whether it's in the form of bonuses or free play depending on the type of site you like to play on.