Singaporeans spend more time playing video games than South Koreans, Japanese: Survey

Local gamers spent more time playing video games than their East Asian neighbours, a survey by US-based edge cloud services provider Limelight Networks has shown.

Singaporean gamers spent 7.44 hours on average each week playing video games, compared with South Koreans (6.69 hours) and the Japanese (6.88 hours).

The Germans spent the most time playing such games, spending an average of almost eight hours a week. They were followed closely by United States gamers (7.61 hours) and then by Singaporean gamers.

The survey was based on responses from 4,500 consumers - aged 18 and above who played video games at least once a week - in nine countries including Singapore, Germany, Japan, South Korea and the US.

Conducted between January and February this year, the survey polled respondents on a variety of topics, from the types of games they played to the devices they used.

Local gamers had the longest average video-gaming duration in the world. They spent an average of 1.56 hours playing video games consecutively, edging out their counterparts in the US (1.54 hours) and South Korea (1.49 hours).

Video producer Seow Yang Wei, 39, is a Singaporean gamer who plays up to eight hours straight sometimes. This happens especially when it is a new role-playing game, like the recently released Devil May Cry 5, he said.

Such games usually let a gamer play a character with quests to finish. Often, these have an immersive storyline.

"Role-playing games are like good Korean dramas. When I start playing, I just can't wait to find out the twists and the endings to the plot.

"So I will just keep on playing," said Mr Seow, who owns a Nintendo Switch and a PlayStation 4 Pro gaming console.

Mr Seow reckoned that he spends around 20 hours a week on average playing video games. "I usually play during weekends. But if I am not so busy, I will play on weekday nights too," he said.

Public relations intern Cassandra Choi, 23, plays games for at least an hour a day on her Apple iPhone 7.

The mobile games she plays range from the SuperStar BTS music rhythm game to the Drive and Park car-parking simulation game.

"I find these games addictive, as there is this sense of achievement when I unlock the next stage," said Ms Choi.

Plus, her curiosity to see what happens on the next stage drives her on, she added.

Mobile phones remained the most popular device for gaming in the world, according to the survey.

Singaporean and Japanese gamers tied for second place among those using mobile phones most of the time to play games. South Korean gamers led the pack in this area.

"It is much more convenient to play games on mobile phones, as I can play while commuting, waiting for the bus or whenever there are pockets of time," said Ms Choi.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.