"7 out of 10 Koreans Play Games... Enjoy an Average of 132 Minutes per Day Even on Weekdays"

Game Usage Rate 74%... Increased by 3%p in One Year

[Source=Korea Creative Content Agency]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yuri Choi] A survey found that 7 out of 10 people in the nation use games. On weekdays, the average daily game usage time reached 132 minutes. This indicates that gaming has established itself as a popular leisure culture.

According to the "2022 Game User Survey Report" by the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) on the 3rd, the overall game usage rate this year was 74.4%, an increase of 3.1 percentage points compared to last year.

By gender, the usage rate was 75.3% for men and 73.4% for women, showing that both men and women enjoyed gaming. Among those in their 40s and 50s, the game usage rate for women even surpassed that of men.

KOCCA stated, "The continuous influx of new game users indicates that gaming is becoming a popular leisure culture among the public."

Although the overall usage rate increased, the average daily game usage time decreased. This was due to increased outdoor activities following the lifting of COVID-19 social distancing measures. Accordingly, weekday usage was 132 minutes, 13 minutes less than last year, and weekend usage was 209 minutes, a decrease of 23 minutes.

Games were also used as a means of communication within families. Among parents with school-aged children, 59.3% played games together with their children. This showed a continuous upward trend from 37.8% in 2016.

By game platform (multiple responses allowed), usage rates were ▲mobile games 84.2%, ▲console games 17.9%, and ▲arcade games 9.4%. Preferred platforms differed by gender: PC and console games had higher usage rates among men, while mobile and arcade games were more popular among women.

The chronic issues of sexual harassment and gender discrimination within games showed improvement compared to the previous year. The proportion of respondents who experienced sexual harassment or gender discrimination in games was 23.5%, down 3.1 percentage points from last year.

A KOCCA official said, "We will continue efforts to reduce experiences of sexual harassment and gender discrimination in games by expanding game literacy education for users including youth and industry workers, and through awareness improvement programs."

KOCCA conducted this survey from May 24 for one month, targeting 6,000 people nationwide aged 10 to 65. The survey combined online questionnaires and individual interviews. The data will be used as a basis for future policy development to foster the game industry and create a healthy gaming environment.