This bank holiday Brits will be shunning the advances of their partners in favour of some button bashing as gaming overtakes bedroom antics in the popularity stakes.
According to research from the UK’s leading video games retailer, GAME, 39% of Brits named gaming as the third most popular bank holiday pastime, ahead of spending ‘quality time’ with their partner (30%) and getting green fingered in the garden (29%). Topping the list was spending time with family (57%) followed by just over half (52%) of those surveyed who will spend this coming weekend watching TV and films.
Here are the official results:
1. Spending time with family – 56.50%
2. Watching TV/ Films – 51.95%
3. Playing videogames/ computer games – 39.05%
4. Spending time with friends – 35.35%
5. Having sex – 29.55%
6. Gardening – 28.60%
7. Shopping – 24.80%
8. DIY – 24.70%
9. Spending time at the park/ beach – 24.30%
10. Socialising in pubs/ clubs and bars – 20.50%
People around the country will be ditching their garden trowels for gamepads as traditional domestic pursuits are replaced with virtual fun. Once the perfect opportunity to tackle odd jobs around the house or spend quality time with the family, this year three quarters (75%) of Brits will be avoiding or postponing the DIY in order to bond with their games console instead.
Fred Prego, Insights and Rewards Director for GAME says:
“With the bank holiday weather expected to be typically miserable, who can blame people for preferring to stay indoors rather than venture out into the chill. And with gaming overtaking the more traditional domestic pursuits, why not swap the screwdriver for the gamepad this weekend!”
The survey also uncovered what Brits are most likely to be playing this weekend, with the UK’s all time favourite games revealed. Topping the list of gaming favourites is 90s classic, Sonic the Hedgehog, followed by Mario Kart and Super Mario Bros. The family favourite Wii was voted as the best console, with the Xbox 360 and the PS3 closely behind.
So what are your thoughts on UK gamers picking up the controller instead of their other halves? Let us know your impressions in the comments below.
