Casual Gamers = ? Hours/Week - Guild Wars Guru archive powered by Guild Wars Legacy

korcan

noobalicious

Join Date: Jun 2006

09 Dec 2006 at 04:25 - 1

ive been reading through some older threads on the topic of "casual gamers" but could not find anything related to time played. on an unrelated thread, there was 1 person that claimed to play 4hrs/day and considered himself/herself to be a "casual gamer"

. i would consider that to be a "hardcore gamer".

there tend to be a lot of people on these forums that consider themselves to be "casual gamers". if thats the case, how many hrs/week do u play gw?

ive been playing around 4-5 hours a week for the past month or so [there are some days when i cant play at all

]. i was playing tons when i first got gw [probably like 2hrs/day] and was still in school. back then, i would have considered myself to be "hardcore".

so how often do you play [hrs/day or hrs/week] and do you consider yourself to be a "casual gamer" or "hardcore gamer"?

Bocjo Bassannn

Academy Page

Join Date: Aug 2006

Texas

Pervs R Us {pErV}

Mo/Me

09 Dec 2006 at 04:30 - 2

Sometimes only 6 hrs a day sometimes 10 or 12 just depends on whats going on... But im retired not alot going on so I have the time.... Me hardcore at least at pve...

Yeah I know I'm one of them no lifers lol...

Malice Black

Site Legend

Join Date: Oct 2005

09 Dec 2006 at 04:31 - 3

This would make a good poll..

Think I logged on twice this week = grand total playing time..an hour tops.

I'm not even casual these days tbh I'm on a small break

Suggesion: I could remake this and turn it into a poll..

garethporlest18

Forge Runner

Join Date: Jan 2006

[HiDe]

W/

09 Dec 2006 at 04:34 - 4

I'd have GW on, even though I wasn't always playing.. 10-15 hours/day. Less if I got up late and got bored and played a different game, or went back to sleep.

Yeah that's a lot but I don't have much to do and I go afk a bit, and/or talk in Grotto or a different town or with a friend. Actually playing is probably under 8 hours, and it's really not stable, can be 2-8 hours per day, sometimes not at all, like now. I'm on, but I'm not playing and I won't play.

Thallandor

Desert Nomad

Join Date: May 2005

Singapore

Seers of Serpents [SoS]

R/

09 Dec 2006 at 04:39 - 5

3 hours on weekdays, 12 hours on weekends hence 39hours per week.

luauelveneno

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jul 2006

in my room behind my pc

Guilty Guild [GG]

09 Dec 2006 at 07:40 - 6

atleast 5 hours a day (yes i have a job) and when i have day off ussually around 16 hours.

when i bought GW i had no job and i played like 18 hours a day sometimes a few hours less because i had to go to the store for food

but then i got a job and iam still hooked when i get home pc goes on and i check email then i play GW

Juicey Shake

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jun 2005

CA

in it for the trimmmm

R/

09 Dec 2006 at 08:36 - 7

at least 5-8 on weekdays, not at all on monday or wednesday, 5+ hours on friday/saturday usually into early morning

by 5-8 on weekdays i mean 5 pm to 8 pm.. so ~3+ hrs on weekdays.

Redfeather1975

Forge Runner

Join Date: Sep 2006

Apartment#306

Rhedd Asylum

Me/

09 Dec 2006 at 09:09 - 8

I have gone as long as 8 hours in one sitting.

But with work and stuff I play probably 13 hours a week now. 3-4 hours a day a 3-4 days a week.
It's that I don't have the energy right now with everything else going in my life.

ischuros

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jul 2006

Ireland

N/Me

09 Dec 2006 at 09:16 - 9

more than i watch TV anyway. around 2 hoursa day. On days off, like yesterday, i'd play around 8-10 hours.

escoffier

Academy Page

Join Date: Nov 2006

known-destination:unknown

bawls deep [pron]

Rt/W

09 Dec 2006 at 09:21 - 10

2-4 hrs on workdays 8-10 hrs a day on weekends..aka too much.

SkowroN

Academy Page

Join Date: Jan 2006

Proud member of [LAoD]

R/

09 Dec 2006 at 09:24 - 11

I play max 2hrs a day, and sometimes around 3-4hrs on weekends. This give about 16hrs/weeek.

the_jos

Forge Runner

Join Date: Jun 2006

Hard Mode Legion [HML]

N/

09 Dec 2006 at 10:36 - 12

Probably 2-3 hours on weekdays, more during the weekends.
Most of the time, I don't see the 3 hour warning, so I do take my brakes, I guess.
I don't play any other game at the moment.

In my perception, I'm a casual player, but probably to many a hardcore.
I did not increase the time I spend on my computer, but where I was playing other games and building little programs or 'playing' with my Sun Microsystems computer before, i've switched to GW for about 90% of the time.
That is, including the time I spend on this forum (like now, GW not started today, on the forum for at least 30 minutes).
GW also replaced a lot of the time I was watching TV.

With a full-time job and household to run (my fiancee has had back problems for the last year, so she can't do a lot) that's the most I have available for myself right now.
When things should go better, I probably won't play more, but do some more programming.

MeanMartin

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Apr 2006

Sweden

Martyrs to the ether [ZeaL]

W/

09 Dec 2006 at 10:50 - 13

4-5h on weekdays and over 10-12h on weekends

Ninna

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Apr 2005

Northeast USA

Guilded Rose

Me/

09 Dec 2006 at 11:08 - 14

I'm not casual

but anyone who plays less than 12 hours a week, I would consider casual

EPO Bot

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Aug 2006

Mo/N

09 Dec 2006 at 11:12 - 15

I think most people who start out casual eventually become so addicted they automatically turn hardcore.

-Old 3FL-

Forge Runner

Join Date: Apr 2006

Western Australia.

Crystal Mountain [CM]

W/

09 Dec 2006 at 11:23 - 16

2hrs on a weekday.
4/5 maybe on a weekend?
My usual is 3.

Though when i just got the game i didnt have a job / study program for school and during my xmas holidays last year i spent 17hours on it.
O_o

Lag Hell

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Aug 2005

09 Dec 2006 at 11:24 - 17

2 hours a day

Renegade26

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jul 2006

R/

09 Dec 2006 at 11:29 - 18

On christmas day I will know how much I have played in one year of having GW.

Zarn

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Nov 2006

The Lost Heroes Guild

W/

09 Dec 2006 at 11:41 - 19

I play avarage 7 hours a day or more. More when I got the day off. Then it can easilly become 24 hours. Yeah I know, I got no social life. Not that I really want one either.

Riotgear

has 3 pips of HP regen.

Join Date: Aug 2006

The Objective Is More [Cash]

W/

09 Dec 2006 at 11:45 - 20

You could say it also has to do with WHERE you're playing. Someone who spends a few hours a week in GvG could be described as more "hardcore" than someone who just does AB. Someone who does DoA, Deep, and Urgoz could be described as more "hardcore" than someone who hits the end of the campaign and then decides to start yet another character.

sLiceR

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Oct 2005

Milan, Italy

[可愛い]

09 Dec 2006 at 11:51 - 21

3 hours in weekdays, 8-9 weekends

Zamochit

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Jul 2006

N/A

09 Dec 2006 at 12:18 - 22

Between 20 and 30 hours per week.

3-4 hours a night when I'm working; 6-8 hours a day when Im not. Seeing it written down like that is actually quite scary....

Antheus

Forge Runner

Join Date: Jan 2006

09 Dec 2006 at 13:09 - 23

For MMOs, 1-2 hours / day is casual. More than 2 isn't. This comes mostly down to overhead, since you cannot simply login and play in 30 seconds.

For console games, 15-45 minutes / day is casual. That's mostly due to different game design, which scales the game to much shorter gameplay sessions.

40 hours a week is hardcore - that's a job.

Nickhimself

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jun 2006

Your face

True Gods Of War [True]

W/Mo

09 Dec 2006 at 13:13 - 24

I almost agree with Antheus. 32+ Hours per week spent playing one game is Hardcore, imo.

That's the minimum for benefits in most states in the work field.

I was really hardcore for a long time with all gaming...but recently, i'll log for an hour, sometimes a little less sometimes more, then get off and either work out / read / or just walk around.

I guess that's what happens when you have as many characters who are all very developed as I do

WasAGuest

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Jan 2006

09 Dec 2006 at 14:28 - 25

After the AI changed to the Benny Hill show; an hour a week if that. Before that, 4 hours, maybe 5 a day; more on the weekends.

It's not more difficult now, it's just less fun then it used to be. When I want to play tag, I'll go play with my 4 year old and her friends...

King Kong

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jan 2006

W/R

09 Dec 2006 at 14:48 - 26

Quote:

Originally Posted by WasAGuest

After the AI changed to the Benny Hill show; an hour a week if that. Before that, 4 hours, maybe 5 a day; more on the weekends.

It's not more difficult now, it's just less fun then it used to be. When I want to play tag, I'll go play with my 4 year old and her friends...

Agree with you 100%! i use to play loads, now the game just bores me

Issac

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Oct 2006

Earthrealm

W/A

09 Dec 2006 at 14:53 - 27

Maybe 3 hours a day.

InfernalSuffering

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Aug 2005

Inadequately Equipped [GeAr]

09 Dec 2006 at 14:55 - 28

I'm at like 11 hrs/week and I would say that I'm a fairly casual gamer. I do get a ton of things done in that time so I think that ANET's boast of being playable by the casualy gamer isnt completely hype.

Loviatar

Underworld Spelunker

Join Date: Feb 2005

09 Dec 2006 at 16:24 - 29

many hardcore here state they are casual

[QUOTE]

Quote:

Study: Casual Gamers Aren't That Casual After All

Think casual gamers only play in brief 15-minute spurts, just a few times a week? According to Macrovision, which conducted a new online survey, you'd be wrong. Casual gamers are more similar to hardcore gamers than you might think, with many playing as much as 20 hours a week.

Macrovision, operators of the PC games digital distribution portal Trymedia Network, have announced the results of a worldwide survey that examined the playing habits of casual gamers. Conducted online by Trymedia last week, the survey looked at 789 participants who have played casual games through the company's www.trygames.com site (which offers a catalog of 1500+ core and casual PC titles).

As it turns out, casual gamers are actually more like hardcore gamers in that these people have been playing more and longer gaming sessions than previously thought. In fact, casual gamers are spending close to 20 hours per week playing games, with 37 percent playing 9 or more sessions each week. 66 percent said that each session lasts for at least one hour, while 31 percent play for more than two hours in each session. The survey also noted that the majority (73 percent) of playtime occurs at night.

It's been mentioned in previous reports on the casual games space that most of the players are women. This survey seemed to verify that notion, with 71 percent of respondents being female. 37 percent of those surveyed were age 35-49, while 28 percent were age 50-60. In addition, 58 percent said that they have no children under 18 in their household.

As for genres, the puzzle type games continue to be most popular (67 percent), followed by card (44 percent), strategy (35 percent) and action (34 percent). Other interesting findings included that 30 percent have downloaded more than 21 games in the last year, and 70 percent said that they purchased a game after playing a free demo or trial version of it first, showing how important demo games can be to marketing.

Interestingly, the vast majority (84 percent) of these casual gamers access the games through a broadband Internet connection, and much like hardcore gamers casual gamers read plenty of game reviews too. 67 percent said they read reviews and 46 percent even went so far as to say that the reviews influenced their decision to try out or purchase a game.

"Our survey has determined that mainstream audiences dedicate a substantial amount of time to gameplay -- not just in 15-minute increments as previously thought," commented Loren Hillberg, executive vice president and general manager of Commerce at Macrovision. "Whether advertisers are reaching out to casual or core audiences, we want them, through the results of our survey, to realize who gamers are, how they operate and what they like. The survey findings will certainly help them to adjust their advertising strategies accordingly to ensure maximum penetration to the appropriate audiences."

Quote:

Study: One in nine MMOG players addicted
Poll of 7,000 online gamers shows that 12 percent exhibit at least three signs of uncontrollable habitual behavior.
By Emma Boyes, GameSpot UK
Posted Nov 28, 2006 6:02 pm PT
Massively multiplayer online games such as World of Warcraft, Guild Wars, and Second Life are becoming increasingly popular. All have celebrated milestones in their user numbers recently, with WOW announcing it has 7.5 million subscribers, Guild Wars selling 2 million copies (including expansions), and Second Life hitting 1 million users--many of whom spend real money in the game.

But games like World of Warcraft are hard to switch off and walk away from, says Professor Mark Griffiths, director of the International Gaming Research Unit at Nottingham Trent University in the UK. That's because they have no end, and there's always someone online somewhere in the world.

A Nottingham Trent research study of 7,000 online gamers showed that 12 percent exhibit at least three of the diagnostic criteria of addiction as outlined by the World Health Organisation. These include: craving, withdrawal symptoms, loss of control, and neglect of other activities.

ThunderStruck

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Feb 2006

The Arctic Marauders [TAM]

09 Dec 2006 at 16:27 - 30

I play max one hour a day on weekdays, and 2-4 hours on weekends, so max for me is about 13 hours/week.

Loviatar

Underworld Spelunker

Join Date: Feb 2005

09 Dec 2006 at 16:32 - 31

Quote:

Originally Posted by WasAGuest

After the AI changed to the Benny Hill show; an hour a week if that. Before that, 4 hours, maybe 5 a day; more on the weekends.

It's not more difficult now, it's just less fun then it used to be. When I want to play tag, I'll go play with my 4 year old and her friends...

to have a kid still alive and spend that much time on a game ignoring something of infinite value standing there.

at least i still have my cat.

no criticism but stop for a minute and seriously think that she could be gone tomorrow.

you are so lucky to still have her to ignore

Achilles Antony

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Oct 2006

Hangar 18

09 Dec 2006 at 16:35 - 32

I jump between casual, hardcore, and not playing at all, depending on my mood. When Prophecies was first released, I played a lot... pretty much every day for a few hours. Then at one point, I stopped playing altogether and didn't load the game up for a few months (I think it was a month or so after Sorrow's Furnace was released). I pretty much stopped playing from that point until Factions came out, at which point I started playing again... and boy, was I rusty! Then the same thing happened with Factions... I played for a while, then stopped. When Nightfall came out, I started playing again, hardcore. Now that I've completed Nightfall with one of my characters, I've dropped to casual again, and only log in a few times a week.

Maybe if I liked PvP I'd play more, but I prefer PvE, and that gets boring after a while. I've been playing Oblivion instead of GW these days, but will probably go back at some point. I just need to give it a rest for a while, but I always come back.

Dj Tano

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Mar 2006

09 Dec 2006 at 16:52 - 33

I consider myself a casual gamer as i play about 30-60min guild wars a day...

Tingi

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Dec 2005

Mo/

09 Dec 2006 at 16:59 - 34

I used to be a hardcore GW player - 6 hours a day or so :O. But i've cut back now so maybe 1-2 hours every couple of days heh. (I got a life again)

Malice Black

Site Legend

Join Date: Oct 2005

09 Dec 2006 at 17:01 - 35

Back in the early days I was 24/7 in FoW..god I miss those days.

Toffin

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Dec 2005

Camp Rankor

No Diplomacy Only War [nDoW] No Diplomacy Only Slackers [nDoS] Looking for an Alliance.

W/

09 Dec 2006 at 17:14 - 36

I think I have played way too much...

However with the new job starting Monday I wont be playing as much...

Series

Banned

Join Date: Aug 2006

09 Dec 2006 at 17:52 - 37

I don't have much time on weekdays so usually 2 hours on average. On weekends, I usually play all morning, then late at night, which could be a good 6 hours or so, maybe even more. I usually play with people I know IRL so at least I'm socializing

Amity and Truth

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jun 2006

W/N

09 Dec 2006 at 17:56 - 38

I'd say i became a casual gamer by now. I log in, try to beat the almost impossible "login and select your character" dungeon and if i somehow succeed there is still the elitemission "find something to do"

Joking aside (damn, that login dungeon REALLY is hard to beat). I'd say casual playing is around 10-20 hours a week at max. Sometimes a bit longer when you're going for one of those elitemissions.

death fuzzy

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Sep 2005

Nefarius Union

09 Dec 2006 at 18:08 - 39

i play approximately 1-2 hours a day.

more like 6-7 hours on weekends, and 1-2 hours total on weekdays.

and a grand total of 1050 hours over 18 months
which is a total of 2 hours per day.

if i exclude AFKing hours. it would probably sit at 900-950 hours.

I would say im a casual gamer

lacasner

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Jun 2006

09 Dec 2006 at 18:09 - 40

Before 6-8 hours a day

Now 0.0 hours per day.