Girls would rather play games than sleep? New poll says yes

2:02 PM on 09.23.2008   |   Colette Bennett

44 comments

I've known many guys who would rather game all night than get decent sleep, but I thought I was one of few staying up until the wee hours to plow just a little but further in Persona 3. Turns out I'm far from alone -- according to a recent study, fielded by E For All and PoshMama.com. One-third of the women polled said they would prefer to game than get their beauty sleep.

Other mentionables included the percentage of women who game while on the phone (32%), while at work (20%) and while getting ready for work (12%). I was not surprised to see "playing on the way to work" did not make this list, as this dangerous habit was one I frequently conducted in my car on my half hour commute -- sometimes while driving.

Now, if you read the title as a general statement, it seems like rubbish, and in truth it is -- you must be aware that this poll was taken among Poshmama members, and while the community is all female, it seems to appeal to the type of woman who would be interested in unique forms of entertainment -- fashionable, but also quirky. I'm pretty sure if I approached your average Miami tanning obsessee with the same question, she would laugh at my pathetic excuse for womanhood and spare a moment of pity on me before she went to get her nails done.

Has a girl every stayed up all night to game with you (or, if a girl is reading this, do you stay up all night to just get past "one more level")?

[Via Kotaku -- Thanks, Joe]

Study Reveals Women Choose Video Games Instead of Sleep

E for All and PoshMama.com survey investigates the untold video game habits of women

E for All 2008
FRAMINGHAM, Mass.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Results from a survey recently fielded by Entertainment for All® Expo (E for All®), the consumer video game expo held October 3-5, 2008, in Los Angeles, and PoshMama.com, an online community exclusive to women around the world, indicate some surprising trends relating to women and video games. Front and center: many women would rather play video games than catch up on sleep, according to the new survey which polled more than 120 PoshMama members on their video game habits. Responses were gleaned from the high percentage of female respondents (71%) who said that they play video games.

According to the E for All / PoshMama survey, more than one-third of those surveyed say that they play video games when they should be sleeping. Women in the survey also say they play video games in other unusual circumstances, including: while on the phone (32%); while at work/in a meeting (20%); and, while preparing for work (12%). When it comes to spare time, nearly twice as many women say that, if given an extra hour of free time at home, they would rather play video games than catch up on sleep.

“Playing video games is becoming an increasingly popular pastime for women, which isn’t surprising given that it’s a great way to spend time with family and friends, have some fun and even blow off some steam,” said Heather Weaver, Technology Contributor at PoshMama.com and author of GeekMomMashup.com, who helped create the survey. “The surprising element, as revealed in our survey, is that it is actually keeping women up at night. This and the other results reveal that the traditional video game industry has fundamentally changed—and will continue to evolve—as more and more women take over the video game controls.”

"Video games are truly entertainment for all — from busy women to hard core game players — and E for All reflects that both in name and in its wide array of products, tournaments, appearances, and other exciting events," said Mary Dolaher, Chief Executive Officer of IDG World Expo, which owns and operates E for All. "This survey shows that many women place great value and high priority on video games in their lives, and E for All will be the place for them, their families, and gamers of all types to be this October."

Other results from the E for All / PoshMama survey include:

Better late than never: More than half of respondents (53%) reveal that playing video games has made them late for meeting up with friends and family. In addition, almost one-fifth (18.5%) say video games have made them late for work or a meeting, and the same number (18.5%) report that playing has made them tardy for a personal appointment, such as a visit to the dentist or doctor.
Refrigeration not needed: If given extra spending money, women in our survey reveal that they would rather buy a new video game system for their family over a home appliance, or even accessory for their car (i.e. spoiler, sound system, etc).
Simply put, it’s fun for the family: Almost two-thirds of respondents (64%) say they play video games because they either enjoy it or they want to spend time with friends and family.
The survey was conducted in September 2008.