Not so disabled on-screen

Tens of millions of disabled consumers gravitate to "casual" videogames for relief or distraction from their infirmities, as well as for a sense of accomplishment or belonging, according to an Information Solutions Group survey for PopCap Games, MarketingCharts writes (via CNET News Blog).

One in five (20.5 percent) players of casual videogames have a physical, mental or developmental disability, compared with 15.1 percent of the overall disabled American population, according to the latest US Census data.

Compared with the casual gamer population as a whole (which estimates peg at 300 million to 400 million players worldwide), those with disabilities play more frequently, for more hours per week, and for longer periods of time per gaming session.

They also report that they experience more significant benefits from playing and view their game-playing activity as a more important factor in their lives than do non-disabled consumers.

Below, some of the findings issued by PopCap.

Profile of Respondents

A total of 13,296 casual game players responded to the survey, with 2,728 respondents (20.5 percent) identifying themselves as "mildly" (22 percent), "moderately" (54 percent) or "severely" (24 percent) disabled. Of those, 46 percent indicated that their primary disability was physical, 29 percent said it was mental, and 25 percent stated they had a developmental or learning disability.

Over two thirds (69 percent) of disabled respondents were female, and a third (35 percent) of all respondents had another person - parent, adult offspring, spouse, guardian or caregiver - assist them in taking the survey.

The most common types of disabilities and medical conditions cited by respondents, by category, were as follows:

• Physical: Rheumatoid Arthritis/Osteoarthritis (14 percent); Fibromyalgia (11 percent); Multiple Sclerosis (7 percent).
• Mental: Moderate/Severe Depression (41 percent); Bipolar Disorder (16 percent); Anxiety Disorder (15 percent).
• Developmental/Learning: ADD/ADHD (46 percent); Autism (15 percent); Dyslexia (11 percent).

The majority (61 percent) of those survey respondents with a physical disability are age 50 or older, while slightly more than half (52 percent) of those with a developmental/learning disability are under 18 years of age.

Perceived Benefits of Play

Fully 94 percent of disabled players of casual games said they believe playing casual games "provides physical or mental benefits" - compared with 80 percent of casual game players overall.

The most common benefits cited by disabled gamers (when asked to choose as many as applied) were stress relief (81 percent), mood lifting (69 percent), distraction from issues related to disability (66 percent), improved concentration (59 percent) and mental workouts (58 percent).

Interestingly, the top benefits varied significantly based on the type of disability; the top three benefits by disability type were as follows:

• Physical: Stress relief (84 percent) and distraction from issues related to disability (73 percent)
• Mental: Stress relief (87 percent) and mood-lifting (78 percent)
• Developmental/Learning: Improved concentration (79 percent) and improved coordination/manual dexterity (73 percent)

Those with developmental/learning disabilities cited learning (pattern recognition, spelling, typing skills) far more often (61 percent) than those with disabilities that were mental (26 percent) or physical (23 percent).

Furthermore, 77 percent of disabled players said playing casual games provides them with "additional benefits over and above what a typical non-disabled player might experience."

Of the "additional benefits," responses were numerous and varied, often citing deeper sensations of achievement and "belonging," or distraction from loneliness and/or chronic pain.

MarketingCharts has more findings, including on playing habits, playing preferences and casual vs. hardcore gamers.