Tablet Ownership Changes Gaming Habits

A majority of tablet owners say they use a video game console/handheld video game less often less often as a result of owning a tablet, according to data released in October 2011 by GfK MRI. About six in 10 (59%) tablet owners say they use traditional video game playing devices less often due to the influence of their tablet.

Tablet ownership does not affect any other activity as strongly. However, roughly four in10 tablet owners say their tablet does lessen their participation in several other activities. These are reading printed paper/books (44%), reading paper newspapers (42%), using a desktop/laptop (41%) and reading printed/paper magazines (40%).

TV, Cell Phones, Socializing Less Affected

Only one in four (25%) tablet owners say they watch less TV as a result of tablet ownership, while about the same percentage (23%) say they use a cell phone/smartphone less often. More physical activities such as playing sports (19%), going to the movies (17%) and socializing with friends/family (9%) are less affected.

7 in 10 Tablet Owners Use Gaming Apps

GfK advises that the fact that a majority of game-playing tablet owners report using a video game console or a handheld video game less often as a result of owning a tablet does not necessarily mean they are playing video games less often, but it does indicate they are moving gaming from other devices to their tablets. As evidence, GfK analysis indicates about seven in 10 (69%) tablet owners have used gaming apps in the past 30 days.

This makes gaming apps about 17% more popular than the next-most-used type of app, social networking (59%). Weather apps (58%) closely follow, with music apps (53%) also used by more than half of tablet owners in the past 30 days.

No other type of tablet exceeded 50% usage, but entertainment (48%), book (42%) and shopping/retail (40%) apps were also among the popular tablet app categories.

Increased Tablet App Dowloads Result in Lower Use

The more tablet apps consumers download, the less likely they are to use them regularly, according to Gfk MRI iPanel data previously released in September 2011. Among the iPanel respondents who own a tablet and have downloaded between one and nine apps on their device, 95% say they regularly use those apps.

In contrast, only 37% of owners who have 10 or more apps on their device regularly use this many apps, while only 16% who have 20 or more apps on their device regularly use this many.

About the Data: GfK MRI’s online iPanel is composed of more than 3,000 adult e-reader and tablet owners.

Source: MarketingChart.com