Gamers in India spend 8.5 hours a week playing: Report

Indian gamers spend more than eight hours and 36 minutes each week playing, according to a report by Limelight Networks Inc.

Binge gaming has emerged as a phenomenon with over 60 per cent of Indian gamers have spent more than three hours consecutively playing games, said findings of the report released on Monday.

From 2020 to 2021, the average for binge gaming in India increased from 4.1 hours to 5.5 hours -- largely due to the Covid-19 pandemic as people are forced to stay at home for long hours due to subsequent lockdowns.

Three quarters (74 per cent) of gamers are interested in purchasing a new console due to updated technology (32 per cent) and faster gameplay (31 per cent). Gamers in India are among those who are most likely to consider upgrading their console (88.4 per cent), said the report.

More than 94 per cent of Indian gamers say the process of downloading games is frustrating and that it needs to be improved. Moreover, gamers who spend anywhere between five to 15 hours in binge gaming account for a whopping 54 per cent of gamers.

Three in five (62 per cent) gamers say they prefer to play video games versus watching a movie or television show. India leads the chart in this case with more than 75 per cent preferring to play games over watching or streaming shows and movies on television or OTT platforms.

"Social interactions improved game performance and latency-free environments are expected by Indian gamers as it gives them an opportunity to connect with gamers across the world and remain engaged for longer durations," said Ashwin Rao, Country Director of Limelight Networks in India.

"Edge-based content and computing can provide top-notch environments to users for gaming and even emerging economies like India will need that emphasis."

Video game playing rose to a new level across the world with consumers' playing time up by 14 per cent over last year. Gamers across the globe are playing video games at an average of eight hours and 27 minutes each week, said the report.

New data shows that the spikes in gaming over the last year are driven by gamers' desire for social connections. Half of the global gamers (53 per cent) say they have made new friends through online games in the past year and one in three (36 per cent) say the ability to interact with other players is extremely important.

Opportunities for interactively and social engagement are likely drivers for video game adoption with a majority (64 per cent) of global gamers saying they started playing video games in the past year.

Limelight Networks Inc is a leading provider of digital content delivery, video, cloud security and edge computing services. It empowers customers to provide exceptional digital experiences.

Limelight's edge services platform includes a unique combination of global private infrastructure, intelligent software, and expert support services that enable current and future workflows.

( With inputs from ANI )