Survey shows video game preferences

By Ashley Gholampoor

An informal survey conducted at The MediaPlex showed that more men than women play video games on a daily basis.

The survey of 20 people showed that 90 per cent play video games for more than one hour every day. Out of the 90 per cent, 40 per cent of those play for seven hours or more. Respondents say the Xbox was the least popular. According to the survey, 77 per cent said the most popular console used is their personal computer.

According to the survey, 16 out of 20 people use Discord, a communication channel for those who play video games. Through Discord, gamers have access to sharing images, videos and audio communication. Approximately 44 per cent said they are using Discord between four to six hours on a daily basis.

The survey result indicate 30 per cent of the respondents play the game Rust. Rust is a multiplayer-only survival video game invented in February 2018 by Facepunch Studios. Overwatch was preferred by 20 per cent. Overwatch is a multiplayer game in first-person shooter perspective while the player is part of a team. It was created by Blizzard Entertainment and was released in May 2016.

Spencer Savoie, 18, plays video games for more than four hours every day.

“I have 129 playing hours on Rust, but I play seven hours a week,” said Savoie. “Rust is one of my favourite survival games to play because it gives the person starting out a fun experience of survival. I also meet new people to play with almost everyday.”

Savoie said Discord has also been helping him meet new people. He plays online with people all over North America. Savoie began playing video games in 2007, when his brother introduced him to the game RuneScape. It is a multiplayer online role-playing game which was released in January 2001 by the company Jagex.

“I always used my computer when I game and I still do,” said Savoie. “I mostly play Rust but I also play World of Warcraft and many others. I use mainly my computer but I’ll sometimes use my PlayStation 3 if I can’t play the game on the computer.”

Destiny Hamel, 18, uses her Nintendo Switch for almost six hours a day.

“I’ve been playing games since I was a little kid, playing Nintendo Mario games with my dad,” said Hamel. “When I got my first job, I saved enough money to buy a Nintendo Switch, around two years ago. Before, I would usually play games on the computers in school which weren’t great.”

Hamel said playing video games with her father was a bonding experience for both of them and she enjoyed it. She is a lot more competent when playing video games and does not play with her father as often as she used to. Her favourite game is Legend of Zelda. It was created by Japanese designers and was published by Nintendo.

“It is such an interesting game with a nice storyline and characters,” said Hamel. “The game is beautiful and the graphics are amazing. Sometimes it is nice to sit on the mountain in the game and look at the world around me and feel like I am a part of something bigger than myself.”

Hamel spends four to six hours every day playing on her Nintendo Switch, but wishes she could have more time to play. She said she had issues with procrastination and was distracted easily. Hamel said sometimes the game characters reflect who she is as a person, and some of the personality in the game will ‘sneak’ into her real life personality.

Even though the most common video game out of the 20 people who were surveyed was Rust, these results also show how much time teens spend on video games daily.