Office workers are guilty of gaming

Author: Joe Martin
Published: 6th September 2007
Comments (22) Stumble
Office workers are guilty of gaming

Turns out that a full quarter of white collar workers will secretly play games at work in order to unwind.

You know, I love my job. Every day I like to sit back and think about just how lucky I am for being able to come to work and just play games for half the day. It’s pretty awesome.

But, according to a recent study commissioned by casual game developer PopCap, I don’t need to tell you that – you probably play games at work yourself.

The new study was conducted by Information Solutions Group and found that a full quarter of office workers play computer games of some sort at work. Even better though is that the amount of games people play at work seems to be directly linked to their seniority –Senior Executives measuring the highest with 35 percent of them admitting to gaming at work.

I kind of like this line of thinking – it implies that I may well be the most professional and senior member of the entire bit-tech team. It may well be time to start exercising my authority – we can start by getting rid of the Evil Pinata and replacing Bindi with ComputerKing as a full staff member.

Hm, maybe not. (Bindi - You better not, Mr. Martin!)

Of those who were surveyed over half admitted to gaming at least once a day, while 14 percent of senior executives confessed to gaming secretly in business meetings or conference calls. The overwhelming majority of participants in the survey said that they did it to feel less stressed.

So, do you game at work? What’d your favourite game to while away the minutes until home-time with? Personally, I’m a bit partial to SiN: Episodes or a run through of a level in Thief: The Dark Age, but drop us your lists in the forums.
Quote yodasarmpit 6th September 2007, 14:25
erk
Quote riggs 6th September 2007, 14:40
I am partial to the occasional game of Scrabble/Chess/Backgammon (via Facebook). Couldn't get away with playing 'proper' games...
Quote proxess 6th September 2007, 14:43
Linerider or Tetris!
Quote matt1 6th September 2007, 14:44
Doesn't surprise me, year in industry we used to have little competitions who could get the highest score in my team. Guess the google was probably the most entertaining.
Quote Skylined 6th September 2007, 15:01
piñata ;)
Quote Redbeaver 6th September 2007, 15:06
cant get enough time to play a real "game", but Defcon seems to work great. yes, executives are most likely can admit their addictives easier than the regular staff.. that's obvious enough.
Quote supermonkey 6th September 2007, 15:34
Bookworm is one of the most addictive games. Ever. My boss is always playing Solitaire on his crackberry during meetings, but for some reason it doesn't hinder his ability to pay attention.

-monkey
Quote Veles 6th September 2007, 15:44
Quote:
Originally Posted by Redbeaver
cant get enough time to play a real "game", but Defcon seems to work great. yes, executives are most likely can admit their addictives easier than the regular staff.. that's obvious enough.

Plus the fact that that a lot of execs don't have people passing by their desks all the time, unless they're in the newer type of office where the boss is in the centre, not in their own room.

I don't really see a problem with it myself, a short break every now and again is advisory anyway, it'll keep people happier if they can play a quick game of solitaire or whatever every now and again, and happy workers are productive workers. Obviously there's a problem if they spend all their time gaming.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe
replacing Bindi with ComputerKing as a full staff member.

XDD
Quote oddball walking 6th September 2007, 16:00
I use to play DN3D at collage just to unwind at the end of the day and a bit of cs 1.5 in the lunch break, but that was about it.
Quote Brett89 6th September 2007, 16:10
Sadly, they took solitaire off the computers at work. and they're only networked together, so no internet for me either. but i come home and play bf 2 or doom 3.
Quote 24-1 6th September 2007, 16:41
I find it hard to believe..anyways id like to go into more detai but ive almost got "out" on thsi solitaire ive got running..still ony 20 min till home time
Quote C0nKer 6th September 2007, 19:54
Well. Last time when I was a trainee at a semicon company, I played Warcraft III Defense of the Ancients (DotA) in the office on BNet using one of the engineer's PC. I carried a zipped Warcraft III folder in my 1Gig pen drive and used it in the office. After hours while waiting for my ride home.
Quote Bungle 6th September 2007, 20:02
Quote:
Originally Posted by Veles
happy workers are productive workers.
Not according to these findings Don't let your boss read this
Quote ComputerKing 6th September 2007, 20:29
nmm How about make me Stuff dude? LOL not replace Bindi, Just add me next to him and Nexxo! ;)

Thanks Very much.
Quote PhillyB 6th September 2007, 20:45
We have WoW installed on our computers. As long as its after hours, or on lunch breaks we can play. Not enough time during the actual day to get stuff done. Love my job.
Quote severedhead 6th September 2007, 21:12
Well, what else is there to do?

/looks nervously over shoulder
Quote E.E.L. Ambiense 6th September 2007, 21:14
Pocket Tanks. The most addictive work-time game.
Quote MrBurritoMan 6th September 2007, 21:42
i play sourceforts on my lunch break.
Quote DXR_13KE 6th September 2007, 21:46
i vote for replacing Bindi with ComputerKing as a full staff member.... just kidding :D

as for playing at work...i don't work at this moment but i would play at work if i had to kill some excess dead time.
Quote righteous_slave 7th September 2007, 21:38
The other fellows here play some flash games on one of the local TV stations website. Once I get my own box here, there will be a small stack of floppies with 8bit emus on them awaiting my dead time. It works on the other boxes here.
Quote dire_wolf 10th September 2007, 11:32
I work in a situation where i'm face to face with clients and customers, on the odd occasion that one of them really gets my goat with some random comment/complaint I'll just slip upstairs to have a 20 minute game of something on the PC. Luckily i'm on the management so noone has a problem with it, since giving up smoking it's the only way I can destress at work without an outburst lol
Quote The_Beast 10th September 2007, 22:28
Quote:
Originally Posted by proxess
Linerider or Tetris!

I love linerider
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