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New Research Reveals 64% of British Gamers Have Increased Their Playtime Over the pandemic

Published

4 years ago

February 24, 2022

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Future plc, the global platform for specialist media and home to leading games sites Gamesradar+ and PC gamer, has shared the results of a new research that examines the state of gaming in the UK.

The research reveals 64% of British gamers have increased their playtime over the pandemic. While two-thirds put this down to increased free time, more than a quarter (27%) said it allowed them to socialise with friends and 16% with strangers.

The research, completed in January 2022, was collected via an online survey of 1032 UK respondents – all recruited independently through Future plc’s independent research platform The Lens. All respondents owned a gaming device and had expressed an active interest in gaming during the previous six months. The nationally-representative survey contained in-depth questions about console and device ownership, next-gen consideration, and other related gaming behaviours among British gamers.

The survey found women are more likely than men to have embraced gaming through the pandemic, with 24% stating their interest increased compared to 15% of men. This trend is especially clear in the mobile gaming space, with women on average spending 11 hours and 50 minutes gaming on phones or tablets per week, compared to 10 hour and 37 minutes for men. Mobile gamers as a whole listed puzzle and word games as their favourite genre, a passion reflected internationally this year with the Wordle “phenomenon” resulting in the New York Times’ purchase of the popular vocabulary puzzle.

Another widely-reported trend, the explosion of digital driven by the pandemic has re-shaped the industry, with the Big Tech giants investing in streaming, digital-only formats, and the “Metaverse”. However, the physical format is still beloved by a significant number of gamers. While 56% of UK gamers have purchased a game digitally in the past 12 months, 42% have bought physical copies, representing a still significant slice of the revenue pie for games manufacturers.

When it comes to consoles, the PlayStation 4 remains the most popular among gamers (29%), followed by the Wii (21%) and Nintendo Switch (18%). Meanwhile, the uptake of next-gen consoles is increasing steadily despite ongoing supply chain issues limiting availability, with 54% intending to buy one in the next year. In this area the PlayStation 5 wins the market; 17% of gamers own one, compared to the 8% who own the XBox Series X and 7% who own the Series S. However, next gen units have ground to make up compared to legacy consoles, with many respondents stating they do not spend enough time gaming to warrant an upgrade (24%). When asked what they would consider purchasing in the future, almost all respondents (96%) cited buying peripheral items related to gaming, led by more than half (51%) who desire a VR headset.

The survey also revealed a passion for PC and Laptop gamers to invest in their devices, with 60% of this audience in the UK intending to upgrade either their whole unit, or parts within it. Future’s audience, in particular, is more likely to invest further in improving their gaming setup than the total population, creating a significant opportunity for gaming hardware manufacturers to reach this passionate and informed audience, and influence where this considerable passion-spend will go.

“We have studied and tracked consumer behaviour in gaming to help us react quickly to the changing demands of our 61.2m global gaming enthusiasts. It’s clear from the study, the gaming industry has flourished during the pandemic, with more people than ever choosing to spend their free time on their favourite device. The rising number of female gamers – especially in the mobile sector – should come as no surprise for those who have been paying attention over the last few years, but they are still an underserved portion of gamers. Though FIFA, Call of Duty Warzone and Call of Duty Black Ops proved to be the most popular games this year, our survey revealed women players prefer casual games which should make advertisers pause for thought,” Richard Thomas, Insights Director at Future, said.

“With Future now reaching 52.6m adults in the UK on a monthly basis, in sectors that include women’s lifestyle and wealth, as well as tech and gaming, our audiences are crucial for gaming brands looking to hit the sweet spot with their ecommerce and advertising campaigns. As gaming becomes increasingly mainstream amongst people in all walks of life, the ability to reach audiences in a variety of sectors and niches will be crucial for the gaming industry through 2022 and beyond,” Richard Thomas added.

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ReferOn Unveils Model Context Protocol: The Next Step Toward True AI-Powered Affiliate Management

Published

1 day ago

November 26, 2025

Adrienn Sarkany

referon-unveils-model-context-protocol:-the-next-step-toward-true-ai-powered-affiliate-management

Reading Time: 2 minutes

ReferOn, a next-gen affiliate management system, announces the development of Model Context Protocol (MCP), a groundbreaking foundation designed to kickstart the era of AI in affiliate marketing.

What is Model Context Protocol (MCP)

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard that enables AI assistants to connect directly with ReferOn’s APIs, databases, and platform actions. Instead of adding cosmetic AI “innovations” on top of legacy systems, ReferOn is engineering the infrastructure that allows AI to operate where it delivers the most value and impact for users daily.

How MCP Enhances AI Integration in Affiliate Marketing

The development of MCP opens the door to freeing up affiliate managers to focus on strategy, relationship-building, and growth, instead of dealing with mundane and repetitive tasks. Imagine AI agents that will be able to create tracking links in seconds, set up reward plans on the fly, and detect anomalies in traffic data instantly. This is what “AI-ready” means — real groundwork being set up, not just hype.

The first step in this direction is ReferOn’s Global Search (Beta), a feature that creates a single entry point for data, actions, and insights. While it may look like a simple search bar, it bridges ReferOn’s core layer, raw data, and intelligent AI agents.

Real Impact of AI-Powered Affiliate Management

Alex Bukin, ReferOn’s General Manager, commented, “Strategy and real impact come before hype. MCP isn’t about chasing a wave, it’s about creating a foundation that keeps affiliate managers and operators ahead of the curve. By focusing on building the groundwork to support structured data and open standards, we’re making sure AI has real use cases, not just cosmetic add-ons. Our goal is to set the benchmark for innovation and lead the affiliate management ecosystem by shaping its future.”

About ReferOn

ReferOn is the state-of-the-art affiliate management system, tailored specifically to the needs of the gaming affiliate industry. Launched in February 2023, ReferOn offers a comprehensive suite

of tools and services designed to streamline and enhance the affiliate marketing experience, featuring transparent data reports and a range of management and reporting functionalities.

The post ReferOn Unveils Model Context Protocol: The Next Step Toward True AI-Powered Affiliate Management appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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SimplePlay Announces Strategic Partnership with Timeless Tech

Published

2 days ago

November 26, 2025

Adrienn Sarkany

simpleplay-announces-strategic-partnership-with-timeless-tech

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SimplePlay is delighted to announce its recent partnership with Timeless Tech, a leading game aggregator. This alliance will integrate SimplePlay’s suite of games and services into Timeless Tech’s powerful platform, significantly expanding the provider’s reach in key international markets.

As SimplePlay continues to establish itself as a comprehensive game provider, this collaboration will enhance its rich portfolio of premium games through Timeless Tech’s Game Aggregator API. This partnership aims to strengthen SimplePlay’s position and expand its reach in markets like Europe and Latin America.

“We’re delighted to welcome SimplePlay to our aggregator – a provider that represents creativity, reliability, and depth. Their combination of slots, crash, table, and fishing games perfectly complements our goal to deliver diverse, high-performing content to operators worldwide. This partnership highlights what Timeless Tech stands for: building meaningful alliances that empower growth, quality, and innovation.” –– Nicola Cainero, Chief Operating Officer, Timeless Tech

“The new partnership with Timeless Tech is definitely a win-win agreement that fosters mutual growth for both sides,” said Osman Walker, CSO of SimplePlay. “We look forward to bringing our premium gaming content to even more operators and players through Timeless Tech’s extensive network.”

With SimplePlay’s games and Timeless Tech’s distribution network, these two industry powerhouses are set to deliver top-tier game content to players around the world, driving mutual growth and success.

The post SimplePlay Announces Strategic Partnership with Timeless Tech appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Lottomart to Welcome NetGaming’s Standout Slot Portfolio

Published

3 days ago

November 25, 2025

Adrienn Sarkany

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Reading Time: < 1 minute

Lottomart has announced that they are partnering with NetGaming, bringing their fresh mix of creative, modern, and feature-rich slot content to their growing games catalogue.

Known for bold themes and polished presentation, NetGaming offers an exciting blend of classic concepts and inventive bonus mechanics.

As part of the upcoming rollout at Lottomart, players can look forward to a selection of NetGaming’s standout titles – including the mythological power of Zeus’s Thunderbolt 10000, the lively Irish-themed Shamrock Trio – Hold & Respin, the vibrant 3 Wild Jokers Carnival, the adventurous Pirate’s Fortune Gold – Hold & Respin, and the fiery island energy of Fireball Inferno Tiki. Together, these games highlight the studio’s range, from playful bonus rounds to high-impact visual designs.

Chris Ruddock, Commercial Director at Lottomart, commented: “NetGaming brings a distinctive visual style and a playful approach to game design that really stands out. Their content offers variety, strong themes, and accessible mechanics that fit well with what our players enjoy. We’re looking forward to seeing how their titles perform!”

Alfred Ballester, Business Development Director at NetGaming, said: “We at NetGaming are absolutely thrilled to be going live with Lottomart! Working with the Lottomart team throughout the integration has been an absolute pleasure. We’re super excited to launch our games with such an important and respected UK brand, and we honestly can’t wait to see Lottomart players diving into and enjoying the full NetGaming Games Catalogue!”

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