The habits of playing and the reasons for not playing exergames: Age differences in Finland

Abstract

This study examines the habits of playing and the reasons for not playing digital exercise games (i.e., exergames), concentrating especially on the differences between four different age groups of players and non-players. Exergames can be considered an important and interesting research topic as they can be used to motivate people to do more exercise and, consequently, to improve their health and well-being. There are also potentially significant age differences in how these games are perceived. The study is based on analysing an online survey sample of 3,036 Finnish consumers by using contingency tables, the Pearson’s χ2 tests of independence, and the Cramér’s V coefficients. The results of the analysis reveal 11 main reasons for not playing exergames as well as several age differences especially in the reasons for not playing exergames but also in the habits of playing exergames. Based on these results, the exergaming industry still seems to have a long way to go before exergames are perceived interesting enough in terms of the gaming experience and useful enough in terms of their effects on physical fitness. The findings of the study should be taken into account in the design and marketing of exergames.