Work getting the way of your pro-gaming dreams? You're not alone

If you're an online gamer and think work gets in the way of your dreams of pro gaming, you're not alone - 36% of players across the globe think the same thing.

According to a survey of 4500 online gamers in South Korea, Japan, Singapore, India, Italy, France, Germany, the UK and the US, 36% of global gamers would quit their jobs if they could afford to support themselves as a pro gamer.  That's an 11% increase since 2018.

Male gamers between 18-25 are most interested in esports as a career, with more than half (56%) in that age range saying they want to become professionals.

Gamers are also playing more than 7 hours of games each week, which is a 20% increase in game time compared to last year.

Gamers aged between 26-35 spend an average of 8 hours and 13 minutes each week, which is a 20% jump in game time compared to last year.

''The growth in online gaming, both in playing time as well as in viewership, has raised expectations for fast online performance,'' says Limelight Networks senior director Michael Milligan.

''Whether it's downloading game updates, joining a squad online to take on the competition, or learning new techniques from favourite live streamers, gamers around the world won't tolerate latency and download disruptions that slow them down.''

For younger gamers, watching esports is far more interesting than watching traditional sports on TV.

Those aged between 18-25 spend about 4 hours each week watching online gaming – that's 77% more time than they spend watching traditional broadcast sports.

Other survey results include:

• Gamers have prioritised playing over their social and professional lives. More than one quarter (26%) of global gamers have skipped out on spending time with friends or going on a date to keep playing. Italian gamers are most likely to skip social events, with 41% having done so. 
   
• 12% of worldwide gamers have missed work to play video games. More than a third (35%) admit to playing at work at least once a month, including 10% who play daily.
   
• Mobile continues to drive appetite for casual gaming. Gamers are increasingly playing on-the-go, noting mobile phones as the most commonly used device for gaming. Mobile gaming is popular with ''casual gamers,'' who make up more than half (57%) of the gaming market. Casual Single-Player games such as Candy Crush and Angry Birds are the most-preferred type of gaming content globally. However, younger gamers (age 18 to 25) prefer First-Person Shooter and Battle Royal games such as Fortnite.
   
• Gamers lack patience with downloads and security issues. Globally, 85% of gamers find the process of downloading video games frustrating. Slow downloads are the biggest pain point for 34% of worldwide gamers and frustrations are highest in the U.S. (39%). When it comes to security, more than half (54%) of gamers note they would not continue to use a gaming platform that previously suffered a breach. Security concerns are highest in Germany (62%), Japan (63%) and South Korea (66%).

These statistics are from Limelight Networks State of Online Gaming research report.