With Father’s Day in Australia on September 6, Aussie dads can be proud they’ve got skill when it comes to getting their game on. If there’s one area where dads can be confident they rule the roost over their kids, research shows it’s gaming. And what a better way to celebrate dad, then hitting your battlestations and playing together.
According to research from Logitech G surveying 822 Australian parents aged between 18 and 45, over half (56%) of respondents said they play video games with their children, and nearly one in five do so at least once a week. Yet the generational torch remains defiantly unpassed in Aussie households, with 59% of Aussie dads saying they outperform their offspring on computers and consoles.
“As the old saying goes, you come at the king, you’d best not miss,” jokes Dan Hall, Senior Category Manager at Logitech G in Australia. “As a father myself, I sympathise with Aussie dads on this one. Watching my kids grow and learn is one of the greatest joys of my life, but am I prepared to let them pass me on the virtual racetrack? The jury’s out.
“Of course, they’re welcome to keep trying, and I’ll enjoy every minute of it. As this research shows, gaming is a regular part of parent-child quality time in Australian households, and even if my kids overtake me on the circuit, I’ll always find the time to game with them, and win my hard-earned crown back.”
Though fathers confidently consider themselves top of the heap with a controller in hand, only 32% of mums would say the same, as 52% of those surveyed said their kids had the edge on them when gaming. Just 27% of fathers would agree, as dads look to keep their gaming throne on Father’s Day and beyond.
The research went on to suggest that dads are almost twice as likely as mums to game with their kids, spending 3.2 hours per week compared to mums’ 1.9. Parents who play video games with their children at least once a week also reported spending over two hours more quality time with their kids each week than non-gaming parents and those who do so infrequently.
“This Logitech G research shows that a generation of Australians who grew up with gaming as a mainstream hobby is carving out the time to share it with their kids,” Hall concludes. “While fathers may be striving to maintain their number-one-gamer status in the household, it is clear that the console or computer is now firmly established as a regular part of family life. Whether you’re a competitive dad or not, parents are passing that passion on to the next generation, with gaming proving to be a powerful bonding tool.”
