According to a recent survey conducted by Information Solutions Group (on behalf of casual games company RealGames) shows that casual gaming might be more than just a quick diversion (or frustration, if the game refuses to understand your speech). Other than providing a quick round of Sudoku, that copy of Brain Age 2 could have other health benefits.

The survey asked 4,537 respondents between December 28, 2007 and January 11, 2008 about casual gaming. Of the 4,537 individuals, 2,784 of them said they watched their weight and 60% of those individuals said they use games as a way to keep from snacking and overeating. That's not all, though.

Of the 1,324 survey respondents that said they were smokers, 42% said that gaming provided a distraction from smoking. While the focus of the survey is more about casual games, we do know one title that's pretty good with helping smokers quit. Any of you trying to curb your bad habits with some gaming?

Here's an interesting little nugget we stumbled across: according to a recent study, girls prefer 2D over 3D when it comes to games.

To reach this conclusion, author Tina Ziemek offered a pool of 34 13- and 14-year old students a selection of six Nintendo 64 titles (Yoshi's Story, Bust-A-Move, Mischief Makers, Banjo-Kazooie, Wetrix, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time), and noted down which of the games each subject preferred to spend time with.

As it happens, the females in the group opted to play Yoshi's Story most of the time, while the males chose Zelda. Ziemek also notes that a lot of the kids commented on the easiness and accessibility of the 2D games in interviews, and that the females "disliked the confusion in the 3D video games, whether it was unclear directions, objectives, camera perspectives, or not knowing how to control the character."

Ziemek's final conclusion? That the majority of females would rather play games that are "easy," while the majority of males would rather play games that are "challenging." If Ziemek's findings are correct, this may partly explain why so many females pick up a DS -- after all, which other platform has such a delightful array of 2D software?

[Via Kotaku]