When it Comes to Casual Competition, Men and Women See Eye-to-Eye
WorldWinner Survey Reveals Both Genders are Equally Competitive
Newton, Mass. - November 13, 2007 - Bring on the battle of the sexes! WorldWinner today unveiled the results of a survey that indicates men and women are equally matched when it comes to their competitiveness in casual competition. The 2007 WorldWinner Gender and Competition Survey, which examined the attitudes of men and women toward informal contests, revealed that an equal percentage of men and women - 73 percent - describe themselves as competitive or very competitive. WorldWinner is a subsidiary of FUN Technologies Inc. (TSX:FUN) (AIM:FUN) and the leading provider of online game competitions for cash and prizes.
"Men are often stereotypically viewed as more competitive, but our survey revealed what we experience on WorldWinner every day: that both sexes enjoy friendly, casual competition against anyone who's willing to take them on," said Lorne Abony, CEO of FUN Technologies. "WorldWinner fosters an environment that encourages these friendly competitions for both sexes and all skill levels."
Key findings include:
· Competition Style: Both Men and Women Predominantly Play to Win
When it comes to how they view competition, men were slightly more driven by the desire to win versus the thrill of the game. The majority of men (61 percent) said they "played to win," versus 50 percent of women, however this was the number one response for both sexes. Following closely behind was, "I play for the enjoyment of playing," (24 percent of men; 33 percent of women), while trailing last was, "I play to beat other players" (15 percent of men; 17 percent of women).
· Frequency of Competition: Women Seek Competition on a Daily Basis
Whether playing to win or for the enjoyment of the game, both sexes report seeking friendly competition on a regular basis. According to survey findings, men most commonly sought out competition a few times a week (45 percent) or every day (31 percent), while the women sought out competition every day (39 percent) followed by a few times a week (37 percent).
"I enjoy the competition of online games so much, sometimes it doesn't even matter if I win," said WorldWinner player Ruth. "In fact, my day isn't complete until I've played in a few competitions. If I've had a bad day at work, I'll come home and win a game or two and immediately feel better."
· Competition as Validation: Both Sexes Use Online Game-playing to "Prove Themselves" Given the frequency with which men and women seek out competition, it makes sense that both genders commonly use competition as a way to demonstrate their competency to others. When asked if they view competition as a way to prove themselves, 52 percent of men and 46 percent of women either agreed or strongly agreed.
· Description of Competition: Enjoyable and Thrilling; Definitely Not Intimidating
The most common phrase both men and women used to describe competition was "enjoyable" (42 percent of men; 40 percent of women), followed closely by "thrilling" (29 percent of men; 31 percent of women). Only four percent of men and two percent of women found competition to be "intimidating."
"Friendly competition is exciting and thrilling, and as a law student, I find it to be very relaxing," said WorldWinner player Michael. "Although I love to win, competing is about more than just that. I see my potential in each competition - the more I practice, the more my skills improve and the more I win, ultimately increasing my enjoyment of the game."
· Personal Competition Strategy: Neither Sex Quits When Ahead
Do the sexes differ when it comes to handling winning streaks? Interestingly, men and women agree on how to best ride out a stretch of success - 75 percent of men and 73 percent of women say that when they're on a winning streak, they play to keep it alive as long as they can, as opposed to quitting while ahead.
· Which Gender is More Competitive? It's a Tie
Survey respondents largely agree that men and women are equally assertive in casual competition. Forty-nine percent of men and 53 percent of women believe both genders are equally competitive, while 45 percent of men and 35 percent of women view males as more competitive. Only six percent of men and 12 percent of women perceive females to be the more competitive gender.
· Competition with the Opposite Sex: Again, Equality Prevails
Sixty-three percent of men and 77 percent of women feel they are just as competitive when pitted against the opposite gender as when the opponent is someone of their own sex.
· Feelings about Losing: Both Sexes Take an Ego Hit
When asked how losing affects self esteem, the majority of both genders reported that losing affected their sense of worth at least a little bit (79 percent of men; 73 percent of women). Eighteen percent of men and 25 percent of women reported that losing had no effect on them, while only three percent of men and two percent of women stated that they were "extremely" affected by losing.
· The Bottom Line: For Love of the Game
When money is no object, both genders agree that they would rather play a game and lose than not play the game at all (77 percent of men; 86 percent of women).
Survey Methodology
The 2007 WorldWinner Gender and Competition Survey is an online study conducted in August 2007 of 1,475 WorldWinner members.
About WorldWinner
WorldWinner ( www.worldwinner.com) is the leading provider of online game competitions. It hosts competitions in some of the most popular casual games-including Solitaire, Bejeweled 2, SCRABBLE® Cubes, Family Feud and Luxor-in which players compete against one another for cash and prizes. WorldWinner's broad network of partner sites includes leading global brands, such as AOL Games, EA-Pogo, GSN, Lycos, MSN Games and MyPoints. WorldWinner has more than 30 million registered players worldwide.
About FUN Technologies
FUN Technologies Inc. is one of the world's leading providers of online and interactive casual and fantasy sports games and sports information. FUN is 53% owned by Liberty Media Corporation (NASDAQ:LINTA, LCAPA), and FUN's common shares are listed on both the Toronto Stock Exchange and the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange under the symbol "FUN". For more information on FUN Technologies' offerings, visit www.funtechnologies.com.