Panasonic: 66% геймеров в Японии страдают от скованности плеч, что сокращает время игр

KEY POINTS Panasonic survey finds 66.1% of weekly gamers in Japan report shoulder stiffness Nearly half of affected gamers lose comfort within one hour, and 80.5% stop or shorten play Coricoran Loop treatment device set for September 10 release after 430,000 series sales Panasonic said on September 8 that a survey of gamers in Japan found shoulder stiffness is disrupting play for a large share of regular users, with nearly half of affected players reporting they lose comfort in less than an hour. The electronics group conducted a screening survey of 4,388 men and women aged 18 to 59 nationwide, as well as a main survey of 1,000 people who play games at least once a week. Among weekly gamers, 66.1% said they always or sometimes feel shoulder stiffness, indicating that about two in three play while dealing with the condition. Panasonic defined 631 respondents in that group as "gamers with shoulder stiffness." Of those, 49.1% said they could enjoy gaming comfortably for less than one hour before discomfort set in, and 80.5% had stopped playing mid-session or shortened playing time because of shoulder stiffness. Among the 508 respondents who had interrupted or shortened gameplay, 62.2% said they felt frustration or stress. Panasonic also said 60.7% of gamers with shoulder stiffness felt they would be able to concentrate more on games if not for the condition, while 62.3% said physical discomfort had reduced the amount of time they could focus on games compared with when they were children. The survey pointed to differences by platform. Among 229 respondents who play games on PCs, 76.4% said physical discomfort had reduced the amount of time they could focus on games compared with when they were children. PC gamers also tended to endure symptoms longer, with 93.9% not stopping immediately after feeling shoulder stiffness. The average additional play time after symptoms appeared was 69 minutes for PC gamers, compared with 49 minutes overall among gamers with shoulder stiffness, with a median of 45 minutes. For smartphone-only gamers, 62.4% said they could play comfortably for less than one hour. Panasonic said 64.5% of gamers with shoulder stiffness found it hard to notice symptoms while absorbed in gameplay, and 84.6% said they unconsciously made movements such as rolling their necks, rubbing their shoulders or stretching during play. The surveys were conducted online from July 31 to August 3. The main survey covered active gamers aged 18 to 59 across Japan who play at least once a week, including 800 respondents with self-reported shoulder stiffness and 200 without it. Panasonic released the findings alongside information on its home-use high-frequency treatment device lineup. The Coricoran series has surpassed cumulative domestic sales of 430,000 units as of June 30, and the neck-worn Coricoran Loop, model EW-RA520, is scheduled for release on September 10 in additional limited-run colors. Japan's game market has broad reach across age groups. Panasonic cited data from the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association showing the domestic gaming population stood at 54.75 million in 2024. The company positioned the survey as evidence that physical strain is becoming a constraint on the gaming experience as the pastime becomes more established across generations.