It's well known that women are huge fans of casual play. Whether it's Zuma, Luxor, Tetris or Solitaire (heck, Solitaire is the favourite), women love simpler looking games where gems or lines of colored balls are the protagonists and the setting stands still, without tiring the eye. However, it has recently been proven that men are just as addicted casual play fans as women are. They just don't admit it, the cowards...!

According to Reuters, a recently conducted study reveals that "men are just as likely as women to play casual video games, but are less likely to admit it," says an industry report. However, it does say that women are still more likely to purchase casual titles for their collection, as there are "easy to pick and play." Men on the other hand get their kicks by finding a free version of a respective casual title, or try to thwart anti-piracy protections on games. Yup, can't say it's not true.

Information revealed in the yearly market report by the Casual Games Association, also makes reference to surveys which showed that "while nearly three-fourths of people who bought casual games were women, the players of such games were split 50-50 between the sexes." So we can all agree that women will buy, while men will just try.

"Everyone always thought that casual games were something that only appeal to women," Jessica Tams, managing director of the association, said in an interview. "We have always been obsessed about making games for women."

She claimed "it was really shocking for everybody. We knew these guys were playing these games. But the hardcore gamer who is playing 'Halo' with his buddies isn't going to brag that he just beat the next level of 'Zuma'."

Sure hardcore gamers don't play that many casual games - that's why they're called hardcore gamers - but who says you can't have a go with Zuma and like it, getting out of that heavy Spartan armor. And who says casual games are easy? Advanced levels in every casual game present players with very difficult puzzles to solve. Still, Tams is right. A hardcore gamer is going to be laughed at if he claims beating hard levels in Zuma, or Luxor or whatever.

When I glanced over the following paragraph, which, by the way, sums up the whole thing, I was shocked to see the words "men," "shiny" and "balls" in one phrase in a Reuters report, but luckily I took a closer look: "The reason men have not been reflected in the data so far is because most males are fans of realistic 'hardcore' games and many do not admit they like to play simpler games involving shiny gems or lines of colored balls."

As usual (this must be the billionth time I'm saying this) it takes thorough studies, resources and time for "industry specialists" to reveal that which we already knew as male and female nature. It's common sense to know these things, really... And yes, you can feel stupid if you didn't know them by now.