It's not totally surprising, but new research  from a leading videogame and console price compare website, www.PS3PriceCompare.co.uk, has revealed that just under two thirds of men own a games console and 22% of those men spend an absorbing 2.5 days a month in their virtual bubble.  The nationwide study of over 1000 man reveal that, on average, men spend more time playing console games than they do with their friends or partners.

An astonishing 1 in 5 men spend an average of 60 hours each month  on their games consoles - that's 15 hours a week, or almost as third as much again as a full working week.  Conversely only 4% spend the same amount of time wining and dining their partner.  Only 1% of mean spent that much time doing something interesting with their parents.

The majority of correspondents, 71%, admitted that their PlayStations and similar consoles took up more than a working day a week - over 8.5 hours!! 

Now imagine if those guys could spend that time on overtime - they'd be rich. And if they spent that time and money on their girlfriends they might have a better time in bed.  But given the economic environment just now, taking their console to bed looks like a comforting distraction from the woes of the world and the worries of 'er indoors!!

Mike Elsmore, head developer of PS3PriceCompare.co.uk commented on these findings: