The gaming market analyst NewZoo has released the results of surveys covering most of the world, and some of the news is both surprising and not. According to its analysis, 80% of gamers enjoy having some sort of snack or drink on hand.

Perhaps every gamer has been guilty of the sin at some time or another: a bowl of jellybeans to munch on while collecting all the candy in Pokemon Sword and Shield here, a bag of chips while playing World of Warcraft there. Who doesn't enjoy a little refresher during downtime?

RELATED: Cooking Game Epic Chef Announced With Quirky Trailer

It's not surprising that NewZoo has discovered that so many gamers around the world say they like to eat and drink while they game. The meat of the matter is how those preferences are distributed. The group that showed the highest percentage of mid-game munchers was the APAC (Asia-Pacific) region, which consists of China, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, Indonesia, and New Zealand. 84% of them partake, and given they are the largest share of the gaming market, that means a lot of bottles of soda, bags of chips, and candy.

final fantasy 7 mystery drink guide

There was more variation in the different groups than surveyors were expecting. Women as a whole were more likely to enjoy salty snacks while tending a virtual farm or solving a puzzle, but men had a little more variation. They reported that men are slightly more likely to snack (55%) than women, and that soda and salty snacks were the most prevalent. Taiwan and Japan reported that "other" drinks such as water, tea, coffee, etc. were actually the most popular, and APAC in general preferred having drinks overall, with sweet snacks coming in second. Gamers in North America and Western Europe are closer to each others' habits, enjoying both sodas and salty snacks in roughly equal measure.

It's human nature to browse, which is a well-documented phenomenon for television watchers, and there is plenty out there to whet the appetite. Games themselves have had foods portrayed in them time and again, like Persona 5 Royal, where Doctor Maruki would always keep snacks nearby. Players have recreated in-game foods in real life, and real life foods have been recreated in games like Dreams.

The takeaway is that food and beverage companies want to know what gamers like, but they need to recognize that these markets are enormous, and that while broad studies like these are a great place to start, they should make sure to feel out their target market when trying to promote their products.

MORE: Chuck E Cheese Tricks People Into Ordering Its Pizza Online

Source: NewZoo