Since Apple introduced the iPad in January 2010, the tablet computer has gained popularity as a gaming device, from its outpacing of handhelds on last year's shopping lists to the continued support of gaming publishers and on-demand game-streaming services like OnLive.

　　Amazon's soon-to-be-released Kindle Fire.

　　The rising popularity of tablet devices in gaming has also pushed other publishers into the market, with Amazon revealing just last month that it is working on an all-new game-playing Kindle Fire.

　　Now, a survey conducted by market research company GfK has revealed that the majority of tablet owners use gaming consoles and handhelds 59 percent less as a result of owning a tablet.

　　The data comes from GfK MRI's iPanel, composed of more than 3,000 adult e-reader and tablet owners. Other activities that participants reported have diminished as a result of owning a tablet include reading books (44 percent less often), reading hard-copy newspapers (42 percent less often), and using a desktop or laptop computer (41 percent less often).

　　Video games are also the most popular applications used by tablet owners, coming in at 69 percent and in front of social networking (59 percent), weather (58 percent), and music (53 percent).