If you encounter a Canadian playing online computer games this Canada Day, there's a chance they may be waggling their joystick naked.

Canadians have apparently developed a taste for playing computer games in the buff, with 17 per cent of men and 9 per cent of women saying they dabble in a little nude gameplay from time to time, according to a recent study conducted by Ipsos Reid on behalf of Microsoft Corp.

Young people between the ages of 18 and 34 were the most likely to admit to stripping down for a little action (23 per cent) while older players were less likely to enjoy a little naked button mashing – with only 5 per cent of gamers over the age of 54 admitting to playing naked.

The online survey of 1,026 Canadians was designed to find out how Canadians enjoy their video games.

In addition to the revelations about naked gaming, the study also found that Canadians enjoy sneaking in a quick game of Bejeweled or Diner Dash at work, with 30 per cent saying they have played a video game while they should have been working.

As well, 19 per cent have played video games in public, a number which could rise due to the popularity of Guitar Hero and Rock Band nights at pubs and bars.

At home, 27 per cent of Canadians play video games in the bedroom, but what is more puzzling is that 7 per cent admitted to hauling their laptop into the bathroom to keep playing.

The most common computer games enjoyed by Canadians are Minesweeper and solitaire, with 86 per cent saying they had played one of those games, which tend to come pre-loaded on many computers.

Men were found to be nearly four times more likely to play a massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) such as World of Warcraft than women, while women are tend to prefer to play smaller online or Facebook games.

About 28 per cent of Canadians said they play online games such as Diner Dash, one in four said they have played a game on Facebook such as Scrabulous and 12 per cent identified themselves as players of MMORGs such as World of Warcraft. Fewer than one in 10 Canadians – 9 per cent – said they had never played any such games.

Ontario residents were the most likely to have bought a video game – 63 per cent – while more than half of residents in Alberta (57 per cent) and British Columbia (52 per cent) bought at least one game. About 45 per cent of Manitoba and Saskatchewan residents and 40 per cent of Quebec residents have also bought a video game at some point in their lives.