| Next-Generation Game Consoles Widely Anticipated By Public, Finds Gaming Survey |
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| 'Gaming in America Survey' Predicts Coming Ubiquity of Games |
| Updated 12:01 PM ET August 22, 2000 |
Considering that 66 percent of the U.S. population plays some kind of computer or video game, another of the survey's findings, it's clear that gaming is quickly becoming ubiquitous in American life.
The study, which queried 2,000 gamers and received a response rate of 55 percent, was sponsored by Ziff Davis Media Inc. and conducted by The Strategy Group, an independent third-party research company. The survey paints a thorough and sometimes surprising picture of the lifestyles and buying habits of people who play games on PCs and consoles such as Sony PlayStation, Sega, Nintendo and GameBoy.
"Video games are now a common part of our culture," says Lee Uniacke, group publisher of the Ziff Davis Media Game Group. "They'll soon be a regular backdrop, a feature of every living room, as common as televisions and stereos in the household."
One of the big factors Uniacke cites for the anticipation of new consoles,
other than improved graphics and Internet-ready capability, is that many
of the machines will be able to play DVD movies. "Many people who would
not ordinarily buy a TV top game system will pick one up because it will
do double duty as their first DVD movie player," points out Uniacke.
"Gaming in America Survey" findings include:
Gamers don't fit the reclusive nerd stereotype. Forty-eight percent of video gamers participate in extreme sports such as rollerblading, snowboarding and rock climbing. Fifty-three percent claim to be thrill seekers and 78 percent say they watch less television as a result of their hobby.
Gamers are young, male and imbued with spending power. Unlike the PC gamer whose median age is 29, console gamers (which the study called "video gamers") are younger, at a median age of 17. They are mostly male (88 percent) and have an average household income of $64,000. Seventy-seven percent are single and 60 percent own cellular phones.
Gamers are wired. Seventy-eight percent of gamers have access to the Internet and tend to spend 12.8 hours per week online. Forty-four percent play games online at an average 6.5 hours per week. Forty-six percent visit game-related Websites.
Gamers are active consumers. On average, console gamers plan to buy 4.5 games in the next 60 days and own an average of 29. Most spend an average of $66 on games every 60 days and 60 percent rent an average of two games per month for four days. Seventy-eight percent have a specific game in mind before they go shopping.
Core gamers are a small but powerful market segment. The most dedicated gamers, which the study calls "core gamers," make up a relatively small part of the gaming population. Core console gamers, for example, represent 11.2 million of video gaming's 44 million population. However, they represent a sizable chunk of the purchasing power, buying 55 percent of all console games. Forty-one percent of them shop for games once a week."It's important to look at video gaming, because it's a large part of what teenage boys do," says Uniacke. "This study gives us a valuable glimpse into the young people who are spending the most time and money on a cultural phenomenon that will be with us for some time to come."
The blind survey was conducted through national random-digit dialing
to find video and PC gamers. The 12-page surveys were mailed with each
entry into a $1,000 sweepstakes drawing and a dollar was added as an incentive.
The field work closed in July 2000.
About the Ziff Davis Media Game Group
The Ziff Davis Game Group is the leading publisher of console and computer game magazines in the United States. Each magazine is a leader in its field. Electronic Gaming Monthly reports on games and peripherals related to Sony PlayStation, Nintendo 64 and Sega Dreamcast; Expert Gamer is the monthly guide to console gaming strategy and advice; and Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine is the only magazine to bear the Sony imprimatur in the United States. Computer Gaming World is the publication of record for PC games and hardware.
About Ziff Davis Media Inc.
Ziff Davis Media Inc. (http://www.ziffdavis.com)
is the leading information authority for buying, using and experiencing
technology and the Internet. It is the largest technology and Internet
magazine publisher and the sixth largest magazine publisher in the United
States. The company is also at the forefront in creating a new generation
of consumer and business media that educate, entertain and empower people.
In the U.S., Ziff Davis Media publishes 12 industry-leading consumer and
business publications: PC Magazine, Ziff Davis SMART BUSINESS for the New
Economy, Yahoo! Internet Life, FamilyPC, Expedia Travels, Electronic Gaming
Monthly, Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine, Computer Gaming World, Expert
Gamer, eWEEK, Inter@ctive Week, Sm@rt Partner and The Net Economy. Through
a joint venture with International Data Group (IDG), the company also publishes
Macworld. Other Ziff Davis Media business units include Ziff Davis Custom
Media, which provides custom and contract media solutions within the technology
industry; Ziff Davis Media Brand Development, which manages brand development
and licensing; eTesting Labs, the industry leader in Internet and technology
testing; and Ziff Davis Internet, an Internet-related development group.
The company also produces conferences, seminars and Webcasts.
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