NPD: Hardcore Gamers Spend More on Non-Gaming Entertainment

[wraggster]

The NPD Group has released new data from its "Entertainment Trends in America" report, which the firm plans to make available to clients later this spring. According to the data based on a sample of more than 10,000 U.S. consumers, while the video game industry saw retail revenue triple in growth in 2007, hardcore gamers (defined as those who played video games daily or several times each week) actually spent most of their entertainment budgets on non-gaming entertainment.

"These consumers remain more likely to buy a DVD or CD, than they are to purchase a new video game. In fact, 58 percent had purchased a new DVD in the past six months, 46 percent bought a CD, and 43 percent purchased a game for a console," NPD stated.

http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/ne...ainment/?biz=1

[JKKDARK]

I don't see it wrong. I think I waste my time more with music than video games.

[Pilot_51]

I think the term "hardcore" has become too overused, too mainstream.
A lot of people play games "daily or several times each week". Do they play many different games or game systems? Most of these so-called "hardcore" gamers probably don't, such as the Halo or Counter-Strike or WoW fanatics that seem to be taking over the world.

My mom plays a lot of Brain Age 2, and if that was considered a game she would be considered a hardcore gamer in this data, which is definitely not true.

Most of my money by far has been spent upgrading my PC so I could play high-demand games better. According to my Xfire profile, I've played 9 different games for longer than an hour (44 hours total) over this past week. I've also spent something like 6 hours over the last 2 days playing Zelda: Phantom Hourglass on my DS.
Ever since TechTV was killed by G4, I've been watching considerably less TV and I've never really had a huge interest for movies. I've been listening/watching podcasts ever since I found out that it's where the TechTV crew went.

I'm not saying that people should play as many games as I do to be "hardcore", I'm just trying to show that there is a huge contrast between playing games "daily or several times each week" and how much I play. With the former, casual gamers that spend 10 minutes a day playing Tetris or something on their cell phone would be called hardcore. Save some room for these casual gamers to be called casual gamers.
Personally I think in a basic sense that true hardcore gamers put their gaming before any other entertainment interest.

[osgeld]

well thats cause a dvd movie last 2 hours, a cd might have 3 good tracks and a videogame might last you 80+ hours

hmm i just cant fiugure out WHY a "HARDCORE GAMER" isnt rushing out every day buying a new game

[Pilot_51]

I can't figure out why a "hardcore" gamer would be buying DVD's when he already has countless hours of entertainment that costs some 10-10000 times less per hour of entertainment value (depending on the DVD and game compared of course).

I only buy a new game maybe twice a year and I'm regularly addicted to about 4 games in any given month. I hardly have time for movies unless it's during my multitasking time between gaming sessions and sleep.

[ExcruciationX]

I agree with you bro, TechTV was awesome.

[phsychokill]

the term hardcore is way over used for starters. and as stated above games last longer than a dvd or music cd. since xmas i got 5 seasons of family guy on dvd for £10 each. in the same time i have bought atlest 7 games priced between £30- £40 and smash bros from america paying about £40 for the game and about £14 for the free loader. so to behonest the numbers were probly made to look very differant to the true numbers due to what they class as hardcore.