wraggster
September 15th, 2009, 18:04
41 per cent of gamers rely on world of mouth to obtain information about videogames, according to a new survey carried out by The NPD Group.
This majority is followed by hands-on play at the home of a friend or relative, with 31 per cent of gaming respondents saying this is where they get their information on games.
And while the exact number varied from one platform to another, magazine and online advertising came out as having the least influence on gamers, with as little as five per cent of those surveyed using adverts for information.
"When it comes to developing successful games and targeting marketing and promotions, each gaming platform has its own unique challenges and opportunities to consider," commented Anita Frazier, analyst for The NPD Group.
The Gaming Device Profiles survey also looked into cross ownership of consoles, their demographics and the types of games being played by them.
It found that the most likely to own more than one system were PlayStation 3 owners (who represent 10 per cent of all gamers), with 42 per cent also owning a Wii, and 34 per cent an Xbox 360. This number was slightly lower for Xbox 360 owners (20 per cent of US gamers), of which 42 per cent owned a Wii but only 18 per cent a PlayStation 3.
56 per cent of current generation console users were found to be male and 44 per cent female. Among the most popular online games for Wii owners was card/puzzle/arcade/word ones, which 51 per cent stated were their most played. The same genre was also popular on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, accounting for 39 per cent and 42 per cent respectively, but shooters ranked as more popular on both of these systems.
Offline, family-orientated games were rated as most played on Wii. On Xbox 360 family-orientated and action/adventure tied as the most popular, and on PlayStation 3 action/adventure and racing topped the list.
The NPD survey the data came from was carried out across a group of 20,893 Consumer Panel members aged two years and above and weighted using US census data.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/41-percent-rely-on-word-of-mouth-game-information
This majority is followed by hands-on play at the home of a friend or relative, with 31 per cent of gaming respondents saying this is where they get their information on games.
And while the exact number varied from one platform to another, magazine and online advertising came out as having the least influence on gamers, with as little as five per cent of those surveyed using adverts for information.
"When it comes to developing successful games and targeting marketing and promotions, each gaming platform has its own unique challenges and opportunities to consider," commented Anita Frazier, analyst for The NPD Group.
The Gaming Device Profiles survey also looked into cross ownership of consoles, their demographics and the types of games being played by them.
It found that the most likely to own more than one system were PlayStation 3 owners (who represent 10 per cent of all gamers), with 42 per cent also owning a Wii, and 34 per cent an Xbox 360. This number was slightly lower for Xbox 360 owners (20 per cent of US gamers), of which 42 per cent owned a Wii but only 18 per cent a PlayStation 3.
56 per cent of current generation console users were found to be male and 44 per cent female. Among the most popular online games for Wii owners was card/puzzle/arcade/word ones, which 51 per cent stated were their most played. The same genre was also popular on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, accounting for 39 per cent and 42 per cent respectively, but shooters ranked as more popular on both of these systems.
Offline, family-orientated games were rated as most played on Wii. On Xbox 360 family-orientated and action/adventure tied as the most popular, and on PlayStation 3 action/adventure and racing topped the list.
The NPD survey the data came from was carried out across a group of 20,893 Consumer Panel members aged two years and above and weighted using US census data.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/41-percent-rely-on-word-of-mouth-game-information