Phoenix Marketing
International's recently released market research study entitled Consumer Buying
Intentions, four out five households play video games. Although the majority are playing via
a home PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox or Game Boy, the original PlayStation, Nintendo 64, and Super
Nintendo are cited as the systems played most often by one-third of gamers. In addition,
seventeen per cent of survey participants planning to purchase an electronic gaming system
this holiday season will be buying older systems.
Whether playing on a computer,
console (e.g., PlayStation 2, Xbox, or GameCube), or handheld system (e.g., Game Boy, Nokia
N-Gage, Tapwave Zodiac), the majority of US households are gaming according to David
Pluchino, Senior Research Manager at PMI. Interestingly, more than a third of gamers are
holding onto older systems and actively using them, added Pluchino.
A large
proportion of gamers are also playing video games via a handheld device, specifically,
variations of Nintendo's Game Boy system. When asked about future purchases, one out of ten
households indicated they would be picking up a new handheld system this holiday season.
This is not surprising stated Pluchino, with the increase in leisure travel, parents are
looking for ways to entertain their kids during long drives or airplane trips.
The
Phoenix Marketing International Consumer Buying Intentions Survey was fielded during the
month of October 2004. The findings from this market research study are based on information
from 30,169 completed interviews with 24,980 having an electronic gaming system in their
household including more than half owning a PlayStation 2, Xbox, or GameCube
System.
