Report Confirms Hardcore Gamers' Existence
A report titled "Next Generation Purchase Intent" recently released by
market research firm the NPD Group confirms there is a segment of the
gaming population that will buy next-generation systems as soon as they
become available, regardless of their cost. Referred to in the report
as "Heavy Gamers," those who spend the most time and money on games are
also the most likely to be early adopters.
Among the features that attract consumers in general to next-gen
consoles, 87 percent of the report's respondents listed "appealing game
titles" as their number one reason for choosing a system. Backwards
compatibility was the second most important feature at 68 percent.
"Price is definitely a factor, but not as much as is content," said
Anita Frazier, industry analyst, The NPD Group. "I've long been a
believer that it isn't any particular technical capability that will
win this next console battle. The story continues to be content."
The report finds that over 40 percent of "Infrequent," "Secondary," and
"Prefer Portable" gamers are also interested in purchasing a next-gen
console. "Heavy Gamers" show a slightly stronger interest in purchasing
a Wii over a PlayStation 3: 79 percent and 70 percent, respectively.
However, those that are only interested in purchasing one
next-generation console are planning on buying a PS3.
The report's data was collected July 11-28, 2006 via an online survey of 16,670 consumers aged 6 to 44.
Daemon Hatfield
November 13, 2006
Source:
IGN