Abstract
This IDC study presents results of IDC' s seventh annual Videogame Consumer
Survey. The attitudes and behavior of the game industry' s traditional target
audience provide insight into the ways in which the market will receive the new
hardware cycle now in motion. While gamers' preferences and usage are based on
what they know and what experiences are available to them, the industry' s
console manufacturers, publishers, and service providers hope to launch new
business models, target new demographics, and open new revenue streams beyond
the usual razor/blade model followed in the past. The results of the 2006
survey indicate a slowdown of the market, which is historically consistent
during the transitional phase of the console cycle.
"The videogame market is not adequately primed for innovations to the
traditional model and will require significant effort to change gamer behavior.
While market cooling is to be expected, we are concerned that the industry is
not bringing in new gamers and that activity and interest in online gaming is
not growing quickly enough." - Billy Pidgeon, program manager, IDC' s Consumer
Markets: Gaming
Table of Contents
- Table of Contents
- IDC Opinion
- In This Study
- Methodology
- Executive Summary
- Situation Overview
- The Videogamer: Who Is Playing Games?
- Figure: Respondents by Gender
- Table: Respondent Gender by Gamer Status and Online Gaming Experience (% of Respondents)
- Table: Respondent Age by Gender and Gamer Status (% of Respondents)
- Figure: Mean and Median Videogamer Age, 1999-2006
- Gaming Frequency: How Much Do They Play?
- How Often Do They Play?
- Table: Days per Week Spent Gaming by Gender, Age, Gamer Status, Number of Consoles Owned, and Online Gaming Experience (% of Respondents)
- How Long Do They Play?
- Table: Hours Spent Gaming per Typical Gaming Session by Gender, Age, Gamer Status, Number of Consoles Owned, and Online Gaming Experience (% of Respondents)
- Genres: What Kind of Games Do They Play?
- Table: Preferred Videogame Genres by Gender, Age, Gamer Status, Platform Owned, and Online Gaming Experience (% of Respondents)
- How Do Gamers Learn About the Games They Buy?
- Table: Sources of Information for New Videogames by Gamer Status and Online Gaming Experience (% of Respondents)
- Gamer-Centric Media
- Figure: Monthly Game Magazine Readership and Web Site Visits
- The Rental Market
- Table: Frequency of Videogame Rental/Borrowing/Demo Before Purchase by Number of Consoles Owned, Platform Owned, and Online Gaming Experience (% of Respondents)
- Table: Average Number of Videogame Rentals per Month
- How Many Games Do They Buy a Month?
- Table: Number of New Games Acquired in a Typical Month by Gamer Status, Number of Consoles Owned, Platform Owned, and Online Gaming Experience (% of Respondents)
- Table: Number of New Games Acquired in a Typical Month by Gender and Age (% of Respondents)
- Retail Channels: Where Do They Buy Them?
- Table: Videogame Purchase Channel by Age, Gamer Status, and Online Gaming Experience (% of Respondents)
- Console Peripherals
- Table: Videogame Console Accessories Purchased
- Console Modifications
- Table: Modification of Videogame Console by Number of Consoles Owned and Online Gaming Experience (% of Respondents)
- Multiconsole Ownership
- Table: Number of Consoles Owned by Age, Gamer Status, and Online Gaming Experience (% of Respondents)
- Which Consoles Do Gamers Have, and Which Do They Use?
- Table: Videogame Console Ownership and Usage by Platform (% of Respondents)
- Table: Videogame Console Ownership by Platform, 1999-2006 (% of Respondents)
- Videogamer Handheld Usage
- Table: Handheld Gaming Device Ownership by Number of Consoles Owned, Console Platform, and Online Gaming Experience (% of Respondents)
- Table: Handheld Gaming Device Accessories Purchased
- Nintendo Game Boy' s Legacy
- Table: Handheld Gaming Device Ownership, 1999-2006 (% of Respondents)
- What Features Drive Handheld Purchases?
- Table: Reasons for Acquiring Handheld Gaming Devices by Platform (% of Respondents)
- Videogamers and the Nintendo DS
- Videogamers and the Sony PSP
- Table: Hours Spent per Week Watching Video and Playing Games on PSP (% of Respondents)
- Table: Number of UMD or PSP Videos Purchased in the Past Six Months
- Videogamers and Cell Phone Games
- Figure: Frequency of Cell Phone Gaming
- Videogamers by Console Ownership
- The Nintendo GameCube Gamer
- Table: Reasons for Acquisition of Specific Videogame Console by Platform (% of Respondents)
- The Sony PS2 Gamer
- The Microsoft Xbox Gamer
- The Microsoft Xbox 360 Gamer
- The Online Gamer
- Figure: Online Gaming Participation, 2003-2006
- Table: Online Console Gaming Participation by Age, Gamer Status, and Gender (% of Respondents)
- Xbox Live
- Figure: Current Xbox Live Subscription Type
- Figure: Xbox Live Renewal Plans
- The Videogamer Household
- Where Are They Playing Games?
- Table: Location of Primary Videogame Console
- Consumer Electronics and the Videogamer
- Table: Videogame Household Ownership of Consumer Electronics Devices
- Figure: Console Usage as a DVD Player in the Past Six Months
- Videogaming and Television Viewing
- Table: Time Spent Playing Videogames Versus Viewing Television by Gender, Age, and Gamer Status (% of Respondents)
- Game Consoles and Home Entertainment Systems
- Table: Ownership of Home Theater Connected to Videogame Console by Age and Online Gaming Experience (% of Respondents)
- Future Outlook
- Usage Shifts with the Console Cycle
- Interest in Online Games
- Interest in Downloadable Content
- Table: Interest in Online Console Gaming by Gender, Age, and Gamer Status (% of Respondents)
- Table: Interest in Using Videogame Console to Download New Game Elements by Gender, Age, and Gamer Status (% of Respondents)
- Will They Pay for Downloadables? How Much?
- Figure: Willingness to Pay for Downloadable Content
- Intent to Purchase
- Table: Intent to Purchase a New Videogame Console by Age, Gender, and Gamer Status (% of Respondents)
- What Features Are Driving New Console Sales?
- Table: Level of Interest in New Videogame Console Features
- Table: Agreement with Statements Regarding Videogame Console Purchase Features
- What Systems Do They Plan to Buy?
- Table: Videogame Console Platforms Planned for Purchase by Gender, Age, Gamer Status, Console Ownership, and Online Gaming Experience (% of Respondents)
- Do Console Gamers Plan to Buy New Handheld Gaming Devices?
- Figure: Handheld Gaming Device Purchase Plans
- Which Handhelds Do Console Gamers Want?
- Figure: Handheld Gaming Device Platforms Planned for Purchase
- Essential Guidance
- Learn More
- Related Research
- Appendix A: Definitions
- Videogame Household
- Videogame Console
- Handheld Videogame Device
- Primary Gamer
- Secondary Gamer
- Frequent Gamer
- Casual Gamer
- Appendix B: Survey Instrument
- Intro/Screeners
- Videogame Consoles
- Handheld Videogame Players
- Game Usage
- Demographics
- Synopsis
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