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Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo Are Battling Over ``The Undecideds'': IGN Survey Shows 14% Unsure about Next-Gen Videogame Console PurchaseBRISBANE, Calif. --(Business Wire)-- May 1, 2006 -- Console Makers Must Court PlayStation 2-Owner Fans of "Lost" who Listen to Gorillaz on their MP3 Players and Eat at Taco Bell, According to IGN In the race to be the leading next-generation console, any of the three manufacturers can take the prize, according to results of a recent study by IGN Entertainment's GamerMetrics and IGN Research Solutions. The "IGN Research: Next-Gen Console Allegiance" survey shows that while 36% of the IGN.com audience claims loyalty to the PlayStation 3, the spread is narrow enough for the undecided 14% to make the critical difference. 28% say they have the strongest allegiance to the Xbox 360, while 22% pledge their faithfulness to the Nintendo Wii. IGN's survey also profiled and analyzed the undecided gamer by lifestyle choices, media consumption habits, favorite brands and game genre preferences to understand what Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony need to consider as they strategize to emerge as the victor. One noteworthy quality about the undecided gamers is the fact that they prefer role-playing games (RPGs), while the favorite genre of the entire survey sample is Action. This, coupled with the fact that 79% currently own a PlayStation 2 -- traditionally considered the top console for players of RPGs -- might give Sony the edge over their competitors. Favorite brands of the undecided gamers include Google, Apple, Coke, Taco Bell, Target and Dell. The group's affinity for youth-focused brands that offer quality products for reasonable prices might favor Nintendo's next-gen approach. Gamers undecided about their next-gen purchases seem to spend more time and money consuming their entertainment at home. More have sizable DVD collections than go out to the movies (67% own at least 20 DVDs, while only 50% went to see a movie within the 30 days before taking the survey), and many (47%) plan to buy an HDTV. They won't be using it to watch MTV, however. Only 17% watch "Punk'd," while an even smaller 10% watch "The Real World." Undecided gamers will instead be watching their choice television drama, "Lost," as will those allied with the Xbox 360, a positive sign for Microsoft. PlayStation 3 enthusiasts by and large prefer "24," while Nintendo Wii devotees favor "Smallville." Other findings about the undecided gamer include: -- 70% own a handheld gaming device (their preferred handheld being the PSP) -- 90% regularly download music from the internet; 60% own MP3 players -- Favorite band is Gorillaz (which is true also for those most excited about the Nintendo Wii. Xbox 360 fans prefer Nirvana, while those awaiting the PlayStation 3 most enjoy Eminem.) IGN's research suggests that Microsoft must lose its reputation as being first and foremost for the First-Person Shooter crowd to appeal to a broader market. Nintendo must appeal to the consumer who can not afford to spend close to $500 on a new console and Sony must reach out to their loyalists by promoting backwards capability with the PlayStation 2 and offering functionality with the PSP. IGN Entertainment's network of videogame-related properties which includes IGN.com, GameSpy, FilePlanet, TeamXbox, Direct2Drive and others is the web's number one videogame information destination and attracts one of the largest concentrated audiences of young males on the Internet. GamerMetrics data is based on more than 30 million users' activity on these, and on a pool of more than half a million users volunteering which titles they own, want and are evaluating. IGN's "Next-Gen Console Allegiance" survey is available at no charge to members of the press, industry analysts and clients of IGN. About IGN Entertainment IGN Entertainment, a unit of Fox Interactive Media, Inc., is a leading Internet media and services provider focused on the videogame and entertainment enthusiast markets. Collectively, IGN's properties reached 35 million unique users worldwide in the month of March 2006, according to Internet audience measurement firm comScore Media Metrix(a). IGN's network of videogame-related properties (IGN.com, GameSpy, FilePlanet, TeamXbox, Direct2Drive and others), is the web's number one videogame information destination and attracts one of the largest concentrated audiences of young males on the Internet. IGN also owns and operates the popular movie-related website, Rotten Tomatoes and one of the leading male lifestyle websites, AskMen.com. In addition, IGN provides technology for online game play in videogames. IGN is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, with offices throughout the U.S. and in Montreal. About Fox Interactive Media Fox Interactive Media manages the Internet assets from all News Corp. divisions, including the highly trafficked Foxsports.com, Americanidol.com and Fox.com. News Corporation has quickly ascended to the top echelon of Internet properties with the 2005 acquisitions of Intermix Media (the parent company of MySpace.com), Scout Media and IGN Entertainment. (a) comScore Media Metrix, March 2006 Worldwide data. Worldwide data cited herein represent an aggregate of 32 countries reported by comScore Media Metrix on a monthly basis. Message boards measured by Big-Boards.com IGN Entertainment, Direct2Drive, IGN.com, GameSpy, Rotten Tomatoes, FilePlanet, GameSpy Arcade, GameSpy Arena and TeamXbox are trademarks of IGN Entertainment. Other trademarks and copyrights mentioned are the properties of their respective holders. |
