Nielson Reports: Console Usage

[H.Cornerstone]

http://kotaku.com/gaming/best-of-2007/nielsen-ratings-show-wow-tops-pc-gaming-ps2-tops-consoles-332656.php

Video Game Console Usage
Apr-Nov 2007

1. PlayStation 2 - 42.2 %
2. Xbox - 13.9 %
3. Xbox 360 - 11.8 %
4. GameCube - 7.1 %
5. Wii - 5.5 %
6. PlayStation 3 - 2.5 %
7. Other - 17.1 %

I am guessing other is DS. It just amazes me with how little support gamecube and xbox get that people are still playing them. And it surprises me too see how much the PS2 is dominating.

[Vinny]

This is surprising...?

[SL4IN]

The only reason the ps2 is still in this is because sony needs it to pull revenue. Also, look at how big that console base was last gen, GTA III sold that system in the early days and from there on it was in the lead. But to say that now it's still better than the current gen is a little rash.

If sony was no longer manufacturing and selling new PS2's like they have been while the PS3 has been out, they wouldn't have much of a presence this current gen.

[The Crotch]

...

GameCube and Xbox? Huh?

[cletus]

I think video games peaked at Super Mario World and it's been downhill ever since.

[PyroGamer]

And it surprises me too see how much the PS2 is dominating.
Why?

[zewone]

How is any of that surprising?

[KingBroly]

Last Gen console totals > Current Gen console totals

[mykevermin]

...

GameCube and Xbox? Huh?

The way all the consoles are listed, and how they sum to 100(.1)%, I'm willing to bet they asked a random sample of folks "what gaming system gets the most use in your house?"

So it's a matter of probability. Of course the PS2 does, with an install base probably 10x greater than any other console - and that's where you'd find the Xbox and GC sitting in there as well.

It's simple: more households have PS2, Xbox, and GC compared to any current gen console, so it's a matter of simple probability that they get used the most - when you're randomly dialing homes, and they have a PS2, but not any current gen system, it wins by default.

It's an interesting-for-a-moment, but meaningless question to ask a random sample of people (IMO). "what gets the most use" could be 3 hours a day, or it could be an annual dusting to play a game of Madden football for a week at most.

Seeing the actual purchasing and playing habits of these people would be a viable question, and beneficial to the market. I don't see how this question gives any insight or useful answers - or that anyone was asking this kind of question to begin with.

[wubb]

Excellent point myke.

The study labels those percents as 'Usage Minutes %' But like you say it could be calling a house and asking "What consoles do you own and what percent of your gaming time goes to each?" "Well I own a PS2 and that's it so I guess 100% to the PS2. [looks over at the PS2 that hasn't been touched for a year]"

[opportunity777]

I don't think all of these numbers carry a lot of weight without an explanation of how they arrived at them. WoW is an easier to number for Nielson to measure because they could ask Blizzard for statistics (which I'm sure they keep for research purposes). The console statistics leave a lot of questions.

[mykevermin]

Excellent point myke.

The study labels those percents as 'Usage Minutes %' But like you say it could be calling a house and asking "What consoles do you own and what percent of your gaming time goes to each?" "Well I own a PS2 and that's it so I guess 100% to the PS2. [looks over at the PS2 that hasn't been touched for a year]"

Oh, I didn't notice the link to the actual report.

So the PDF says "Usage Minutes % is the percent of all measured console minutes."

Hmm. That thar *reeks* of sampling bias (quite simply corrected by presenting the data in terms of per-person minutes, instead of overall proportion as a whole). If you have 100 people playing their PS2 for 3 minutes a year, and 10 people playing their 360s for 30 minutes a year, their shares are equal, even if the 360 gets vastly more use per person.

That same hypothetical, in per capita minutes, is 3 for the PS3, and 30 for the 360. All of a sudden, it becomes meaningful, no?

That's my problem with this question (now that I can see what the question was, and how the data is measured): when measuring this way, of course you'll get the PS2/XB/GC up there. It's impossible not to (and therein lies the problem of sampling bias -it biases the estimates due to lumping the data - think of it like the PS2, XB and GC "stuffing the ballot box" if the question were asked "what is your favorite current-gen console?").

I wonder if this is culled from survey data, or from Nielsen diaries. In this case (what people play, on what system, and for how long, and against whom) would be far more useful for consumers, the market, console manufacturers, and at least interesting to gamers. The way its presented now, and even knowing the question being asked (and that it's a touch different from my initial guess), does nothing.

The diaries would also give some qualitative insight into who your consumers are, what they like, and what they don't like. That's far more useful to Nintendo than "Johnny played his Wii for 45 minutes."

EDIT: And here's another thing: when your second largest category is your catch-all "other" category, it may very well be time to expand that category. It's a no-brainer that pulling out "DS" from there would drop it below 10%, I bet.