IDG Profiles Next Gen Gamer Habits

The report says active gamers can be segmented into three categories: devoted, social and casual gamers. Devoted gamers, who count game-playing as their primary activity, make up 41% of the total gaming audience and are responsible for 52% of the dollars spent on video games and systems. Social gamers represent 35% of spending while casual gamers represent 28% of the gaming audience but only 13% of dollars spent.

The report says devoted gamers will drive sales of new systems in 2005 and 2006 with more than half of them likely to buy a PlayStation 3 and over 45% planning to buy Xbox 360 within the first year of release for each system. The report goes on to warn. "Executives who believe that enticing casual gamers to new machines is the secret to industry profit and market-share gains, [cannot] expect widespread consumer adoption of new platforms until 2007."

Source: Xbox 360 News

For more information, please contact:
Howard Sholkin
howard_sholkin@idg.com
617-239-7882