Wii gamers most inclined to play online
By John Pospisil
Nintendo Wii gamers are most inclined to use their consoles to play online games, but Xbox 360 gamers spend the most time online, according to a new study by the NPD Group.
Does that mean that Wii users have a better game/life balance, or that the online games are better for Xbox 360?
The NPD study found that 76% of Wii users are online gamers, compared to 70% of Xbox 360 and PS3 users.
Systems analyzed include Nintendo’s Wii and DS/DS Lite handheld systems, Sony’s PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and PSP handheld system, Microsoft’s Xbox and Xbox 360, or PC/Mac gamers.
When it comes to hours per week spent playing games online, Xbox 360 tops the list with a mean of 7.1 hours per week. PS3 comes in second place with 6.1 hours, and PC/Mac users spend 5.8 hours a week on online gaming using a PC/Mac. All other systems are under four hours a week for online game play.
62% of all gamers (including those with PCs and Macs) report that they play online games. Among the 29% of these who use a video game system to play games online, the majority (54%) uses Xbox 360, followed by PS2 (45%).
According to the report, a relatively large percentage of online gamers are female (42%). Overall, online gamers are most likely to be age 25-44, console owners, casual gamers (defined as players of card, puzzle, word and arcade games), and live in mid income households (US$35K-<US$75K).
“With the intense interest on the success of MMORPG’s recently, it might surprise some that the audience for online games is still largely the casual player,” said Anita Frazier, industry analyst, The NPD Group.
“Understanding exactly who is playing what and where is crucial for the industry to realize the potential revenues that online revenues represent for future growth.”
The top three genres played online are card, puzzle, arcade and word games (44%), family-oriented games (25%) and RPG/MMOGs (19%).
Interestingly, online gambling is a formidable genre in the online
gaming landscape, with 17% of gamers preferring online gambling/casino games such as poker.
The study also found that PC online gamers are more inclined to prefer casual, family oriented and gambling games, whereas console/ portable online gamers are more inclined to prefer non-casual game genres such as shooting and racing games.
No surprises there…
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May 8th, 2007
What kind of games do we, Wii owners, play online? As far as I know, the first truly online game for the Wii will be Pokemon Battle Revolution, scheduled fot latter this year. Most games for the Wii so far include no more than simple options to log online.
May 9th, 2007
Remember now, compared to the other systems, Wii virtual console remains superior. With the oringal NES, SuperNES, N64, Genisis, and turbografix available, I believe “that 76% of Wii users online” are just to download old school games. The 360 and ps3 will be mainly used for multiplayer. The 360 however, does have a good line up in the market place for updates and added levels and it’ll only be time before the ps3 Shop builds up. It’s easy for PC gamers to take a step back since graphic cards are so expensive. The next-gen consoles have a lot to offer, while upgrading your pc and getting the game to run a proper setting could take lots of time.
May 11th, 2007
Wii virtual console better than xbox live arcade? lol You must be kiding right… It’s really sad how all those casuals (wii owners) know nothing about the real gaming… they don’t want quality, just mediocre games at low prices…
May 12th, 2007
“Wii virtual console better than xbox live arcade? lol You must be kiding right… It’s really sad how all those casuals (wii owners) know nothing about the real gaming… they don’t want quality, just mediocre games at low prices…”
Its so true
May 12th, 2007
I don’t think the title of this article has anything to do with whats actually in it. After the stat about 76% of Wii users play online games, there is nothing about Wii gamers being more inclined to play online games. Even that stat is suspect. Is that 76% compared to 70% of Xbox 360/ps3 owners out of the same amount of people? I doubt it very much. You could be talking about 100 Wii owners and 100,000 Xbox360/ps3 owners. Besides the fact that it must be referring to people who own the Wii but also play online games in general.
There is no way any study could be valid which shows more Wii players play online with the Wii than Xbox/ps3 owners on their respective systems. That’s including dling games from the Virtual Console. The rest of the facts are interesting but have nothing do do with the actual point thats supposed to be addressed regarding online Wii users. A point that never actually does get addressed. Finding fun facts is great, but you might want to actually look at how the facts were found and if they actually fit into what you are saying before making a bold statement that Wii owners are more inclined to play online.
Also you might want to at least somewhat address your question: “Does that mean that Wii users have a better game/life balance, or that the online games are better for Xbox 360?” Before going off into all of these facts that don’t address the original point.