Survey says gamers buy a PS4 because of its resolution and an Xbox because…it’s an Xbox
It might seem like exclusive game titles would be the key decision maker when it comes to choosing which new video game console to buy, but according to a recent survey, exclusives are not as important as you may think.
According to a survey conducted by The Nielsen Company, the same company that releases the Nielsen TV ratings, the primary reason for buying a PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or Wii U depends on the console.
The majority of PlayStation 4 owners, for example, responded that the system’s higher screen resolution was the primary reason they purchased the console. Other top answers for the purchase of a PS4 included its Blu-Ray player, game library, and processing power. A large portion of PS4 owners also responded that they bought the console because it is “what family wants.”
The number one reason given for the purchase of an Xbox One was the Xbox brand itself, with 76 percent of users having previously owned an Xbox 360. Other reasons included the system’s innovative features, such as the Kinect hardware, as well as its processing power, exclusive game titles, and “fun-factor.”
The vague “fun-factor” descriptor was the number one reason people gave for purchasing a Nintendo Wii U, followed by its kid-friendliness, lower cost, backwards compatibility, and exclusive game titles, in that order. An overwhelming majority of Wii U owners were previous Nintendo customers, with 86 percent of respondents saying they had previously owned a Nintendo Wii.
“Majority of eighth gen owners are not newcomers “
Previous ownership of a game console is a running trend in the Nielsen survey. 91 percent of PS4 owners, 88 percent of Xbox One owners, and 93 percent of Wii U owners had all owned a video game system from the previous console generation.
“Even though [these consoles] are new, the vast majority of eighth gen owners are not newcomers to console gaming: nine in 10 have previously owned a seventh gen console,” wrote Nicole Pike, Director of Nielsen Games. “All in all, the new crop of gaming consoles is still revered for features that made their seventh gen counterparts successful—though of course with next generation technology breathing new life into the systems and the category.”
photo credit: Console Controllers via photopin (license)
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