Nielsen: More than 50% of US households have a console
Some startling figures have come out of Nielsen Games' latest exposé of gaming trends in the US.
According to the analyst firm, 56% of US households own a seventh generation gaming console. 65% are kept in the living room, although that figure rises to 75% when considering the Wii alone, and 13% in bedrooms. Up to 45% of all consoles are primed to serve as entertainment hub, being positioned in the living room and connected to the Internet; streaming entertainment usage of consoles climbed over 2010 results.
Time spent gaming is also increasing, with a 7% growth over last year. Tablets and mobiles are growing quickly, but the Wii had dropped by 22%. Nielsen said growth in gaming is being driven by increased engagement, saying more than half of all players use more than one device.
The research firm said gaming spend is largely flat compared to 2010, but what people are spending on is changing - the Xbox 360 has managed to increase its share by 10% and the digital market is up 8%. The Wii dropped 10%, while sales of both new and used packaged games had decreased by 8%.
Nielsen noted that half of all kids aged between six and 12 play on a DS, and that 39% of all US households have an iOS device. 66% of households with kids who own handheld consoles also have an iOS device. Android gaming is more popular among adults 25-34,but iPhone gaming is popular with all age groups.
Nielsen revealed the figures as part of a webinar on US gaming trends earlier today; the full presentation will be made available soon.