Quarter of UK Homes Own Consoles
Uk retail doing well, sales up, people staying in with video games. The geek shall inherit the earth.Published 13/05/2009 at 10:19.
By Peter C [ColossalBlue].
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According to a study by Harris interactive 23% of UK households now contain a console. They polled 2000 people in Novemeber and again in February and came up with some interesting results.
The poll suggests (as we have numerous times before) that UK games retail is thriving in this time of recession with people more likely to stay at home and entertain themselves rather than go out for an expensive night at the cinema (how much is Pick ‘n’ Mix these days?), theatre or pub.
Personally I think it’s a little bit worrying that people are staying at home playing Wii Sports Bowling instead of going to the pub and drinking. Maybe that’s just me, I like drink more than I like cheesy cartoon characters and poor motion-sensing.
So with UK retail doing so well by cutting prices and selling in volume is anyone else wondering why publishers are trying to put them out of business by doing all they can to stop pre-owned sales and encourage (price-fixed, monopolising) digital distribution?
Source: MCVUK
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Lorcan | 13/05/2009 10:25
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Only 23%?
I honestly thought it would be much higher. If you think about it, nearly every child has some games console or another, and I doubt there are only 23% of homes with children in them.
As for the pick ‘n’ mix thing, all you need to know is that it’s too expensive. FAR too expensive.
Watchful | 13/05/2009 10:29
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I guess not as many old people have Wii’s at home to play bowling as everyone thinks. :) My house is one of those without kids in it, but to compensate I do have far too many consoles.
mcphatty | 13/05/2009 11:40
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311 TSA Points | Member since: Sep 2008
Lets not forget about the millions of OAPs in the UK. Arthritis deals a killing blow to those hoping to SQUARE, TRIANGLE, TRIANGLE their way through a corridoor of Storm Troopers.
Mind you, that doesn’t stop them from enjoying blu-rays, big screen photo viewing, living room mp3 playback and divx movies… come on granny, get on the bandwagon!!
cc_star | 13/05/2009 10:36
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What about households that have more than 1
I have a Mastersystem, Megadrive (with 32X & MegaCD) Dreamcast, PS1, PS2, PS3, PSP & my daughter has a DS
Gonna get a 360 as well
3shirts | 13/05/2009 11:29
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You bought a MegaCD AND 32X? Haha haah haaahaaahaaaa!
cc_star | 13/05/2009 12:56
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Not at the time, but since… I have desires to have a videgame museum in my house… my missus thinks otherwise, and has eBayed stuff that I’ve owned, only for me to replace them the week after.
3shirts | 13/05/2009 19:16
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Lay down the law!
Have you ever seen the Angry VideoGame Nerd? He does retro game reviews and is hilarious! If you watch some of his latest videos you can see his games museum and it will bring a tear to your eye. He owns almost every NES game and most systems right back to Intellivision and even the Odyssey!
Reidzer-1314 | 13/05/2009 10:37
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9 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009
Hmm thats quite interesting.
I work Monday – Friday and I dont usually go out drinking etc on work nights, prefer to keep a clear head, so I usually just stick home and do some gaming.
As soon as the weekend comesaround however im off out with my mates to the pub etc. So I like to think I have a good balance of both gaming and a social life on the go!
Tuffcub | 13/05/2009 10:37
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Im feeling robbed of TSA points these days…
gazzagb | 13/05/2009 10:39
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4274 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
Surely it must be more than 23%? The servey on asked “2000 residents in the uk”. What area was that in? What age range was the people in? I doubt you can make an assumption for 62 million people when youve only asked 2000. I dont think this artical is entirely realiable.
Seems like i have learnt something from my critical thinking lessons after all. =)
colossalblue | 13/05/2009 10:57
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1897 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
I would presume that people neglect to mention the “retro” consoles they’ve got in their garage and only really respond about current gen consoles.
2000 isn’t a brilliant sample but it’s around the number they use for all these sort of surveys.
Your social group would be skewed, within your social circle there would be a much higher proportion but of the 6 people I have spoken to today only I am known to have a current gen console, one guy has a PS2, three definitely do not own a console and two probably don’t. They are all either professionals I speak to through work or family members over 50.
Harris are well respected market surveyors, their figures can be trusted as much as you would trust any market survey.
gazzagb | 13/05/2009 11:26
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Im not saying that Harris isnt realiable, its the claim that they’ve made for 62 million people after asking just 2000. The article doesnt even talk about what defines a games console. A mobile phone could be one as you can play games on it…
3shirts | 13/05/2009 11:31
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3850 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2008
What about a high end PC that you emulate games on? Not current gen maybe but you can emulate PS2 reasonably well
BoyDay | 13/05/2009 10:48
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Does “with people more likely to stay at home and entertain themselves” mean that Pot Noodle and Kleenex are doing well too? :P
3shirts | 13/05/2009 11:31
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You must REALLY like Pot Noodles!
BoyDay | 13/05/2009 12:07
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Never bought or eaten one in my life – I didn’t go to uni so had no need!
Tuffcub | 13/05/2009 12:24
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The you are missing out on food of the goods. Chicken and mushroom “flavour” is packed with yummy artificial flavours and msg!
Paragonknight | 13/05/2009 14:11
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I don’t drink alcohol. I drink a lot of coca cola though. I stay home most of the time as there’s nothing to do outside really. For me that is. Well going to town to see what’s on offer at Game is something I can do as I just walk to town.
CrazyKrissZ | 13/05/2009 17:12
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576 TSA Points | Member since: Oct 2008
I drink a lot of alcool (*take a sip from a ice-cold beer*), aahhhhh!! But the problem with drinking is you don’t have to be in a pub to do it. You can drink while playing baseball in a park, driving your car or playing PS3 in your livingroom (wich is my personal favorite… wich is why I haven’t finished GTAIV original story mode, too drunk after one or two missions!).
But you gotta out sometime before going mad, economic crisis or not! Go in a pub have a tea or something! We can’t just live vitrually all the time!
Mick939 | 13/05/2009 23:39
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Pedestrians, think swiftly some of us have had a drink…
ShovellyJoe | 13/05/2009 19:17
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Woo! I love the Rush reference in the description.
I think that’s what you were going for… :P