Nielsen: PS2 is still the top-played system

While the game press and developers have largely moved on to the latest and greatest, the game players are apparently still stuck in the past to a large extent. Nielsen Media Research's recently released lists of 2007 consumer trends (PDF link) shows that 42.2 percent of console gaming minutes nationwide are spent on the PlayStation 2. In fact, more than twice as many minutes are spent playing the PS2 as are spent on all the current-generation systems combined. It's not just Sony's super-ubiquitous system that's still has legs, either -- the lowly Xbox and GameCube still combine for 21 percent of the country's gameplay minutes.

Perhaps this isn't that surprising, given the relatively large installed bases and libraries the older systems enjoy over their current-gen brethren. What's more surprising, though, is the 17.1 percent of console time spent on "other" consoles that pre-date the PS2. What's causing this relative popularity of retro gaming ? Are frat house's still having nightly Goldeneye tournaments? Are speed-running Super Mario Bros. players more prevalent than we thought? Do today's kids enjoy marathon sessions of Parappa the Rapper? Without more detailed data, it's impossible to know, but it sure is fun to guess, isn't it?

[Via Gamasutra]

PDF - Nielsen's 2007 Top Ten Lists