Nielsen
Latest
Nielsen survey says most PSP users are female, Xbox 360 most played
In its 2010 Media Industry Fact Sheet, the Nielsen Company tallied some interesting numbers [PDF] related to the increase of social media and how video game console usage trended in 2009. According to its survey statistics, Sony's PSP market in the United States contains a slight majority of female gamers -- 52% of the platform's owners in the region, while 49% of Nintendo Wii owners are female. Nielsen's survey statistics show that, as of 2009, 45% of all active gamers are women. Social media has, expectantly, made a dramatic leap in usage. Nielsen's survey claims Facebook membership skyrocketing from November 2008 to 2009 with 109 million members accessing the site at the end of the the decade versus about 47.5 million the year before. Twitter saw its user base increase by 15.9 million members in the same time frame. Both social media sites have seen life on consoles. Related to each console's individual usage -- besides what the good looking gamers enjoy -- Nielsen's survey claims the Xbox 360 is the most played console (ranked by share of total usage minutes), taking 23.1% of the measured playtime. Sony's PlayStation 2 netted second with 20.4% and the Nintendo Wii closed up the top three with 19% of the vote. While we know the previous sentence sounds like we just called all console gamers hideous beings, we just mean that ladies are pretty and smell like daffodils compared to the faint odor of Cheetos and Mountain Dew that lingers around us fellas. [Via Edge]
Nielsen stats: a lot of iPhones out there, but also a lot of everything else
Fact: most phones last. Thing is, for us (and likely many of you), they last far longer than our clinically-diagnosed Gadget Attention Deficit Disorder would ever tolerate -- but for your dad, your sister, your college buddy with the hand-me-down ZEOS Pantera running Windows 95, or anyone weary of re-upping a two-year commitment, a handset can easily become a serious long-term investment. That helps explain why Motorola's venerable RAZR series remains staggeringly high on Nielsen's latest US phone usage report -- third place, to be exact, at 2.3 percent of all subscribers behind the iPhone 3G at 4 percent and RIM's BlackBerry Curve line at 3.7 percent. Needless to say, that doesn't mean the ancient V3 line is still in third place for sales -- it's more a testament to the staggeringly huge RAZR user base Moto managed to develop over the years, many of whom scored their phones at sub-$100 price points as an attractive, midrange value in the phone's twilight and have no intention of upgrading any time soon if they don't have to. Maybe the most interesting part of this is that two V3 variants are also topping 2009's most-recycled list, so they're definitely getting taken out of circulation -- it just might take a few years yet before you don't know anyone that uses one, that's all.
Nielsen Three Screen Report: 99 percent of video still viewed on a TV
Yes you read that right, despite internet video growing at a rapid pace, 99 percent of video viewed in America is still done the old fashioned way. And although this is pretty crazy in and of itself, what's even more shocking is that while we've all but completely abounded linear TV, most only use their DVRs to watch about an hour of TV a week. But what this report really seems to prove more than anything else is that just like TV didn't kill radio, the internet and DVRs aren't going to kill TV as we know it, and instead the total number of hours wasted in front of one of the three screens is just going to keep getting higher and higher until the whole world comes crashing down -- or something like that.
Nielsen reports the effects of the digital transition
This is a really interesting report of the affects of the digital transition on ratings. Like the fact that "TV stations that transitioned to digital only experienced an 8 percent share decline immediately following the analog shut-off." But even more interesting is this that same number goes up to 13 percent if the broadcaster switched from UHF to VHF because of reception problems -- no wonder some broadcasters are going back to UHF. The other thing that piqued our interest was that cable companies seemed to be the real winners here as 18.2 percent of those facing the decision to buy a converter box, just ordered cable instead -- little do they know that they are just putting off getting a box. [Via TVB]
Nielsen and EEDAR join forces to provide 'unprecedented' game tracking data
Stat-tracking firms The Nielsen Company and Electronic Entertainment Design and Research (EEDAR) are teaming up to deliver "unprecedented insight into the video games industry." Nielsen's data, which has brought plenty of controversy on its own, will be integrated into EEDAR's GamePulse subscription service. Nielsen gathers its data from 1,200 "active gamers" through a weekly survey, while EEDAR data mines and organizes using various categories.The data will be combined beginning in March of 2010 and be available to both Nielsen Video Game Tracking and EEDAR subscribers. This may not mean much to the average gamer, but to stat-obsessed executives and folks in marketing departments, this is like licking triple-chocolate ice cream covered in bacon and honey.
Are DVRs actually going to save the network TV model?
Stay tuned for the network's latest DVR strategy: acceptance. Armed with the latest Nielsen data, ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox are rushing to tell advertisers that even with a set-top box and its bevy of pauses, fast forwards and 30 second skips at the ready -- we're guessing this doesn't apply to Media Center users on automated setups -- most viewers simply settle in and watch the commercials anyway. The New York Times breaks down the commercial-plus-three ratings system the networks initially opposed that could end up saving shows like Heroes from cancellation -- though a return to the old way of thinking might be worthwhile if it means an end to that show's now pitiable existence.
Nielsen: 360 has most 'active users' in 2009, Wii has fewest
We imagine those six multicolored lines you see above are going to cause quite a stir among the various fanboy contingencies -- they represent the percentage of "active users" on different consoles in the first half of 2009, according to survey data compiled by Nielsen. As you can see, the Xbox 360 dominated the charts, while the ubiquitously successful Wii came in dead last by a huge margin, ranking below the PS2, original Xbox and GameCube.Our initial reaction to this data was that Nielsen is high on pot, but we can kinda understand what caused the Wii's disappointing placement on the list -- the chart is tracking the percent of console owners who use their gaming hardware on a regular basis. Everyone and their dog owns a Wii by this point, but very few actually play them consistently, according to Nielsen's findings. Meanwhile, there's only a handful of GameCubes out there that haven't been converted into lunchboxes, and their owners apparently use them a bit more frequently.If you're looking for a more straightforward breakdown of console usage, Nielsen also figured the overall usage totals for each console. That chart's posted after the jump. (You'll find it slightly above the deluge of inflammatory comments.)[Via IndustryGamers]
Nielsen sees DTV unreadiness drop to just 1.1%
According to Nielsen's surveys, only 1.1% of U.S. households still aren't able to receive TV signals since the digital TV switch June 12. That's 1.3 million homes that have made the necessary changes since analog said goodbye, with 229,000 doing so just in the last couple of weeks. If you're reading this and somehow still aren't ready, don't forget to pick up a coupon now. Need all the dirty details? Click over for the full PDF report.
Interest in Modern Warfare 2 spikes with Call of Duty branding
Don't freak out, guys. We know how worried you were when we told you that interest in Modern Warfare 2 was waning without the warm embrace of that familiar Call of Duty brand name. According to Nielsen's Video Game Tracking service, interest in the shooter has substantially improved following the association of Infinity Ward's work with Activision's recognizable franchise.Three different consumer interest fields Nielsen tracked -- "Aided Awareness," "Definite Interest in Purchasing," and "Total Positive Interest in Purchasing" -- increased drastically from the week of July 6 (before the title was modified) to the week of July 13 (post-name change). It's just like Bill Shakespeare said: "A rose by any other name may smell as sweet, but a rose that's clearly endorsed by Activision will sell way better." We're pretty sure that's how that goes.
Nielsen: Gaming time, used game sales at all-time high
Take that, crumbling economy! In a recently released report (PDF), Nielsen Media Research claims that, despite poor economic conditions, gamers are actually spending more time playing games in 2009 than they have in previous years. In fact, the number of hours spent per week playing games is at an all-time high. Nielsen attributes this rise to "mainstream gamers" spending more time with "broadly appealing" titles like Rock Band, Guitar Hero and Wii Fit. Playing these games for all they're worth can help gamers "stretch their entertainment dollar," according to Nielsen's Michael Flamberg, director of client consulting,Furthermore, used game sales are also higher than ever before. Since January, the average number of used games purchased in a six-month period has risen from 3.01 to 3.51, accounting for 36 percent of all games purchased. The firm also reports that subscription to game rental services like GameFly is on the rise, stating that some gamers may use such services as a substitution for purchasing new games.What say you, Joystiq readers? Has the economy driven you to purchase more used games?
2.1 million households let the DTV transition pass them by
And to think we've been worrying about all those poor people who weren't ready for the DTV transition, only to find out that they don't even watch TV. We mean, what other explanation could you have for the fact that it's been solid week after the big analog shutoff and 2.1 million households still can't watch TV. Of course not all of these people just let the DTV transition pass them by, some of them are affected by the reception problems, and others probably don't even understand the question. Either way we'll find out soon enough as most broadcasters should be full power by July 1st and no doubt Nielsen will have the results of another poll out by then.
Nielsen: Halo 3: ODST, God of War 3, Wii Sports Resort most desired games post-E3
Now that the excitement of E3 has died down, research firm Nielsen has readied the results of a new survey, which gauged consumer purchase intent for titles from the show. Obtained between June 7 to June 14, the results (via Edge) concluded that Bungie's upcoming jaunt through New Mombasa, Halo 3: ODST, had the highest purchase intent, with 53% of respondents taking interest. It was followed by God of War 3, which received 49% in support of its comical, over-the-top violence, and Nintendo's log-splitting sim, Wii Sports Resort, which managed 45%.While undoubtedly big titles, we'd be lying if we said we weren't surprised by the top three. Some other titles we thought would be huge scored lower in this survey, including Assassin's Creed 2 (32%) and The Beatles: Rock Band (30%). Clearly, the allure of wasting extra-terrestrial lifeforms is still very strong in gamers. What would Spock say?
NAB disputes Nielsen's numbers, claims only 1.75 million unready for transition
With less than 24 hours to go until analog TV goes dark for a certain segment of American, and the NAB wants to make sure everyone is aware that Nielsen's unreadiness claims aren't accepted by all. The point of contention is a mere 1 million people and really comes down to those who are "almost ready." Meaning, the NAB doesn't count respondents who claimed to have already started getting ready, but aren't in any hurry to make the actual switch until the very last minute. Differences in opinion aside one thing is for sure, at some point tomorrow every TV watcher in the US will be digital ready, or they will no longer be a TV watcher.
Nielsen's final pre analog shutoff survey finds 2.5% still unready
In the last update before analog TV goes off after June 12, Nielsen's results indicate 2.5% of, or 2.8 million U.S. homes are still completely unready and will be cut off after it goes through. That's around three million less than it was the last time we were this close to the DTV transition, hopefully all reading this are on the digital television ready side (six easy steps right here.) Don't forget, many stations are switching at different times, so check your local broadcasters before rescanning so you don't have to do it twice, Friday night / Saturday morning is probably your best bet.
Nielsen stats find 33% of U.S. households with at least one HDTV
A good six months after the Leichtman Research group published figures pushing HDTV penetration over one third of the U.S., Nielsen's February survey has produced similar numbers, indicating a rise from the 23% it found prior to the holiday season. Whatever the cause for the jump and the discrepancy, there's plenty of numbers to digest, for those into that. Want to know how many televisions (including SD) the average HDTV owner has? 3. There's still a gap between those who have an HDTV, and the 28% actually able watch HDTV broadcasts, assumed to exist not only because of a lack of consumer education, but also that people are unwilling to add to their cable/satellite bill on a monthly basis to tune in to HD. Punch the read link for the full breakdown, we're sure there's an interesting factoid or trend buried in there somewhere.
One month to analog shutoff: DTV Unreadiness drops below 3 percent
We're finally within range of the DTV switch (and using this image again), and Nielsen is reporting it estimates only 3.3 million or 2.9% of U.S. households are still unready for the days after June 12. That's 200k less than when we last checked in and it looks like this should be the time everything actually happens. Got your switch throwing outfits all laid out?
DTV preparedness now more than 95-percent
Here we are, a little more than a month away from the February 17 June 12 analog shutoff date, and sure enough, more people have grabbed hold of a digital tuner in one device or another. According to Nielsen, the number of unprepared homes is now at 3.1-percent (3.5-million homes). To put that in perspective, recall that at the start of February, we were sitting at 5.1-percent. We're pretty impressed that the number has moved below the 5-percent mark, and certainly a lot of credit goes to stations that went ahead with the switch ahead of the June 12 deadline. Zeno and his paradox aside, we've got high hopes that the June 12th date is going to stick, folks!
Number of DTV unready homes drops to 3.8 million
The number of DTV unready homes continues its slide downward, with Nielsen reporting an additional 610,000 prepared as of April 1, leaving 3.8 million to go. Representing 3.4% of U.S. households still unready, that's only a slight uptick over the pace of previous months, but with coupons rolling out it certainly seems that everything is moving smoothly towards the new June 12 deadline.
Nielsen corrects console usage chart: Wii beats 360 in January
The Nielsen report on American console usage percentages contains some mislabeled data, according to a correction sent to Fast Company by Nielsen's Gavin McMillan. In the original PDF's Figure 4, "January 2008 to January 2009 Video Console Usage Percents," the Wii and Xbox 360's positions are transposed for January 2009. The correct chart appears above, showing that Wii usage, at 20.7% of the total recorded usage minutes, exceeded 360 usage (18.2%) in January.The average percentage of active use for each console for December 2008, the metric on which we reported yesterday, remains accurate. That refers to the percent of use each console got against the total possible time users could have been using them.
Nielsen report ranks gaming usage for Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360 consoles
Nielsen's just released their anxiously awaited "State of the Video Gamer" report, and while it's a real page-turner, there aren't exactly any surprises in store for readers. Conducted in December of 2008, Nielsen investigated use of the three major consoles -- the Nintendo Wii, the Xbox 360, and the PS3. The study found that of those three, owners of the Xbox 360 got the most use out of their console -- an average of 11.4 percent of the time for the duration of the poll, while the PS3 came in a close second at 10.6 percent. The original Xbox followed directly behind that with 10.2 percent, while Wii owners gamed a sad 6.8 percent of the time... far less than that of even PS2 owners. The Wii also came in last place in terms of total days used during the poll, with an average of 5 days (PS3 and Xbox 360 users averaged 6.8 and 7.1, respectively). Hit the read link for the full, breathtaking study and see how you measure up! [Warning: read link is a PDF] Update: As tangocat (and maveric101) point out in comments, we misread the chart the first time out, mistaking the Xbox stats for the Xbox 360 numbers. We've cleared that up -- good looking out! [Via Joystiq]
