http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=17398
BrandIntel: Wii Has Highest Purchase Intent
As if you couldn't already tell that the Wii has been dominating based on monthly sales numbers, a new report from BrandIntel suggests that Nintendo's console also has the highest purchase intent among consumers because of its price and ease of use. The Xbox 360 was found to be the top choice for hardcore gamers.
The analysts at BrandIntel have released a new report, Top Video Game Console Report: Consumer Insight Monitor, which has examined consumer sentiment and discussion share around next-generation gaming consoles. Ultimately, the Wii was found to have the highest purchase intent scores and appears to be "appealing to a broader consumer base due to its price, innovation and ease of use."
The Xbox 360, however, was #1 among the hardcore gaming crowd. Microsoft's system has often been pegged as the hardcore gamer's machine. If the Xbox 360 is going to hold off the Wii, Microsoft will have to find ways to broaden its own audience.
For the report, BrandIntel tracked over 437,000 raw search results on the Internet (from the beginning of 2007 through July 24) and then refined the results with the help of technological filters and human analysis; the result led to an examination of more than 2,000 consumer mentions on next-generation consoles.
BrandIntel said that the Wii is "poised to become consumers' choice for next-generation gaming" and the console "generated very positive levels of appeal and brand image and came highly recommended by consumers."
"As the console war heats up again for the holiday season, Nintendo has been able to successfully target a new audience of casual gamers which has opened up new marketing and revenue opportunities for the company," said Alan Dean, V.P. of Business Innovation at BrandIntel. "As the Nintendo Wii moves beyond the hype, consumers are looking for games that can compete with the bigger name titles produced by their competitors."
The report also found that the Xbox 360 "generated the least discussion due to its relative maturity," but Microsoft's platform "received positive sentiment stemming mostly from an impressive game lineup, making it the choice console for gaming enthusiasts."
As for the PS3, Sony's new console "generated high levels of discussion regarding its processing power and hard drive, but was perceived more negatively than the Wii and Xbox 360 due in part to its high cost and lack of attractive games."