The appeal of Blu-ray is the primary reason nearly two-thirds of consumers buy the PlayStation 3 videogame console, according to new Nielsen Games research.
The purchase of a specific game title actually ranks lowest in a list of purchase motivators.
Despite extensive media coverage, launch parties and excellent reviews for recent PS3 exclusive game title God of War III III, during a three-week period prior to, during and after the release of GOW III, 65% of 700 active gamers ages 7-54 who do not currently own a PS3 but are definitely or probably interested in acquiring the system in the next six months rated “I want the Blu-ray capabilities” the highest factor in making their decision.
Among those gamers motivated to acquire a PS3 because they are looking forward to buying a specific game, GOW III was the clear winner. But, overall, when asked to rank the five most important reasons (out of 10 possible, with a rank of 1 indicating the most important reason) for being interested in buying a PS3, gamers included “I am looking forward to buying a specific game” only 12% of the time, lagging behind all the other potential motivators by a substantial margin.
PS3 Purchase Motivators Included in 1-5 Ranking
RANK Motivating factor % citing motivator in 1-5 ranking
1 I want the Blu-ray capabilities 65%
2 The recent price reduction has put the system in my price range 63%
3 I like the library of games available 62%
4 I want to upgrade from my PlayStation 2 62%
5 My friends have a PlayStation 3 and I want to connect and play games with them 56%
6 I am interested in PS3’s other online capabilities 50%
7 I am interested in PS3’s other multimedia capabilities 49%
8 I am interested in playing multi-player games online via PlayStation Network 42%
9 Offers that bundle a PS3 and HDTV have motivated me to want to purchase both 36%
10 I am looking forward to buying a specific game 12%
Other 4%
Source: The Nielsen Company
Base: Those interested in purchasing a PS3 in the next six months
While Blu-ray capability and the PS3 price reduction are included most often overall, there is evidence that suggests that software and gaming strongly motivate these potential buyers, with the library of games cited by 62%. In addition, the desire to connect and play games with friends who already own a PS3 and the ability to play multiplayer games on the PlayStation Network that speak to the appeal of PS3 as a gaming platform are also included by many gamers, indicating that these respondents are motivated to purchase the system in part for its gaming capabilities.