Research shows many U.S. holiday shoppers have already picked the game-console brand they plan to buy this season, including Black Friday, with 36% of console shoppers planning to purchase a Sony gaming console and 27% planning to buy a Microsoft product. Both companies are releasing next-generation consoles this year, and Sony reports sales of PlayStation 4 exceeded 1 million consoles in the first 24 hours after release. Microsoft is releasing Xbox One this week. Nintendo is third among console shoppers, and Ouya, a relatively inexpensive ($99) Android-powered game console, is the fourth most-desired brand.
Tablets are overall the most-popular CE device this holiday season, but new consoles from Sony and Microsoft, along with a new, less-expensive option in Ouya, will reinvigorate gaming this year. These new models will also help get shoppers into the stores, as console shoppers prefer to shop at retail stores versus purchasing online. Almost 50% of console shoppers plan to shop in-person, at a retail store, while 48% of tablet shoppers plan to shop for that device online.
Parks Associates reports 56% of U.S. broadband households plan to purchase at least one CE device in the 2013 holiday season and 40% of these households intend to acquire a game console. These households plan to purchase, on average, four devices and spend over $1,000 on CE purchases.
