USA Today
A survey on video games and the recession suggests video game enthusiasts are playing games more and spending more money on used games.
The survey, titled ”The Value Gamer,” finds through the first five months of 2009, participants are devoting an additional one to two hours a week playing games compared to 2006, when Nielsen started tracking video game statistics.
Players also seem to be turning more toward used games and rental services. According to Nielsen, the ratio of used games to the total number purchased is at an all-time high, as consumers cut back on new title purchases. Use of rental services by mail have also reached Nielsen peaks.
The research cites this rise in used games and rentals as well as a lack of blockbuster titles for a drop in new game purchases for 2009.
The survey included 2,400 participants classified by Nielsen as gamers, or consumers who have purchased a game in the last six months and played for at least one hour a week on current consoles or PC.
