Video-game players are migrating from traditional forms of entertainment, including TV and movie theaters, to the small screen, a new survey has found. Gamers are leaving the theaters in favor of watching DVDs on their home theaters and listening to tunes on their MP3 players.
Some 63% of gamers surveyed said they wanted to see 20th Century Fox’s X-Men: The Last Stand, which opens nationwide on Friday. Another 55% said they looked forward to seeing Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s ChestZ. Some 33% reported wanting to see Sony’s The Da Vinci CodeZ and Warner Bros. Pictures’ Superman Returns, according to the IGN Research: Anatomy of a Gamer survey.
“[Gamers] are comfortable with the confines of their home theater,” said Nick Williams, marketing manager for GamerMetrics and Research Solutions, the company that conducted the survey. “If they go to a movie, they go to see more of a blockbuster.”
Comic-based entertainment, such as Superman and X-Men, resonate with gamers because gamers grew up with the characters, Williams added. That holds true for TV. The survey found that 68% of gamers watch Family Guy, 64% watch The Simpsons and another 51% said they watch South Park — all animated shows. Another 26% of respondents said they watch Lost, 24% watch 24; 23% watch The Daily Show, 22% watch SportsCenter and 21% said they watch America Idol.
“[They] are drawn to edgy, adult cartoon humor,” Williams said of gamers. “It appeals to the gamer lifestyle.”
In the music arena, some 46% of gamers said they listen to Gorillaz; 39% enjoy Eminem and 33% listen to U2. Some 32% of respondents said they listen to artists Kanye West and 30% listen to Coldplay.
The survey also asked gamers about brands that generated the most positive impact on gamers. Google, Apple Coca-Cola, ESPN and Target topped the list, the survey found. GamerMetrics surveyed 2,119 people in March.
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