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Research poll says U.S. kids want a PS3, not a Wii photo

Attention mommy and daddy: Forget the college fund, your kid wants a PlayStation 3 for Xmas. And, if you don't get them one, they will hate you forever and you'll be forced to deal with years of drug abuse and illegitimate children. You don't want that on your conscience, do you?

According to poll results from the Weekly Reader Research, American children from ages 5-18 said "they would prefer to have" a PlayStation 3 over all the other systems. Be prepared, these results may shock you:

  • 40% want a PS3
  • 25% want an Xbox 360
  • 22% want a Nintendo Wii
  • 13% would rather have none (we'll call these the bastard children)

The study also reveals that girls don't like video game systems as much as boys -- holy crap what a shock. According to the poll, 23% of girls would rather have neither console, while only 3% of the boys would rather have none.

So, how many were polled? Here's the raw data: "This survey had 3,013 total respondents, 1,538 of which were boys, 1,475 of which were girls. 965 of the respondents were ages 5-9, 769 of them 10-12, 792 of them 13-15, and 487 of them 16-18."

Shocked? Surprised? I'm not. I've been saying for ages that the PlayStation is a much stronger brand name to the casual consumer than Wii. Only time will tell if these stats ring true as next-gen is finally ushered in. 


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27 comments | showing # 1 to 27

gamehunter101's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/16/2006 16:18
gamehunter101
thats all the kids talk about today
gamehunter101's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/16/2006 16:21
gamehunter101
yep street kids
HighVoltage's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/16/2006 16:24
HighVoltage
Lets see how many of those kids get a PS3 and not a Wii instead. I guess Nintendo just doesn't hold the authority in name it used to to these young kids. They don't know the early days. Plus, how many of them are informed and know good games? My little brother will play anything and he'll like it, and he's 11. And yes, he wants a PS3, to which my parents laughed at when they found out the price. They just want it because it's expensieve and think it'll be amazing and the best thing since Pokemon Aqua-Marine-Fuschia-Bronze.
World Famous's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/16/2006 16:31
World Famous
Well, here's out it usually works Brandan:

Mommy or daddy: Billy, what do you want?
Billy: I want a PlayStation 3.
Mommy or daddy: OK. *runs off to sell kidneys to illegal organ farm*
Matrixdude's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/16/2006 16:34
Matrixdude
Yeah, parents these days...

Anyways, I bet not even half of the kids that took part in this poll knew anything about the Wii. They just know the name PlayStation and how great it is (which it is sweet) and just choose that.
World Famous's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/16/2006 16:37
World Famous
Which is exactly my point Matrix. That's what I've been trying to say all along. People know the PlayStation brand. Most people have no clue what a Wii is, nor do they care. This is Nintendo's real hurdle.
moclippa's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/16/2006 16:40
moclippa
Summa you have had first hand experience with a Wii... do you think its applicable to all age groups above 8 years old or would kids have trouble adapting to the way its setup... is the controller size going to be a problem for smaller hands to hold?

If those aren't problems then the Nintendo's 200 million in Wii advertising is going to be a decent budget to try to beat Sony's branding bloody... mostly when kids start pushing the console through word of mouth.
Iceciro's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/16/2006 16:41
Iceciro
That's one of them - the other one is Ninty really needs to get the word out.
Sony's apocalyptic lines are getting media coverage.
World Famous's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/16/2006 16:45
World Famous
Mo, if kids can handle a PS2 or GameCube controller, I don't see why the Wii would be any harder -- same can be said for the size issue.
Faraday's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/16/2006 16:46
Faraday
I've always thought that the polls where the Wii came out on top were a bit odd, hardly anyone in my area even knows what a Wii is yet. And half of the people I know with a 360 said they would gladly sell it for a PS3, just because of the name, they don't know anything about it apart from it's got "that fancy cell thing".
Rosbif's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/16/2006 16:47
Rosbif
Studies Show: Children are retarded.
Matrixdude's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/16/2006 16:47
Matrixdude
Exactly.

We just have to wait a month or two after this weekend to actually get a fair poll.
Lord_Satorious's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/16/2006 16:50
Lord_Satorious
If the kids want a video game system, then the parents will get whatever is available. Honestly, did you ever ask your parents for something for Christmas, and not get it but get something similar? Like ask for "Transformers" and get "Go Bots"? Not that the Wii is the equivalent of "Go Bots" compared to the "Transformers" PlayStation 3. Kids want a PS3? Too bad, here's a Wii.
World Famous's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/16/2006 16:53
World Famous
Lord: You'd be amazed at the influence spoiled brats have nowadays.
Civnerd's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/16/2006 16:54
Civnerd
bah, I can see it now: Wii will be for the old fogeys, 360s will be for the adults, and the ps3 will WTFOWNAGE with the kiddies.
thenewblood's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/16/2006 17:43
thenewblood
PS3's are like SUV's, like big flashy Hummers or Navigators. Everyone already has a DVD Player and a computer in their house. The PS3 is simply a souped-up console with a bunch of features nobody needs. Buying a PS3 is like buying a Fourth car. If you got the money and nothing to do with it then hey, why not buy a PS3.
Zaron's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/16/2006 18:28
Zaron
Of course kids want the PS3, the PS3 is the most powerful system. Kids have no sense of what an insane price $599, and that's the biggest mark against the PS3. Everyone I know WANTS a PS3, including myself, but because there's not one person among my circle of friends who is willing to spend that much for a gaming system.
kevinski's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/16/2006 19:36
kevinski
Kids want the PlayStation 3 for either of two reasons:

01) It has the word PlayStation in its name.

02) Their friend want it.

Yet I still continue to hear people asking for "Zelda for PlayStation" every so often. Stupid fucks.

I've talks to plenty of parents and grandparents who want to purchase the PlayStation 3 for their children or grandchildren who want it so badly. I try to talk some sense into them, telling them that they should only purchase it if they're entirely certain that their children or grandchildren know enough about the console to warrant a purchase. It just disgusts me that the general public will shell out money for something that they know virtually nothing about.
Kif 's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/16/2006 19:54
Kif
Whose going to buy a £500 machine just to play games for 5 year olds on it?
Rosseh's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/16/2006 19:58
Rosseh
Why do they care about PS3? Have you seen kids shows? It's all really terrible CGI now. They have no knowledge of quality.
Jelster's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/16/2006 20:00
Jelster
Playstation = Gaming for a lot of kids these days what with their exposure to the PS1, PS2 and PSP. Bit like prior to Sony coming onto the scene Nintendo = Gaming. Sony are just as likely to see a fall from grace the same way Nintendo did and it will be a gradual one unless they snap out of the downward turn. For all the things going wrong with the PS3 and Nintendo spending $200mil it'd be interesting asking the same question come the next generation.
Poopface Morty's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/16/2006 20:14
Poopface Morty
How is a child a casual consumer?

Personally, I feel that kids are dazzled by glitzy graphics. They want to play what the "adults" play, and Wii ain't helping the cause with it's less intimidating image. And as most people pointed out, kids don't have to pay for the PS3, their parents do. After all the time I spent in retail though, most parents don't give a damn what the kid wants. They get what's available, and it sure as hell ain't going to be the PS3.
Ballistic90's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/16/2006 20:40
Ballistic90
It's not just the price, it's the fact that there won't be any PS3s for the parents to by aside from on eBay.
kielejocain's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/16/2006 21:10
kielejocain
Ok, while I certainly won't deny that PlayStation is a bigger brand with casuals than Nintendo (I didn't survey anyone myself), this survey is totally bogus. Why? A third of those surveyed aren't even 10. First of all, these kids obviously don't have even the $250 to pony up for the Wii, let alone the greenbacks for a PS3 or non-Amazon-rumored 360. I doubt most of them could even IDENTIFY the systems. My guess is that the 5-year-olds would pick the PlayStation because that's what they have at home (or so they think... when you're that old, 1=2=3 give or take anyway). On kotaku.com, there was a video of one of the blogger's adorable 7-year-old-ish kid playing Wii, while the blogger asked him questions. He asked which controller the kid liked, Wii or PS3. The kid held up the Wii-mote and asked, "is this PS3?" His father is a blogger on a major VG blog, he's played both systems under his fathers tutelage, and he STILL can't even ID the brand. Useless garbage.
subnet6's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/16/2006 23:21
subnet6
This just goes to show the PS3 is more kiddie this gen.

Also, Lord Sartorious is totally right.

I remember when I got my NES, I begged for Castlevania for christmas but what ended up under the tree?

Castle Quest!

Fuck me. That may be the worst game ever! But my mom was trying her best. She had no idea that not only did I not get what I wanted but I got something that was total shite!

Being a good little kid, I smiled and said thanks mom.
AshTR's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/17/2006 02:24
AshTR
Man...i'm 16 and I say that the PS3 is the worst console out of next-gen. I say wii all the way.
plyr3005's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/17/2006 23:24
plyr3005
the console is not bad, it's just really really really really expensive... for $600, I could buy a used car, get a new computer, buy a 20'' HD ready LCD tv, with DVD player built in, new furniture, a high end digital camera, or A Nokia N Series phoe (think: phone + iPod + 2 Megapixel camera + BLuetooth + cool = Nokia N-series). I want a PS3, but I can't afford it, and if I could, I could buy better stuff with that kind of money, so, I think i'll settel for the surprisingly awesome Wii, or even a 360 (for Halo)
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