PS2 the Most Played Console In 2008 172
An anonymous reader writes "In terms of console usage, the aging PS2 still leads the competition, according to data from US research firm Nielsen. Data the company compiled between January and October 2008 shows that the PS2 commanded 31.7 percent of the total number of minutes spent playing consoles. Only 37.9 percent of play time took place on current-gen systems, with the Xbox 360 (17.2 percent) leading the Wii (13.4 percent) and the PS3 (7.3 percent). Users even spent more time playing on the original Xbox (9.7 percent) than the PS3, while Nintendo's GameCube (4.6 percent) wasn't far behind Sony's new console either."
World of Warcraft once again topped the most-played PC game list by a large margin. Tetris was the top mobile game, followed by Bejeweled and Guitar Hero III.
Not surprised (Score:4, Interesting)
In fact the Singstar game we played was a brand-new copy of the recently-released Singstar ABBA, and everyone loved it.
You can pick up used PS2 games for a pittance. I remember chatting to a store assistant in a games store, saying he was still always seeing parents come in and picking up PS2s with a bunch of games for the holidays. Console and a load of games well under 100 UK pounds, for which you can't really get another console (perhaps a DS or PSP with one game).
They're still releasing new games for the PS2, a pretty clear indication that it's still alive. No-one sane would advocate playing a cut-down and graphically poor PS2 Force Unleashed, but it's clearly still economically viable to release it. Though some would say the same for the Wii version [escapistmagazine.com]. And, I don't want to arouse any fanboy ire, but I have a sneaking suspicion that similarities in graphical capabilities between the Wii and PS2 might help the economics of releasing a PS2 port... Anyway, there are a ton of PS2 games that are well worth playing - a brilliant last-generation game beats a mediocre current-gen one.
Everyone commenting on gaming stories should disclose their console preferences to discourage fanboy-ism. My TV is currently hooked up to a Wii, a PS2 and a Sega Master System.
Number of games vs consoles vs time spent (Score:3, Interesting)
Translation : people spend the most time on the console they've got the most games for.
Would have been interesting if they tried to correlate the number of games owned per console vs. the time spent on each console, and see what the difference is between generations (i.e. if you have 10 Xbox 1 games and 10 Xbox 360 games you'll probably spend more time on the Xbox 360, but how much longer?)
Not that surprising (Score:3, Interesting)
PS2: 140 million
Wii: 45 million
360: 27 million
PS3: 19 million
As of 2006, it was still the best selling console. I don't know about the last two years but I'm guessing it isn't doing too badly.
Re:Minutes spent correlation to items (Score:3, Interesting)
Sure, it's last weeks breakfast, but man, for somebody who doesn't really play consoles to begin with, I had a good time with Smash Bros, Zelda games, and DDR Mario Mix.
I'll probably get a WII in 4 or 5 years when the next gen comes out... that is, if they're not as scarce then as they are now.
The interesting thing I found about the old gamecube is that I spent just about $50 on the thing, which is good- but the used games were still damn close to $60 each. PC games that old either get removed from the shelf, or cost about $19.95 at your local game store. Not neccessarily a good thing.
Also- I can't imagine PS2 games being terribly cheaper than PS3 games (however I don't price them regularly, seeing as I don't own either), but it seems that a lot of the major titles (rock band, guitar hero) are being developed for both platforms. Seems game makers are not terribly interested in the piddly market for the PS3, and so there is no demand to upgrade to the PS3, because PS2 still plays a lot of new games.
PS3 got the shaft (Score:2, Interesting)
I've got a 360 (admittedly only because work wanted me to have it for a demo) and a PS3. I bought the PS3 for BluRay but I find myself playing on it more and more.
I have played on the 360 a good bit, but I find it is loud and I like having controllers on the PS3 that are rechargeable without buying more stuff. I also find that, oddly, the PS3 controller works better for me. I thought the 360 controller was better at first due to the way it seemed to fit my hands better. But it is heavier and the battery pack is attached in a way that cramps my fingers.
I also like the networking options on the PS3 better.
Overall I think the PS3 is a great box that never caught on. This past holiday season I noticed that the 360 and Wii had more than 2x the shelf space for accessories. And Rock Band 2 took a month longer to come out on the PS3 than the 360. So it is no wonder that the PS3 is essentially dying out. You can't sell people what they can't find.
I will definitely be sad if the PS3 goes into "unsupported land" as soon as it seems to be. But it will still be useful both as a BluRay and as a large-screen linux box (which I've found pretty darned handy) for some time to come.
My gf has a Wii that we played alot over Christmas and it has alot of family-style gaming capability. However they weren't games I'd pick to play solo. Hopefully someone in the "4th gen" realizes there is a market for both family-style/kid games AND a console with more potential as a media and networking hub.
Re:PS3 Can Play Games? (Score:3, Interesting)
I can't keep up with all the games from the 90s I'm interested in playing at the moment.
Re:Minutes spent correlation to items (Score:3, Interesting)
Well, if you're implying that the reason people played the PS2 more than current gen systems is because they're all poor, I'd say that's probably not the major cause. After all, it's not like playing games on the PS2 is free while playing them on the wii is an arm and a leg. It's cheaper yes, and the games too, but it doesn't SEEM like it's a gap that means most people can't afford it.
Of course, it does strike me that the order PS2, wii, 360, PS3 is increasing in price and decreasing in playtime, but I still think it's more related to game library, with the wii being an exception due to the controller.