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A Third of Console Owners are Adults
A Reuters story points out something that's probably not much of a shock to readers here: almost a third of console owners are 'adults'. This, from a study done by Nielsen, indicates that 37% of adults who go online own a videogame console. 16% own a portable game console. These aren't basement-dwelling rejects, either. Most of these individuals are married, and a full 66 percent have a child. The article suggests the increasing sophistication of the systems, as well as their new role as media center components, has added to the cachet of the console. "Microsoft Corp. and Sony Corp. are positioning their Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles as entertainment hubs for gaming, music and photo viewing amid a fierce battle for dominance in the $30 billion global video- game market."
I'm scratching my head over the two-thirds of console owners that _aren't_ adults - what kid can afford $150-$500 for a console? I suppose if you define "owner" to include "recipient of a gift paid for by someone else", I could see those numbers being fairly accurate. I know when I was a kid, it would have taken almost 6 months' worth of allowance to acquire even a previous-gen console (PS2, Gamecube, Xbox), not to mention games and accessories. Even when I had a "real job" in high school, by the time I got done paying for gas and car insurance, it would have taken a lot of saving to come up with a console.
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This article might have more relevance if it was discussing the "primary users", not "owners" of consoles.
The notion that the increased sophistication and "media center" uses of new consoles are driving factors in larger numbers of adults owning them is silly. The reason more adults own consoles is the inevitability of aging - I loved playing console games as a kid, and now I'm an adult. I didn't suddenly start buying them because they got to the point of being fancy enough, I kept buying them as I got older.
It's like saying in the mid-fifties that most rock and roll listeners are kids / teens, and then acting surprised when 10 years later the audience for rock and roll is "suddenly" composed of more adults, many of whom even have kids! Shocking!
Wait a minute... let me get this straight, you already have a DVD player that you love (PS2), but you won't buy a Wii simply because it won't get you ANOTHER DVD player? Now I'm very confused.
Simply sounds like you've got hate in your heart, so let it all out: these are the things I can do without.
Multiplayer Gaming (defined): Sitting around, discussing single-player games with my friends, at the bar.
A Wii and a DVD player take up less space than a PS3. By far. And you need a controller + remote anyway. Controlling DVDs with a PS2 controller is tedious and my wife can't do it.