If only there were some kind of entertainment product on the market that could address these simple, human needs!

Cynicism aside, the survey - into people’s holiday entertainment activities, behaviors and trends - does turn up a few interesting nuggets. On average, those surveyed plan to spend around 16% less on gifts this year and 64% of parents would like to play more games as a shared family activity.

Check after the jump for some more numbers.

XBox 360 Holiday Entertainment Survey 2008

60% plan to stay at or close to home to save money

71% are looking for one gift to bring the family together

89% hunt for gifts that keep on giving

81% of adults in households with children are looking for gifts that provide entertainment in the home

86% of young adults hope for at least one video game

40% of adults will visit movie theaters less than last year

23% plan to watch more films at home

Researchers found that iPhone, DS and PSP owners are playing on their devices much more in the last three months than at any time previously adding that "Among iPhone users specifically, the application with the greatest increase in use over the last three months was playing games."

The survey also found that 92% of Nintendo DS owners play solo, spending an average of 4.6 hours a week in single player games. Just under a quarter of DS owners play multiplayer games - they clearly need to get out more.

Portable Gaming Habits Revealed [EDGE]

The survey also unearthed a few interesting facts, such as the average size of a video game collection (48 titles) and the fact that 11 percent of video game households surveyed have unopened games in their collection. Hit the jump for the full results, and see how game collectors stack up against those filthy DVD collectors.

Video Game and DVD Packaging Not Going Out with the Trash

Few Discs Are Thrown Away or Recycled

ENCINO, CA (October 28, 2008) … Rather than discarding video game and DVD packaging, consumers overwhelmingly store their video games and DVDs in their original cases according to a joint study commissioned by the Content Delivery and Storage Association (CDSA) and the Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA) and conducted by The NPD Group. The study also found that when consumers no longer want to keep a particular video game or DVD ttitle, they rarely throw it away or recycle it, preferring instead to give it away or sell or trade it.

Eighty-nine percent of DVD owners and 88 percent of video game owners store their DVDs and video games in their original cases. Five percent of DVD owners and eight percent of video game owners store their discs in plastic sleeves but save the original cases. Only six percent of DVD owners and five percent of video game owners said they throw away or recycle the cases.

When they no longer want to own a title, 45 percent of DVD owners give the title to someone else, as will 24 percent of game owners. Fifty-four percent of video game owners will trade it in or sell it; the trade/sell rate is 27 percent for DVD owners. Twenty percent of DVD owners and 17 percent of game owners store the discs. Only two percent of DVD owners and four percent of video game owners recycle or throw the product away.

“In packaged home entertainment, consumers view the packaging cases as part of the product and not something to be tossed,” noted Bo Andersen, President and CEO of EMA. “The cases provide product protection, allow easy title identification, and carry the artwork that is integral to the consumer’s association with the title.”

“The issue of DVD cases being considered as packaging versus as a part of the product has been questioned by some in the industry and without consumer research we could not verify our beliefs that consumers consider the DVD case as part of the product,” commented Charles Van Horn, President of CDSA. “When almost 90 percent of DVD consumers state that they store their DVDs in the original case, they have verified that they consider the case a valuable part of the DVD product.”

Other findings in the study included:

* The average DVD household has 114 DVDs in its collection.
* The average video game collection has 48 titles.
* In the average DVD and video game households there is unwrapped product:
o 26% of the surveyed DVD households own some unopened DVDs.
o 11% of the surveyed video game households own some unopened games.

The NPD Group surveyed a pre-identified sample of DVD and video game purchasers who had purchased a DVD or video game in the past 6 months. The report is based on 557 qualified DVD respondents and 562 video game respondents.

As well as the heart-warming finding that 87% of parents regularly play videogames with their children, the survey also looked at how parents perceived their child's development being affected by gaming.

Perhaps surprisingly, the survey conducted by a major games console manufacturer found that many parents noticed improvements in their kids that they attributed directly to gaming!

75% of surveyed parents think that their children's hand/eye coordination has been improved by gaming, while 84% say that PC gaming has boosted their kid's typing skills.

Parents See Benefit of Children Playing Video Games [GameSpy]

A survey by The Pew Research Center has 'revealed' that around ninety seven percent of American children regularly play video games (boys: 99%, girls 94%). Possibly, the other three percent are being punished for something and have had their consoles nailed to a tree.

Its not all stating the bleedin' obvious, over at Pew towers. More revealing was the broad spectrum of games that America's youth are playing.

All genres get a look in, with racing, action, puzzle games and sports being the most popular. More that two thirds of the kids surveyed played online, with games being seen as a social activity rather than the solitary pastime so often portrayed in the media.

Survey: Nearly every kid a video gamer[SF Gate]

Most of the findings in this regard are trivial. Hardcore gamers rated themselves higher for the importance of all the emotions we inquired about (and all these findings were highly statistically significant) – which is to say, Hardcore gamers were more emotionally invested in their play, or at least more likely to rate the importance of any emotional factor in their play higher. Hardcore gamers also rated themselves higher on every aspect of game literacy or player skills in the survey (and these results were even more statistically significant). Finally, Hardcore gamers were more interested in games of challenge, structured play (Caillois’ ludus) and games of escapism (acting out in a virtual world) – all of which broadly validated the findings from the earlier DGD1 survey.

But these results obscure something interesting about the players who self-identified as Casual. Firstly, Casual players still play games very often. 81% of those who self-identified as Hardcore said they played videogames everyday, but 49% of Casual players also said they played everyday. Hardcore players gave themselves high marks in game literacy (more than 95% of Hardcore respondents claiming the top two marks, and about three quarters the very top mark), but Casual players didn’t exactly rate themselves low on this (around 85% of Casual respondents claimed the top two marks, and roughly half the very top mark). So while some of these Casual players might be mass market players, many of them are highly game literate players who play videogames every day. (Incidentally, those who were unable to choose between Hardcore and Casual looked remarkably similar to those who self-identified as Casual).

He goes on to say there is a gap between 'casual games' and the so-called 'casual player'; he ends by asking if there's anyway to redefine our terminology in a way that is useful and usable. I think an 'either/or' split is here to stay, at least for a good long while, if for no other reason than people like clear divides — even if they don't correlate to reality.

Redefining Hardcore & Casual [Only A Game]

Click here to begin the THRILLING survey.

That couldn't be more devoid of details, sadly. More interesting is the survey's data gathering on alternate pricing schemes, indicating that EA and MTV Games may be looking at giving you more Rock Band for your buck.

The full list of questions is as follows.

• How interested would you be in purchasing Rock Band 2?
• How likely would you be to consider Rock Band Special Edition if it is priced at $199, but included an extra guitar (two wireless guitars, drums and microphone included)?
• How likely would you be to consider Rock Band Special Edition if it is priced at $169 (one wireless guitar, drums and microphone included)?
• How likely would you be to consider Rock Band Special Edition if it is priced at $149 (one wireless guitar, drums and microphone included)?
• If Guitar Hero released a new game with full band play (guitar, bass, drums, singing) similar to Rock Band, which game would you be most likely to purchase?
• Now, which game would you be most likely to choose if one were priced slightly lower than the other?

We know that Guitar Hero IV plans to match Rock Band feature-wise in the instrument department, adding a drum set and vocals, so EA and MTV Games are going to have battle it out with above and beyond software tricks and appeal to gamer's wallets. For many current Rock Band owners, I have a feeling future purchasing decisions are going to come down to already owned hardware, but for those who haven't committed, we have to wonder what Harmonix has up its sleeve to keep fence sitters interested.

• 18% of producers are women (that's high for the industry)
• Business/Marketing personnel made most, averaging $101,848/year
• QA testers made the least, averaging $39,063/year

But there are lots more fun facts and figures in the release after the jump. So enjoy! (Our apologies if you make less than average. It's time to ask for that raise. Just make sure to print the report on company paper.)

2007 GAME DEVELOPER SALARY SURVEY REVEALS U.S. GAME INDUSTRY AVERAGE INCOME OF $73,600 SAN FRANCISCO - April 14, 2008 - Editors at Game Developer magazine, the leading video game industry publication, have released the results of its seventh annual Game Developer Salary Survey, calculating an average American game industry salary in 2007 of $73,600, slightly up from 2006's figure of $73,316. Highlights of specific findings per category for the survey, which is the only major publicly released analysis of salaries in the worldwide video game industry, is available in further detail in the newly published April 2008 issue of Game Developer magazine (http://www.gdmag.com), include: Programming: programmers are the highest paid talent next to high-end businesspeople, with an average annual salary of $83,383. They are also among the highest educated group; 50% hold bachelor's degrees and about 26% have some graduate work. Art & Animation: artists - averaging a $66,594 salary - are also a well trained group, with 66% reporting at least a bachelor's degree. The percentage of artists with six or more years of experience increased to 40%, up 5% over last year, as industry workers matured. Game Design: Averaging $63,649, design positions sprouted an average $2,111 over last year, with writers new to the industry up by $6,000 to an average of $51,731. In addition, Game Developer surveyed community managers for the first time, with an average salary of $50,294 for the increasingly important job function. Production: of all the game development disciplines, production - with a salary average overall of $78,716 - seems to be one of the most welcoming to women, with 18% of the workforce made up of females. The discipline as a whole saw an above-average, though somewhat marginal $1,585 bump from last year. Quality Assurance: testers with less than three years experience make up the largest percentage of this segment. Quality assurance is the lowest paid of the game development disciplines, averaging $39,063, and also receives the least in additional compensation - although Q/A leads with more than 6 years of experience average a salary of $70,658. Audio: sound designers as a group earned more than they did in 2006, up $3,474 on average over last year to $73,409. Interestingly, 40% of those in the game audio industry have been working there for 6 years or more - more than the 36% for game design, but less than the 51% for production. Business & Marketing: the business field as a whole remains the highest compensated group in game development - with an average salary of $101,848 - and also receives the highest amount of additional compensation. However, salaries vary significantly between individual job titles in this section, with experienced executives making the most of any individual section in the entire survey - at $132,305 average for more than 6 years experience. "Our Salary Survey continues to provide canonical information on the state of game pay," Simon Carless, publisher of Game Developer magazine, said. "We hope the data presented by Game Developer magazine will serve to both encourage aspiring developers, as well as focus the attention of increasingly important new industry positions such as community managers." An extended version of the "Game Developer Salary Survey" includes much more detailedU.S. regional and growth data for year-over-year results from 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007, plus international information from Canada and Europe. It will be of particular interest to business and HR professionals in the game industry, and is now available for purchase through Game Developer Research - more information is available athttp://www.gamedevresearch.com.

GameDeveloper Research

Sony reps call the survey a part of "ongoing PSP consumer research", attempting to learn more about the size of the PSP hacking population and the mentality behind the behavior. Questions like "Do you know of anyone who has "hacked," or modified, transferred and customized their PSP firmware and software?" were included elsewhere in the poll.

We're following up with Sony to learn more about its research.

Computer Games Help Adults Bond With Their Children and Grandchildren

Largest-ever casual games survey reveals 70% of family gamers see educational benefits for children / grandchildren

Dublin, Ireland - 28th August 2007 — 92% of casual gaming parents and grandparents say casual games provide an opportunity for them to bond with their children/grandchildren.

PopCap Games (www.popcap.com) unveils the results of the largest-ever worldwide (including UK) survey of casual computer game players, which also reveals that 70% of 'family gamers' believe casual games provide educational benefits to their children/grandchildren - with greatest benefits of gameplay identified as learning, stress relief and hand-eye coordination.

In stark contrast to traditional perceptions of computer gaming, parents/grandparents said casual games helped them bond with their children/grandchildren (92%) and mentioned the following casual game benefits for children/grandchildren:

· 68% cited Hand-eye coordination/Manual dexterity

· 60% cited Learning (pattern recognition, resource allocation, spelling, etc.)

· 51% cited Mental workouts/Cognitive exercise

· 48% cited Memory strengthening

· 44% cited Stress relief/Relaxation

· 37% cited Positive affirmation/Confidence building

Among the nearly 7,500 adult respondents who took part in the survey, nearly a third (31%) indicated they had children or grandchildren under 18 who play casual games in their home. And of these 2,298 'family gamers', 80% play casual games with their children or grandchildren - while 66% said they would welcome the use of such games in their children's or grandchildren's schools.

Professor Mark Griffiths, Professor of Gambling Studies at Nottingham Trent University, UK says: "Empirical research has consistently shown that in the right context, computer- and videogames can have a positive educational, psychological and therapeutic benefit to a large range of different ages and sub-groups."

"Casual games span generations and genders in ways that traditional 'hardcore' video games never have," notes Dr. Carl Arinoldo, a New York-based psychologist and author of Essentials of Smart Parenting. "This universal appeal, and the 'G-rated' content of the games, makes them a great activity in which the whole family can participate, with each generation enjoying the games in different ways while also enjoying the interaction with other family members."

Almost half of respondents indicated they had multiple children or grandchildren who played the games in their home. Of these, 88% described the game-play interaction between the children as at least partly cooperative, with only 12% characterizing it as strictly competitive. "Casual games seem to promote more of a cooperative 'let's work on this together' type of atmosphere, as opposed to an aggressive, interpersonal competitive environment," observed Dr. Arinoldo. On a related note, only 28% of adult family gamers indicated they allowed their children or grandchildren to play so-called "hardcore" video games.

Chris Bateman at Only a Game has an interesting - if jargon heavy - post up on his nine hypothetical types of gamers, broken down by patterns of play, emotions, and skills. What's his purpose for putting such a list together? He's trying to design a survey that could lead to answering a couple of questions: "What are the basic types of player? Can we uncover a comprehensive inventory of play styles? What would this teach us about games and game design?"

If you're up for following his links and dealing with some heavy sledding, it's a thought provoking read. What's your style? Maggie Greene

The Nine Basic Players (Maybe) [Only a Game]

I was getting ready to sit down to some dinner with my wife and son last night when the phone rang. It was someone conducting a survey for Princeton Research.

I agreed to take the survey and after answering a few questions about my income and education they got right into it. Specifically, they started asking all about my gaming habits. They wanted to know if I played games, how often I played them, how often online, whether it was on a PC or a console, by myself or other people.

Then then worked all the genres, asking if I played each. Next they started asking what I owned in the way of electronics. That's when the survey took a strange turn. They wanted to know if I did community service, how many hours I volunteers in the past year, if I was registered to vote and if I was religious.

My first thought was that it was a survey about gamers and morality, but probably not. Weird though. Anyone else surveyed by the group recently? Brian Crecente

No, I'm not talking about those half-horse, half-humans, this is about people 100 or older.

According to the second annual Evercare 100 @ 100 survey, nearly a third of centenarians have watched a reality show, more than a quarter have seen a music video or watched MTV, nearly a quarter have purchased a CD and one in seven have played a video game. Brian Crecente

Evercare 100 @ 100 Survey [Evercare Health]

OK, you read our choices, now's your time to vote. After we have a clear winner we'll be hitting up Sony for an official response. Brian Crecente

OK, you read our choices, now's your time to vote. After we have a clear winner we'll be hitting up Nintendo for an official response. Brian Crecente

It looks like Sony's grand scheme to turn the Playstation 3 into a Blu-ray Trojan Horse may have backfired. A recent survey here in the US points to a distrust of Sony and their strong-armed, cram-Blu-ray-down-your-throat tactics as a major factor in consumer negativity surrounding the Sony-backed format.

Personally, Sony's tactics didn't bother me much. The PS3 costs less than some Blu-ray drives, so I see it as a nice add-on feature. What did annoy me and continues to annoy me to this day, is that the console's delay was, it seems, caused mostly by Blu-ray issues and that on-going stock shortages can also be traced back to the Blu-ray bits.

I still haven't made up my mind about which format, via a game console, I like more. Right now I'm sorta leaning toward HD-DVD, though I think that has more to do with the PS3's still percolating interface. Brian Crecente

Consumers Favour HD DVD over Blu-ray due to negative perceptions of Sony [Tech digest TV]

An Activision survey released today found that an overwhelming 84% of parents surveyed were very familiar with the ESRB ratings system, with 79% saying they pay very close attention to the ratings of games their children play. In other just as accurate yet completely unrelated surveys, 95% of people in prison are not-guilty, 97% of men could have sworn she was 18, and 100% of women don't have sex on the first date.

You can go ahead and read the rest of the results after the jump, but the numbers really don't mean all that much. If I believed people answered surveys truthfully that would be one thing, but what parent is going to tell complete strangers that they don't pay attention to what their children are doing? The only way you are going to get accurate reports about parents and the ESRB would be to observe them without being seen, and for that you need ninja. Unfortunately all ninja are on holiday right now, so we get stuck with reports like this one, after the jump.

Activision Survey Reveals Strong Majority of Parents Find ESRB Videogame Ratings Highly Effective and Influential

Eight in Ten Parents of Videogamers are Very Familiar With ESRB Ratings and Pay Close Attention to Them

Nearly Three Quarters of Parents Are Comfortable with Videogames as Part of Their Family's Life; Over Half Play Videogames with Their Children

SANTA MONICA, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Parents overwhelmingly agree that the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rating system is a highly effective and influential tool for determining what videogames are appropriate for their children to play, according to a national survey released today by Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) as part of Activision's "Ratings Are Not a Game " educational initiative.

With the holiday shopping season underway, the survey was conducted by The Harrison Group to help determine the awareness and influence of the ESRB rating system among videogamers and their parents.

Among the key findings:

* Eighty-four percent of parents said they are very familiar with the ESRB ratings system, compared to 65 percent of children ages 8-17 who indicated the same.
* Nearly eighty percent of parents (79%) revealed that they pay close attention to the ESRB ratings on videogames, especially those parents with children ages 8-12 (89%).
* More than two thirds of parents (68%) believe the ESRB ratings system is effective in helping them determine whether a specific game is appropriate for their child.
* A majority of parents (56%) cited a game's ESRB rating as their top purchase influencer when considering whether to buy a videogame for their children, more than any other factor.
* Parents said they actively research over half (52%) of all videogames prior to approving purchase for their children - including reading game reviews/previews or visiting gaming websites.

The study also showed that a strong majority (74%) of parents feel that videogames are part of their family's life and that they are very comfortable with this. In fact, 58 percent of parents surveyed said they play videogames themselves, and among those players, 52 percent of their videogame playing time is spent with their children. Moreover, even when playing videogames by themselves, half of that time (49%) is spent playing their children's games.

"We were delighted to learn that parents and their children are very familiar with the ESRB ratings system, but it was even more gratifying to see that such a large majority of parents are aware of, researching and active in their children's videogame purchasing and playing," said Robin Kaminsky, EVP of Publishing for Activision. "Activision strongly supports the ESRB rating system, which we believe is the most comprehensive tool parents can use to determine which games are appropriate for their children. Looking ahead, these results will help strengthen our efforts to raise greater awareness among both parents and young people of why 'Ratings Are Not a Game.'"

"Video game ratings can only be effective if consumers understand the ratings and use them when making purchasing decisions for their families, and this study shows that parents greatly rely on and value the ESRB ratings in helping them decide which games to allow their children to play," said Patricia Vance, ESRB President. "The ESRB commends Activision on its 'Ratings Are Not a Game' educational initiative and its outstanding efforts to educate consumers about video game ratings."

The Entertainment Software Rating Board is a non-profit, self-regulatory body established in 1994 by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) that independently assigns ratings, enforces advertising guidelines and helps ensure responsible online privacy practices for the interactive entertainment software industry.

ESRB ratings are designed to provide information about videogame content to help consumers determine a game's suitability and to aid parents in making informed purchasing decisions. ESRB raters rate games part-time, are selected from a broad and diverse pool of adult applicants, tend to have experience with children, and are screened to ensure they have no ties with or connection to the video game industry.

ESRB ratings, which are found directly on the front and back of a game's packaging, have two equal parts. Six main rating categories suggest age appropriateness for a game, while content descriptors indicate a range of over 30 different potential elements that may have triggered a particular rating and/or may be of interest or concern, such as violence, sex, humor, language and the use or depiction of controlled substances.

Content ratings also take into consideration how these elements are depicted, in addition to their frequency, intensity and context. Due to the unique interactive characteristics of videogames, the ESRB rating system also takes into account elements such as the reward system and the degree of player control, both of which can affect which rating category and content descriptors are ultimately assigned to the game. For more information on the ESRB rating system, go to www.esrb.org.

In a 2001 report to Congress, the Federal Trade Commission found the ESRB rating system to be more comprehensive than the rating systems used for movies and music, noting that "there is much in the game industry's rating disclosure requirements that merits duplication by others." Additionally, in September 2004, the Kaiser Family Foundation released a national survey of parents that found the ESRB ratings system to be the most useful of all of entertainment rating systems.

Methodology

For the Activision ESRB survey, 1,014 online interviews were conducted among a nationally-representative group of videogame players ages 8 to 24 and their parents. The research was conducted between September 21 and September 28, 2006 by the Harrison Group, a strategic marketing consulting and research services firm (www.harrisongroupinc.com).

Comments from Robin Kaminsky regarding the ESRB survey results are available at www.thenewsmarket.com/activision. Media can preview and request broadcast-standard video digitally or by tape at no cost from this site.

—-—

What confuses me here is how this survey directly conflicts the 11th Annual MediaWise Video Game Report Card, which didn't even bother grading parents on following the guidelines of the ESRB for fear of getting them angry. Michael Fahey

Questions include: When do you plan on purchasing a PS3, which version you think you'll buy and the appeal of the different versions.

Usually, I can at least guess what Sony is trying to eek out of its customers with a survey, but this one has me baffled. Any suggestions. Brian Crecente

This sort of makes me sad. I was randomly selected to participate in a Sony survey for the Playstation Portable. The questions read like something that comes up in the tailend of a really bad break up with a needy girlfriend.

I grabbed a couple of screenshots of the survey, just to highlight the thrust of the questionnaire. I found the third question to be quite interesting:

What statement best characterizes your opinion of Playstation overall (console & portable entertainment system) in terms of delivering a quality gaming experience?

*Playstation lags behind the competition in terms of gaming innovation.
*Playstation is no different than any other gaming manufacturer.
*Playstation is the technological leader in gaming innovations.

I kept expecting a question that read: Will you go to the dance with me?

*Yes
*No

Second screen grab after the jump. Brian Crecente

I know, I know. "What's up with all the Dead Rising posts this morning?" Look, first of all, it could be worse: we could be posting Dead Rising cheat codes. But Dead Rising fever, by way of the pesky Z bacterium, has feverishly gripped Kotaku tower.

We huddle in front of our 360s. Ropes of drool dangle from Ashcraft and Crecente's drooping lower lips as they glassily stare at the television — this, of course, is nothing new. But their frightening silence, the lack of LOLs resounding through Kotaku tower, is. As for Eliza, she has spent most of the last day scooping bloody handfuls of cottage cheese out of her flabby abdomen and into her mouth. I, Florian Eckhardt, frankly a post-apocalyptic superman, keep a loaded shotgun trained upon them all.

The point is that we all love Dead Rising. We all want to see a sequel. And maybe we will! Capcom is throwing a survey, asking gamers if they want to see Dead Rising 2.

The only answer they should have allowed for should have been "No duh." but there's several possible responses to accurately mark your enthusiasm. If you want to see a sequel, head on over and fill it out. Florian Eckhardt

Dead Rising 2 Survey [Capcom]

I try to avoid "girls in games" articles but this is neat. According to a little study at University of Teesside, girls are apt to dig games with lots of fighting, thinking, and story. In other words, splodey games that aren't stupid.

I think this is something we can all embrace, vagina or no.

Clay used software developed at the University of Teesside in Middlesbrough to analyse the 34 best games as listed by 76 female gamers.

The software, called Strange Analyst, builds a profile of each game by trawling through online reviews and extracting key words. Clay found women prefer games with confrontation and attack, investigations and puzzles - and a good story line.

Unfortunately, the article is extremely short and doesn't mention which keywords were used, etc. Still, this sounds right to me. Eliza Gauger

More here [New Scientist, thanks DB]

For example, 77% of developers are excited by the Wii, but 67% of them admit that porting their currently developed titles to the Wii will be a nightmare, which seems to support the rumor that devs were caught with their pants down by the Wii.

On the subject of the PS3 development kits, 60% of developers are just barely satisfied by them, so that doesn't appear to have been the colossal Sony FUBAR it seemed to us outsiders. On the other hand, of the big three, developers are the least interested in developing for the Playstation 3... probably because it's a nightmare to program for. Florian Eckhardt

Game Informer Developer Survey [Cubed3] (Thanks, Chris!)

As you may know, Nintendo Japan is hosting a survey, asking which characters you'd like to see included in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Unfortunately, the survey is written in the bizarre cryptograms of the Japanese language, making it inaccessible to linguistic honkies. Racism, pure and simple.

So where's our Super Smash Bros. Brawl Rosa Parks, to defiantly sit at the front of the bus, refusing to be silent as she spouts of her suggestion that an unlockable Super Smash Bros. character betterdamn well be a naked Samus Aran? It could be you. Just go to the AMN guide to filling in the survey linked below and start fanatically gibbering up props to your favorite Nintendo character.

Actually, why not suggest Master Chief? With Microsoft's Peter Moore openly praising the Wii and declaring Nintendo MS's spiritual running dog in the next-gen console gang war, maybe it's not so ludicrous a suggestion after all.

E3 06: Request a SSBB Character [AMN]

An anonymous tipster sent in the above image allegedly from a Greenfield Online survey. Greenfield is responsible for gathering consumer and market feedback, and, in this case, looks to have been running the survey for Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates (who also have done polling and media research for Xbox, Nike, MTV and more).

The poll is specifically about the name of the Nintendo Wii and if the name of the console will affect buyer decisions. I don't expect Nintendo to reverse their decision to return to Revolution but some people are still holding out hope. They're most likely just looking to gauge consumer response across all demographics and figure out how to market their next-generation console.

Thanks for the tip, *.

Reader Ryfael sends word that Sony is surveying SOCOM players about a wide range of things from what they like about the game, to what they'd like to see in future iterations to what they think of the military.

My favorite creepy question:

Has playing SOCOM made you more likely to consider joining the Navy SEALs or any other branch of the military?

Hit the jump for screenshots of all of the survey questions.

I was asked whether I thought these Friend Code reforms sounded good: Exchange Friend Codes by posting them to a Nintendo-sponsored site Exchange Friend Codes directly over the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Service Have a single Friend Code that works for all games

Albert said Nintendo also asked abut ways to improve their website and have it work with NiWiFi games. Some of their ideas included:

Compare your game stats to your friends' game stats
Compare your game stats to stats from players around the world
Upload screenshots Post content you create, such as art or videos for others
to download
Rate user-created content
See what your friends are playing at the moment
Manage your Friends Roster Create and/or read blogs linked to the site
Schedule dates/times to play DS games against friends or players from around
the world
Form clans/guilds/crews with friends or players from around the world
Submit videos to the site
Submit strategy, tips and tricks to a game-specific forum
Participate in user-defined forums
Personalizing the way Nintendowifi.com looks

A final question raised the possibility of more widespread free NiWiFi access:

"Suppose finding a Wi-Fi hot spot was not an issue, so you
could play your Nintendo DS over the Internet anywhere outside your home. In this case, where would you like to be able to play your Nintendo DS over the Internet?" It listed dozens of restaurants among more interesting ideas like subway stations, subway trains, airports, and (gasp!) airplanes.

The study will be conducted on Sunday, March 5. Here's the contact info from the Star Wars Galaxies forums.

Please call our confirmation department toll free at (877) 862 - 3456 between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM, 7 days a week, and state that you are interested in the "LOS ANGELES STAR WARS GALAXIES research" on March 5, 2006 to determine if you qualify for this exciting study. ALL Los Angeles/San Fernando Valley/South Bay/Inland Empire area welcome!

If you make the cut and go, make sure you email us after the survey to let us know what it was all about.

Sony is surveying their Playstation Underground members about their feelings on HDTV use and importance. The questions are telling, but most importantly, they seem to verify that the Playstation 3 will indeed have a BlueRay DVD player built into it and that the games will support 1080p.

Check out question number 3:

3. The PlayStation 3 will include BluRay , the high definition DVD technology, and support games in resolutions of up to 1080p, (the highest supported standard on the market.) Given that information, please choose the statement below that best describes you.

Hit the jump for the full survey questions and choices.

THE OFFICIAL SURVEY

As High Definition TV begins to make its mark on the world of entertainment, we're wondering where you stand. How do you think HDTV will affect you and your gaming? Answer a few quick questions about the upcoming High Definition generation, and we'll enter you in a very cool drawing one PlayStation Underground member (chosen at random from our pool of responses) will win a PSP (PlayStation Portable) system.

To get started, just click here but hurry; this survey must be completed and returned to us by 8:00 AM PST on 2/20/06 in order to qualify for the PSP System Giveaway.

So, tell us, do you see your future in high definition? Good luck!

Sincerely,

The PlayStation Underground

HDTV Entertainment Survey

1. When you think about the next generation of gaming consoles, what are the things you are most looking forward to/interested in?

Content playback, storage.
BluRay DVD Capability
Interaction with Portable Devices
Online Interactivity
Improved gaming
Other

2. Which of the following statements best describes you?

I own an HD TV
I don't own an HDTV but plan to get one within a year.
I have no current plant to get an HDTV.

3. The PlayStation 3 will include BluRay , the high definition DVD technology, and support games in resolutions of up to 1080p, (the highest supported standard on the market.) Given that information, please choose the statement below that best describes you.

I will be more likely to purchase a PlayStation 3 because of the HD functionality
I will get more use out of my HDTV once I have a PlayStation 3
I m not immediately interested in the HD features of the PlayStation 3

4. As an HDTV owner, what percentage of your TV viewing time is spent watching HD content?

Less than 25 percent
25 to 49 percent
50 to 74 perecnt
75 to 100 percent

5. Are you satisfied with the amount of HD Content currently available for your television?

Yes
No

One in three parents play video games, and 80 percent of those play games with their children, according to a national survey by the Entertainment Software Association. What's more, the average "gamer parent" spends 19 hours a month playing games, and half of that time is spent playing side by side with the rug rats.

I usually tell people they should never trust a survey "commissioned" by a company or an industry. It's always done to further an agenda. But the results of this survey sound about right. It's only a matter of time before the mainstream press and politicians realize that a family deathmatch is as normal as a camping trip.

Adults Playing Video Games Too [All Headline News]

OK, I am insanely jealous of The Guardian gamesblog writer Keith Stuart because he wrote a nifty bit on video games that for whatever reason, as a gamer he keeps returning to. I figured I'd pose a similar question the same question to you guys on this lazy Friday afternoon. Like Stuart suggests at his blog, let's stick with single player campaigns, rather than allow the draw of multiplayer to factor in what brings us back to games. I walked over to the wall of games and picked a few out after the jump.

Games You Keep Coming Back To [The Guardian Gamesblog]

Ikaruga, GameCube: I keep coming back to this top down shooter sequel to Radiant Silvergun. The strategic switching of your ship from black to white to maximize your energy or your damage, coupled with unlocking examples of perfect playthroughs of the levels, it's just an incredible game. If you can track it down, grab it.

Halo: Combat Evolved, Xbox: I said no multiplayer, and I mean it. But with Halo: CE I go back to levels like The Truth and Reconciliation or Assault on the Control Room over and over and over.

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, Nintendo DS: Yeah, that's right, I picked up that Classic series reissue for my DS. How could I not pick up Zelda: TAoL game they've made when it's available on the DS? Yeah, that's right, I went there, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is my favorite Zelda game.

Free Online Survey [Survey]

GameSpot links to the Star Trek Online official site and a survey they conducted there to measure gamer interest in the MMO version of Star Trek. The survey found that almost 70 percent of MMO players were interested in trying Star Trek Online, but only 59 percent of Star Trek fans wanted to play the game. After how well Star Wars Galaxies went, who can blame them?

Majority of MMOers Interested in Star Trek Online [GameSpot]
Customer Survey Results [Star Trek Online]

BBC News put up a feature today called "At-a-Glance: State of Play." The survey was designed to find out how games fit into people's everyday lives. Some of the results are after the jump, for more click over. The survey was only concerned with UK gamers, so these aren't worldwide figures.

At-a-Glance: State of Play [BBC News]

They found roughly 59% of people ages 6-65 are gamers.

Forty-eight percent of gamers were women and 100% of the survey group between the ages of six and ten were gamers.

Gamers (for the survey) were defined as "someone who has played video games in the last six months on any platform, including interactive TV (iTV)."

The graph at the right shows the percentage of gamers changing over age groups. Fifty-one percent of people in the 36-50 group play games, surprising.

The average gamer is 28 years old.

There are almost as many women gaming as there are men, at each of the age group thresholds.

Puzzler/quiz type games were the most played, with 63% of the surveyed playing them. The least popular, surprisingly enough, were multiplayer online games, with just eight percent of people playing.

The Xbox 360 will be the second hottest electronic gift this holiday, right after the iPod Video, according to a survey conducted by The Macerich Company.

The Shopping in America Holiday 2005 survey found that U.S. consumers plan to spend 12 percent of their $655 (on average) holiday gift budget on electronics.

Here s the top electronic gifts and percent of people who plan to buy them, according to the survey.

1. iPod Nano, 35 percent
2. Xbox 360, 21 percent
3. Plasma TV/HDTV, 14 percent
4. FLY Pentop Computer, 9 percent
5. GPS Navigation System, 6 percent
6. PDA Cell Phone, 3 percent
7. Digital Camera with MP3 player, 2 percent
8. V cam Now/ Video New XP Player, 2 percent
9. Game Boy Micro, 2 percent
10. Don t know/ No Opinion, 8 percent

The survey was conducted in a dozen regional shopping centers and included 3,780 people.

I know we just reported this morning about a guy who was on the sharp end of the knife last night over a video game, but according to research and a write-up at Game Revolution violent outbreaks and America's youth aren't walking hand in hand. It's comforting when grown men are coming to blows over Madden and then I see a study like this the next morning. The statistics show that kids are less violent now than they have been for a long friggin time. How long? Like they were playing Cowboys and Indians long.

Thanks to Game Girl Advance for the link.

Caution: Children At Play [Game Revolution]

A. Fleming Seay's tremendous undertaking at Project Massive is starting to yield results. Next Generation takes a look at the findings from Seay's MMOG study and spoke with Seay on the process. Seay contends that developers are actually "selling gamers to one another" in addition to selling the product. Not particularly interested in the notion of addiction, Seay calls overplaying of MMOGs "Problematic Use," i.e., playing too much WoW and having your significant other get angry at you for not completing a honey-do. Seay isn't just preaching though, he has loads of statistics to back everything up and it's all available at Project Massive. He's also continuing to solicit for the fourth wave of surveys for Project Massive. If you're an MMO gamer, take the survey.

MMOG Player Trends Detailed [Next Generation]