As Sony and Microsoft have been pummeling away at each other with campaigns for their respective motion controllers, it would seem as though most “gamers” are completely unaware of either product. It would seem so far that these campaigns have only been targeted at the core audience as, “Advertising campaigns have not yet shifted into gear. Indeed, nearly 40% of gamers state that they don’t know when either of these motion control systems will be available despite the fact that both companies have publicly stated that plans are to release these in the holiday timeframe,” Nielsen said.
In what is perhaps a classic case of “fanboy-ism,” the statistics do exemplify a very strong sense of brand loyalty. Most PlayStation 3 gamers were completely unaware of the Natal, whereas most Xbox 360 gamers were completely unaware of the Move. Nielsen continued, “42% of PlayStation 3 gamers are aware of Move and 39% of Xbox 360 gamers are aware of Natal. Gamers voice slightly greater purchase interest for Natal, though the differences are small between gamers for the relevant consoles.”
At this stage, those with the most awareness of either of the motion controllers were core gamers. The report goes on to state, “Those who are aware voice substantial definite purchase interest which speaks to the high anticipation among the most engaged consumers in the category.” Popular opinion for the Natal and Move market has been an association with the “social” and “family” gaming realm. Though Microsoft claims that Natal is meant for “all living room experiences,” there is little to say that most gamers are even aware of the controller. This report rather plainly displays the lack of awareness in non-gamers.
Out of those aware though, there is strong purchase intent, with 42% of those aware looking to buy the Natal, and 41% looking to acquire the Move. Factor in the price point speculation, and it seems as though the Natal is looking at better positioning within this study.
Nielsen stated, “Gamers are fairly united in believing that Move will cost somewhere between $26 and $75. Sony has stated that the price will be below $100 so this is perhaps unsurprising. But for Natal there is a fairly wide distribution, with 27% thinking it will cost over $100 but a near equal 31% believing it will be under $50.”
Though the PS3's Move enjoys slightly higher awareness at an overall 23% versus Natal’s 21%, the Natal has an overall higher purchase intent percentage, even when factoring in the possibly higher price point.
How this affects the sales of either controller remains to be seen. As a reminder to gamers, both controllers are scheduled for release this holiday season.
4 Comments
June 11, 2010
I'm well aware of both but they need to really sell me on them(content wise) before I dish out the big bucks. For Natal, not only do I want to see killer ap games, I also want to see some of the other form factors that Natal will utilize outside the realm of games.
June 11, 2010
If you're reading this website, you're not the typical gamer. But yes, both MS and Sony have a lot to prove and will have to push these devices hard to get sizable installed bases.
June 14, 2010
I think Microsoft is addressing this lack of brand awareness with Kinect. Look at the big E3 marketing spend and their rollout onto MTV and elsewhere. I know the general feedback on the presentation has been negative, but the point is that they are putting a lot of cash behind promoting Kinect to the everyday gamer. I'd expect this survey to be different come the Holiday season.
Next up Sony and how they market the Move.
June 14, 2010
I'm aware. I just don't care.