A recent survey conducted by Nielsen takes a look at the reasoning behind peoples buying habits for the current generation of consoles. Those studied say that they purchased the PlayStation 4 for the higher resolution of games, while those who purchased an Xbox One bought it because they love the Xbox brand. Interestingly those who purchased a Wii U did it purely because of the fun-factor of the console as well as the fact that it’s a more suitable console for younger gamers. You can check out the reasonings in the chart above.
Thanks to everyone who sent this in.
This looks about right, though I don’t know who would buy an xbox for exclusive content… Maybe I’m just being biased though :p
Haha yea and #1 for xbone is brand, but if it were up to me i would rather go for a ps4 if i cared about the brand :P
Well, these surveys were conducted for U.S. residents where Microsoft and the Xbox brand is still very popular.
Popularized by morons with a hard on for “realistic graphics” that aren’t even close to PC’s or real life simulation. lol All they get is one black box that has DRM gaming dictatorship hidden under the rugs while acting as a fire hazard when it explodes in living rooms plus having no real exclusive to its broke ass (and retarded) Xbox One name and the other black box charges $50 to get cyber raped by hackers every week while still waiting for a single GOOD fucking exclusive that was promised more than 26 months ago. lol
*facepalm*
Tons of people buy Xbox just for Halo, Gears of War, and exclusive or early access Call of Duty stuff.
Gears is finished, Halo is tiring and COD sucks balls now. Xbox got nothing left including the fact that it hasn’t made Microsoft a single fucking dime since its first console.
Most xbox owners got started and continue cuz of Halo, an exclusive
Which is on PC so there is no exclusive at all.
Only a few of the Halo games are on PC. Most of the core ones are exclusive to consoles.
They will be on PCs. Trust me. All of that “exclusivity” BS will be all for nothing.
Ye
This image sums up everything, both right and wrong, with the home console industry today.
Wow thats so true… The better selling consoles are bought for: better resolution, brand, blu ray player… And the fun factor is either #5 or not even on the list…
Fun factor is always going to be biased to the individual rating it. It’s complete nonsense.
But if you aren’t buying a gaming system to have fun with it then I have to question wtf you’re even buying it for. The fact PS4 is bought mainly for high resolution is pathetic.
They included the “fun factor” rating to avoid having “better for kids” as number 1 for the WiiU.
i had the xbox one and ps4 for like a year, and there was only like 3 games worth playing on each console. if youre wanting graphics get a pc and a wii u. the alienware alpha is only 550$, not that much more than the ps4, and youll get backwards compatibility
And a gigantic library of games :p
*starts pc brand war* nah get an msi :P
And Lord Gaben ‘s blessing
Well no shit, there was also ALMOST nothing worth buying a wii U for in its first 2 years. Thats how it always goes with New consoles.
Every playstation owner needs the last of us remastered!
I rather watch the entire series of The Walking Dead, a far superior adaption.
boo-urns!
They reason you buy or play games is for the fun people must don’t like having fun I guess
“Fun”? What is ” fun”?
funny that the biggest reason to buy a ps4 is resolution even though pc stomps on it and alot of games are 720p
In the end, all these reasons equate to fun.
Just what do they mean by “Fun-Factor”? What does the general public even consider “fun” to them?
It’s nonsense.
If you don’t understand the difference between fun and brand that is.
who knows, plus the demographic that took this survey could be made up of god knows who.
Well, that sounds ablut right for me. I mean, I bought a Wii U for Nintendo games, that would be reason 5 for Wii U owners, BUT why do I like Nintendo games? Because they’re fun. DKC Tropical Freeze, Mario 3D Word, Mario Kart, Smash Bros – all great games, but first and foremost they’re really fun. I grew up on games like Day of the Tentacle and Sam & Max Hit the Road on PC and on the other hand on Mario World, Kirby and Pokémon on console. I love me some fun games.
With all the grey and depressing games around, I think it’s great Nintendo still knows how to make fun games. They might not have the stories other games have, or the depth and complexibility, but I don’t always need that. When I come home from a stressful day of work, you bet I prefer a colorful, lighthearted and fun round of Mario Kart over death and destruction.
Some people have fun playing horror games and being scared. I’m not one of those people. I’m perfectly happy being able to suck up my enemies and copy their ability as a pink plush ball rescuing places called Cookie Country. This doesn’t mean, I don’t like kicking some Metroid butt every once in a while, too. ;)
YES. This is how I feel. I love games that I can play and feel a true sense of fun. Fun for me is just about everything you described above.
PS4=What Families Want, Wii U=Better for Kids. Something seems unsettling
By “families” they include the parents, grand parents etc
Chuck but how can PS4 be better for families? The fact that they claim Wii U is better for kids proves that still people are oblivious
I guess they figure that the adults in the families like to play the PS4 and that they don’t like to play the WiiU. Also I’m sure they factored in the blue ray player for families to watch movies etc. You’ll have to ask them to know for sure.
The part where they said “PS4 — What familes wants. — Is a damn lie, my family doesn’t want the PS4 that’s for damn sure.
My family does… We’ve bought every iteration of the PS so far.
I don’t get how PS4 is for Families when a majority of it’s library is cater to the hardcore shooter gamers
I’m guessing those families use it as an entertainment system. I know my family loves to use it for Netflix and Youtube while the kids use it for games. (granted, this is PS3, not PS4, but my family will most likely get that sometime in the future.)
Playstation also has the biggest games library, which (shocking, I know) includes a lot of games that are rated E and can be played by the entire family. It’s not accurate to say that the PS4 caters to hardcore shooters – people simply like to cherrypick the stats while ignoring other games on it, just as people do for Nintendo consoles – although in the latter case, it’s more accurate to say that Nintendo just releases a lot of games that everyone can play, and that doesn’t make them “kiddie”.
Before people start to bash on PS4 and Xbox for the lols, I’ll say that this is a pretty good list. The three companies did well in their goals and it shows in how consumers view them.
People bought an Xbox because they love the… “brand”??? What the fuck? So, even if it was shit, you’d buy it as long as it has the name on it? I mean, it doesn’t really have any kick ass exclusives or anything, so I guess they had to buy it for SOMETHING.
You must be fun at parties.
Some people buy Nintendo consoles because of the brand alone, Nintendo is knows worldwide for it being family oriented. So people buying the Xbox for the name alone isnt that shocking. I mean, unless youve only been alive for like 2 years.
Uh, yeah. Brand loyalty. Welcome to real life. Apple, Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft, Samsung. Name a brand and it’ll have a loyal fan following that will support it over another.
And regardless of how you feel about the games, Titanfall, Sunset Overdrive, and the Master Chief collection are still good enough reasons for a lot of people to buy an Xbox One, as well as knowing that future exclusives will be on the console. The same goes for Nintendo. People who bought the Wii U in the first 2 years had very little to play, but they knew that games would be arriving eventually.
Exactly.
Why is the Games behind the likes of price for Wii U. I have had many great times on Wii U with the Exclusive games.
I’m glad the Fun is still a factor. But I wish that they added quotes for these reasons. For example, for the Exclusive Games reason, they could have asked to name specifics, like Mario Kart, Smash Bros, Bayonetta 2, etc. That way, the 3 companies could get a better understanding of their biggest selling points in regards to console sales…
Surprised that exclusive games isn’t up there with “fun factor” for Wii U. No surprise that the top reason for Xbone was brand though!
if apple would make a console that was identical to Xbone, macfags would get it just because it has an apple with a bite out of it on the outside. thats how sad it is.
If you aren’t in it to have wtf you doing in gaming?
Microsoft……
innovative features?
Maybe the voice activation thing. That being said, saying Xbox One while in the presence of the console, might turn the thing on, if the Kinect is hooked up, because Xbox One, sounds very similar to Xbox ON…
I don’t personally like the Kinect, at least in regards to gaming, but I don’t dispute the innovative features of it in regards to motion and voice control. I’m actually more impressed that scientists and engineers are using the technology for other applications (Nasa is using the Kinect and Oculus Rift to control robots).
It’s seems like all of the graphic whores choose ps4.
This is pretty stupid.
I don’t think they mean fun-factor as in, to have fun with the console. Anyone who buys a video game console to play games on it is doing it to have fun, obviously. I’d assume they rather mean it in a “fun features”-way, such as the gamepad and stuff. Because otherwise, it really doesn’t make much sense to me personally, as anyone who invests in a console is seeking to have fun with it, as already said.
Either way, if it was up to me, I’d put exlcusives on #1 for the WiiU and broad library on #1 for the PS4.
You could be surprised of just how rare your mindset is among gamers; brand loyalty drives millions of them to go and buy things they don’t seem to like, want or enjoy.
To be honest no, most who buys Xboxes and Playstations, specially after PS3 do it primarily for multimedia gimmicks that have nothing to do with having fun with games…
Several Xbots in my former class admitted that that’s the reason to why they buy Xboxes as well as the never ending pointless cinematics that shows them nothing about gameplay…
And you can see it everywhere else as well…
Nintendo fans buy Nintendo for gaming which is what this whole gaming universe should be all about but the western cattle have been too beyond infected by shallow mindsets, not only in gaming but in their world overall to see the real reason into doing things for fun…
This world is beyond salvation…
While it’s true that some of the people who buy consoles do it primarily for entertainment features other than gaming (which is kind of unfortunate indeed), I’d in no way say it’s *most* of the people who do that. And those who do buy it for the other entertainment aspects still do it to have fun. I mean, if they enjoy watching movies, for example, it must be fun to them, right?
And the reason why people buy Nintendo consoles solely for the games is because there isn’t much else they can do with Nintendo’s consoles, lmao. Whether or not that’s a good thing is up to everyone themselves to decide, I suppose.
Except this is supposed to be about gaming only, I think it’s pathetic that Nintendo gets the most hate because of how they don’t expand into multimedia gimmicks that has nothing to do with gaming…
That’s how this whole charade started in the first place…
First reason was DVD-player, then HD and Blu-Ray and now power, everything that has nothing to do with gaming except the latter one but that can be fixed next time as long as they continue to deliver the games…
That’s only part of the reason. The main reason is because Nintendo fails to get third party games on their platforms. And they still haven’t gotten rid of region lock. And they still haven’t made a universal account system. And they’re just now focusing on online gaming even though it should have been done years ago. And they still create underpowered hardware. And they… Ok you get the point. Lol.
Their main problem is marketing anyway, not underpowered consoles or whatever, but I’m sure they will improve it a bit more for the next time…
The thing is that when they had the most powerful consoles, they sold like crap…
Oh yeah. Marketing is definitely a big problem too. There’s still a lot of people out there getting confused about the Wii U and some people don’t even know it exists.
But who says it’s supposed to be gaming only? It’s not like the gaming aspect of the console will suffer when the developers decide to add additional multimedia features, they’re just extras. Every console of the last two generations has had a couple of features that weren’t necessarily needed, but they were enjoyable and added extra entertainment. Just because a console has multimedia features, doesn’t mean it’s less of a console.
Maybe you personally aren’t interested in multimedia aspects in consoles, but that doesn’t necessarily make them bad. I appreciate having the option to watch Blu-Ray movies on my console, because I don’t have to go spend another 50€-100€ for an additional device. I also appreciate being able to listen to music and the game audio simultanously through the same pair of headphones without having to use more than 1 device. And being able to watch videos on your TV screen while laying on the couch or in bed without having to have a laptop/keyboard laying on your lap sure is a nice thing too, in my opinion.
So, you see, there’s a couple of positive points about having multimedia features. And in this day and age, you can’t really expect developers not to add “gimmicks” and features that may not be necessarily needed in a video game console for it to fulfill its main purpose, but add to the entertainment factor. Convenience is an important point nowadays, and the less devices you need to use to do as many things as possible, the better. Or why do you think that phones these days have music players, (alarm) clocks, internet browsers, notepads, calculators etc.? Exactly, because of convenience. And it’s a similar situation for gaming consoles as well. The fact that you won’t have to switch between different devices is, as trivial it may sound, an important criterion.
I don’t see what’s supposed to be bad about it, honestly. I’d understand your complaint if those additional features negatively influenced the performance of the console in relation to games, but that’s not really the case. The only negative point I can think of is that certain multimedia features might cause the price of the console to be higher than it would be without said features. But yea, that’s it.
Well I’d say it does influence games in a bad way, perhaps not the performance of the console itself but we have seen now since the last generation how lazy and right down ugly this industry is becoming…
The Electrons behaving like pure idiots that no professional party should ever do…
The corruption and lies have greatly increased as well and it is noticeable among gamers too…
They rather die than buying a Nintendo product these days…
But of course, the empire is to blame a lot for too, specially among their own fans…
But that hasn’t much to do with including multimedia features in the consoles.
“most who buys Xboxes and Playstations, specially after PS3 do it primarily for multimedia gimmicks that have nothing to do with having fun with games…”
Personal opinion that you can’t back up at all aside from a few anecdotal words from your peers which is a completely inaccurate way of gauging things.
Considering how focused Sony and Microsoft’s E3 presentations are – especially Microsoft’s, since they adjusted their strategy after consumers rebuked the Kinect, and given the sales of PS4 and Xbox One games around the world, it’s disingenuous, narrow-minded, and flat out wrong to generalize why people buy the consoles – but then, coming from you it’s not surprising you’d act in that manner.
*how focused Sony and Microsoft’s E3 presentations are on games, that is.
The gaming world is enough evidence, without the Xbots, we wouldn’t have any of these shallow problems to begin with…
It’s funny that you call other people out on personal opinions but a couple comments lower say that people only ever buy Nintendo products out of brand loyalty.
At least the claim you say is a personal opinion is backed by the chart, which represents the sentiments of the people who bought the XBONE, meanwhile your claim has no backing.
I bought my Wii U solely for DKC: Tropical Freeze.
Every game after that has just been bonus.
you sir are a genius!
Shouldn’t that be the reason to buy anything like this? Because it’s fun to play games?
Graphics: Just sad… Especially with the fact most games are 720p.
Brand: Even sadder, buying just because its from Microsoft… Pathetic.
Fun factor: I-… I have nothing negative to say about this.
People support Nintendo simply because it’s Nintendo as well. Brand loyalty happens in every industry.
“2. Better for kids” That right there is why Nintendo hopds our hands in games, region lock, don’t try to attact third parties, and still get looked at as a console for kiddies. The last statement are usually from microsoft and sony fans, but most non-Nintendo fans think that too. While I’m glad Nintendo is doing well with getting their consoles into the homes of families, I would like for them to focus on their older audience who will 30+ games as opposed to the families who may buy 5 in its lifetime. This applies to the 3DS too. And while both have games for an older audience or games that appeal to both (MP10, Fantasy Life, Pokemon, MK), Nintendo focuses on kids who are still playing COD and GTA on the other consoles.
Well, Miiverse isn’t exactly full of kids; in fact, most people in Miiverse seem to be in their late teens, young adulthood or middle age. It is, much like you said, the CoD and GTA communities that are teeming with children, young teens and manboys.
Nintendo’s approach to the market may indeed be child oriented, but there’s no denying that it is a class act based on respect for the costumer, and this works to attract mature people, who are, much like this infographic shows, those with a conscious consumer sense. They don’t go with the console because they’re dazzled by the promise of certain amounts of polygons or nigh-nonexistent load times, but rather because they want to derive enjoyment for themselves and their families from their purchases without spending too much.
I agree that Nintendo needs to push Wii U forward, I’ve always said that the mere existence of a 3DS version of Super Smash Bros was a deal breaker for many looking forward to it but still on the fence about the Wii U, in the end the game didn’t move as many units as it could have, the Wii U doesn’t have a problem of power or even advertisement as much as a problem of management, take the next Fire Emblem for example, it would have been better to put it on Wii U, the 3DS already has a wonderful Fire Emblem game that keeps selling steadily to this day, another one is sure to sell well but it would be put to better use by making it move Wii U units.
I disagree concerning Miiverse. I believe Miiverse to be at least 90% children (under 16). Also, I don’t think Nintendo can push the WiiU right now. They don’t have the games. They will though, by the end of this year. After a very impressive E3 2015, I’m thinking a massive WiiU campaign is headed for this holdiday. I think Nintendo will actually spend some money this year. They could potentially double the current installed base by summer 2016. Just a hunch.
More like durability of the controller. The Gamepad is perfect for kids, because they can drop it as many times as they like and it won’t break. That goes for the 3DS as well, it’s perfect for kids, because the clamshell design will take all of the shock from the fall and prevent both screens from cracking and breaking.
Great for Kids doesn’t always mean that all of the games are aimed at a demographic of 3-12 year olds. Most of Nintendo’s games are aimed at everyone, as in, everyone can play and enjoy their games, be it a first timer, or a veteran, anyone can have fun…
What kind of moron would list that their number 1 reason for buying a video game system is “better resolution”? Here I’ve always thought that video game systems were about the games and the fun that can be had…..
People who would put “It plays blu-ray” as the second best reason to buy it.
As much as I love my PS3, if these are the best reasons people with a PS4 can muster up to tell me that I should run to buy one right now they aren’t exactly doing the console any favors, the fact that it is in the lead sales-wise but none of those reasons mention the fun factor or the exclusive content is a distressing and frankly scary picture of just how blind consumers are nowadays.
Sonyans?…
How can anyone love the Xbox brand? The first Xbox traumatized me from it’s atrocious suckiness and caused me to never want another Xbox ANYTHING.
Well, I don’t like to charge people for their likings, different strokes for different folks, but personally I’ve never been able to get comfortable with the XBOX controller, I’ve tried it dozens of times and I just can’t get used to it, the ABXY configuration in particular is a big turn off because when games prompt me to push a certain button my muscle memory always goes to the opposite one.
Up until recently I owned all three consoles( sold the ps4) and at first it was awkward switching controllers but you do get used to the different layouts pretty quickly. Maybe you just needed to give it more time?
I certainly wouldn’t mind owning an XBOX (Can’t believe I said this xD), there’s some nice games on it that I really want to try, like I said it’s mostly the controller that messes me up, but I guess I could get over it once I practice enough.
As much as I like the PS3 I definitely won’t be touching the PS4 until it can really justify its existence beyond being the world’s most expensive blu-ray player.
Xbox does have a couple good games on it now. I wouldn’t recommend it though, at least not yet. I hardly play it that’s why. I would wait for Halo 5 maybe. Actually I’ll probably end up selling it after that, but anyways if you do get one, don’t worry, you’ll get used to the switching.
That’s the dumbest reason I’ve ever heard to avoid a gaming console.
That guy’s an idiot…
Now it’s proved. Xbox gamers don’t wanna have fun they want useless shit like kinect and REALLY bad indie shit games made in MS paint.
You do know that the Wii U is a great platform for indie games, and that a lot of indie games are really fun and of excellent quality? Don’t be an asshole.
Nintendo is the best and only video game system I care about.because Nintendo is SUPER fun. FOREVER!
No denying the brand power of Xbox, which is why I almost bought Xbox One.
I want to like the Wii U, but man, the lack of a good Metroid game is not completing the whole Nintendo picture for me. It’s like, all the right pieces are there, like good Mario-related games, an upcoming supposedly good Zelda game, and even an allegedly good DKCR game. But that one leg of the stool…not quite there yet…. I’ll wait as long as I must, but hope I definitely will.
@Namie That is pretty much why I was at a lost. I mean, you buy a video game console to play games. You want to have fun with those games. That’s why I’m confused.
While the other two sides of jackasses bought those PC-try hards just to make fake bro friends over FB to show off their graphical erections and say “hey look! I’m all baller and grown up now. Let’s be friends by cursing and threatening each other while use the old *I fucked your mom* jokes”
I’m not judging you. I am only asking. Do you have any friends?
It’s just sad how messed the priorities of some people are, yes, good visuals and processing power, but no interest in having fun or getting the best value package whatsoever, blind consumerism at its absolute worst.
To OP: Nice report but please don’t link to Kotaku or at least clarify you are linking to Kotaku, some of us don’t want to give them any traffic for reasons I won’t delve into.
@thestrangablog I don’t appreciate your attitude but I do understand the PS4 and XBONE are marketed for their power and resolution. The games show that.
It’s kind of a hard decision between XB1 and PS4 for me. I like that the PS4 has better resolution and frane rate on some games, but I really want the XB1 exclusives. They look pretty awesome to me. Honestly though, I think PS4 is the better choice to me since it has better versions of games and the exclusives like Infamous Second Son and The Last of Us Remastered are awesome!
I would say stick to your gut because neither is that great right now. Just FYI, I sold my PS4.
Why’d you sell it?
Of course! IMO the Wii U probably has the most fun games out of the 3. The games on the Wii U focus more on fun gameplay than anything else. btw LMAO the #1 reason for the PS4 is because of the resolution and for Xbox One is the brand XD. Seems like the Wii U #1 reason is the only legit one
People buy Nintendo because of the brand too. You can’t deny it. Just slap the word Nintendo on it and they’ll be there day one to buy it.
How is “Exclusive Games” 5th? That’s easily the best reason to own a wii u
Lmao Microsoft and Sony audience is just sad, resolution and brand really omg cx hahaha you gotta be kidding me I’m having fun with my U and saved loads of money. Can’t wait for Zelda U
Just stop.
Lol me ? Grapej
Yes. Lol.
@HollowGrapeJ If I were to choose between a PS4 or XBONE I would go with who holds the largest variety of games out there and which would save me more money in the long run.
If I had enough money, I would honestly skip both of them and get a gaming PC.