With all of the recent hype surrounding the new Microsoft Xbox 360 and countless reports of gamers’ fears of system shortages, you’d think that nearly every active gamer was on pins and needles waiting for the console to hit the marketplace. But according to a recent Nielsen Entertainment survey, nearly half of console gamers got a good night’s rest on November 21, opting to pass on an immediate purchase of the Xbox 360. The Nielsen survey polled over 2,000 North American consumers who can be classified as “active gamers�. An “active gamer�, by the survey’s definition, is an individual who owns a console or PC and spends at least one hour a week playing video games on it.

Among the key findings of the survey was evidence that many active console gamers are opting to wait on the purchase of a next generation console system. Nearly 50% of respondents stated that they are planning on waiting until the Playstation 3 system is released in 2006 before deciding which system to purchase. These individuals want to let other gamers get some playtime in on both the PS3 and the Xbox 360 so that they can make a more informed decision. Interestingly enough, though, the survey also showed that current console gamers are not likely to switch platforms, even if they are waiting to make a purchase until both the PS3 and the 360 have been released. Gamers who are already owners of the original Xbox were shown to be more likely to purchase the Xbox 360, while owners of the Playstation 2 are more likely to purchase the new Playstation 3 console.

The survey also uncovered the increasing diversity in the demographics of the active gamer. Video games used to be thought of primarily as a teenage boy pastime, but Nielsen’s survey reveals that females, Hispanics, and older players are becoming more prevalent in the gaming community. Online-enabled console, Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) and gambling gamers are still disproportionately male, with 76% men and just 24% women. However, casual gamers who regularly play free online games are now just as likely to be female (49%) as male (51%). Also gone is the image of the average teen gamer – the survey reveals that men aged 25-34 are the most likely group to purchase a new game and the group that spends the most time playing video games, at an average of 12 hours a week.

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