Register Hardware

Original URL: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/07/21/wii_stats_gfk/

Wii aids family togetherness, report claims

By James Sherwood
Published Monday 21st July 2008 08:07 GMT

If it’s quality family time you’re after, then it’s a Wii’s you want. That’s according to a new study which claims to have discovered that gamers rank the Wii as the best console for family togetherness.

Pollster GfK NOP questioned 464 people aged 16 and over, and found that 83 per cent believe the Wii increases family interaction. By contrast, roughly 52 per cent of respondents thought the PlayStation 3 was capable of prompting family togetherness, and 49 per cent said the same of the Xbox 360.

For example, 46 per cent of Wii owners said they play child against parent games, compared to just 21 per cent of PS3 owners. Over 43 per cent of Wii owners also play the Wii with their partners, whereas only 27 per cent of Xbox 360 owners do.

Apart from maybe making gamers feel all fuzzy inside, Wii-loving parents also claim the console is a good source of family entertainment that makes them feel closer to their children. Just wait until Grand Theft Auto: Wii City comes out...

Unsurprisingly, the report also revealed that people of all ages are being drawn to the Wii. Around 67 per cent of those questioned aged between 16 and 24 had already played on a Wii.

Admittedly, only 15 per cent of respondents in the over-60 age group had used the Wii before, but that’s still twice as many as had ever played on an Xbox 360 or PS3.