Nintendo’s Wii Sports is by far the nation’s most popular console game, while Generation Z is far more likely than other generations to own a console game, according to Roy Morgan Research.
Roy Morgan research has revealed that 31.4 per cent of Australians aged 14+ (more than 6.1 million people) own a console game, with 61.8 per cent of Generation Z reporting owning at least one console game in the 12 months to September 2015.
This placed Generation Z well ahead of Generation Y (40 per cent) and Generation X (37.6 per cent), with 10.3 per cent of Baby Boomers console game owners and 1.8 per cent of Pre-Boomers.
Wii Sports is owned by 47.1 per cent of all console game owners, ahead of the Call of Duty franchise at 36.9 per cent and Mario at 33 per cent.
While Wii Sports tops the list for console game owners from Generation X (56.3 per cent) and Generation Y (40.2 per cent), Generation Z is more likely to own Call of Duty (48.1 per cent).
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Roy Morgan Research CEO Michele Levine noted that of the country’s console-game owners, only 500,000 belong to the Boomer generations, with the rest belonging to generations X, Y and Z, with almost 2.9 million Australians owning Wii Sports.
“Given this country’s obsession with sport, Wii Sports was almost destined to succeed in the Australian market,” Levine commented. “It is worth noting, however, that Wii Sports owners tend to play it less frequently than owners of certain other games: only 7 per cent play it at least daily, compared to the 13.2 per cent of Assassin’s Creed owners who play at least daily.
“Call of Duty is second most popular game overall (owned by just over 2.2 million people), and number one among Gen Z gamers. This fast-paced first-person shooter does not require long stints of concentration or in-depth strategy like some role-playing games (Assassin’s Creed for example) – ideal for students sneaking a quick game in between assignments, for example.”
Generation X tends to play much less frequently than its younger counterparts, Levine added.
“It is likely that some feel they own the games (having purchased them) but their kids actually play them, while others may be too occupied with full-time jobs and family responsibilities to indulge very often,” she commented.
“Their high ownership of Wii Sports also begs the question: does this time-pressed generation use it as a convenient alternative to ‘real-life’ exercise?”
