Blu-ray is still the primary reason to buy PS3

Most consumers want a PS3 for its Blu-ray features, claims a new Nielsen market research study

Research company Nielsen has published a new report which claims that Blu-ray (and not gaming) is still the primary reason most consumers buy a PlayStation 3 console.

Nielsen's latest research was based on an in-depth poll of 700 people, quizzing each of them on the various factors and reasons behind their decision to buy (or not to buy) a Sony PlayStation 3.

65 per cent of respondents said Blu-ray playback was the main reason they wanted to buy a PS3 hardware, compared with 62 per cent who were buying the console for its gaming features.

God of War III test

"The prevailing logic goes: make a must-have video game and it will have an influence on the consumer's decision to invest in the necessary hardware," reads Nielsen's report.

Not so, it would seem, going by the latest results.

"While it is assumed that high profile game titles can move gaming systems, recent Nielsen Games research suggests that consumers are driven by a myriad of factors. Surprisingly, the purchase of a specific game title actually ranks lowest in a list of purchase motivators.

"Over a three week period prior to, during and after GOW III was released, Nielsen interviewed more than 700 active gamers ages 7-54 who do not currently own a PS3 but are definitely or probably interested in acquiring the system in the next six months to better understand the factors behind their purchase intent.

"Among those gamers motivated to acquire a PS3 because they are looking forward to buying a specific game, GOW III was the clear winner. However, overall results indicate that specific game titles rank as the least frequently cited reason for being interested in purchasing a PS3."

You can see the full report over at Nielson

Via VG247