Most interesting is that the same questions were asked to respondants last year, so that we are able to view people's opinions both before the launch of the PS3 (during the hype phase), and again after.
"In 2006, Sony was preferred games console vendor of 40% of respondents, a figure that declined to just 39% in 2007. Over the same period Microsoft's figure rose from 21% to nearly 24%, and Nintendo's (following the release of the Wii) rose from 3.6% to 8.6%.
Any perceptions that Sony has dropped its bundle in the eyes of consumers appear to be off the mark."
The article points out that while console sales in the U.S. and Japan tends to follow different trends, Australia very closely follows the buying patterns of most other Western countries.
""Microsoft's Xbox 360 beat Sony's Playstation 3 to the market in Australia by twelve months. Most commentators believe this has been greatly to Microsoft's advantage, and there is no doubt that one year's start has helped Microsoft's credibility as a games console supplier," says Graeme Philipson, Connection Research's research director.
"But new research shows that Sony has retained its mind share, at least among younger age groups. Sony is still the preferred games console vendor, by a margin of nearly two-to-one over Microsoft. Microsoft has closed the gap, but only slightly, and its growth is largely in the over 40 age group," Philipson said."
I know gamers are going up in age, but to be imroving primarily in the over-40 crowd can't be too encouraging to Microsoft. Now, the cost of the PS3 just needs to drop enough so that all those who want the system can afford one.
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