Connected Consoles Rising In The US

Video game consoles are about more than games, and the country is starting to take notice.

The number of US households that have broadband Internet access and an Internet-ready gaming machine is on the rise, and it's mostly thanks to the multimedia capabilities of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. This is from a new report from research firm Park Associates; the likes of Netflix has helped the number of connected consoles jump from only 25% in 2007 to 65% currently. Although the Nintendo Wii still leads in the hardware sales department, it just doesn't have the same amount of pull in the "connected" world. Said Pietro Macchiarella, Research Analyst:

"PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 have higher connectivity rates among the current generation of consoles, showing the power of multimedia offerings and popular game franchises in getting gamers online. Despite the Wii's wireless capabilities, it has been less successful in getting users online due to less compelling online games and multimedia content. However, with its large installed base, it still is a significant player.

Location and high penetration of game consoles make them ideal devices for distributing digital content. Our Digital Media Evolution II found 65% of U.S. broadband households with a game console have it in their living rooms, where they loathe adding another black box. Therefore, consoles are the perfect Trojan horses in the competition for content distribution."

The firm expects to see over 260 million consoles connected to the Internet worldwide by 2015, and the game industry continues to find a place in most any mainstream home. We all thought it was amazing that the PS2 was a DVD player, remember? And the Dreamcast going online was a phenomenon, too. But oh, how things have changed...

Tags: games industry, game consoles, ps3, xbox 360

2/9/2011 8:59:26 PM John Shepard

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Comments (36 posts)

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Temjin001
Wednesday, February 09, 2011 @ 9:58:50 PM
Reply

All the more reason 360 online gamers who pay $50-60 a year could boycott Live for only 2 years, come over to PSN in the meantime, and MS would be forced to go to a free to play online service.

...or they could just stick to PSN and never go back =p

6 up, 1 down

Temjin001
Wednesday, February 09, 2011 @ 10:03:51 PM

...or if that's too complicated for Live owners to understand, Sony should advertise to 360 gamers "FREE PS3 WITH 5 YEAR SUBSCRIPTION TO PSN!"

.. you know, we have to put things in terms they can understand =p

.yeah, I feel like being a fanboy tonight.

8 up, 1 down

Alienange
Wednesday, February 09, 2011 @ 10:23:35 PM

Ha! I bet that would actually work.

2 up, 0 down

Ignitus
Wednesday, February 09, 2011 @ 10:24:19 PM

That's exactly what I'm doing. It's been one year and I haven't renewed my gold subscription, and I'm not going to. Let's see if in the long run Microsoft drops the fee for online multiplayer.
In the meanwhile, there's currently a 1 year promotion for US$30, and I'm not taking it. They are not getting any of my $$$ to play online.
I do my online gaming on the PS3 and I only wish more players would use a headset, and I really miss Gears of War 2 online multiplayer.

2 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Wednesday, February 09, 2011 @ 10:27:47 PM

If it helps Ignitus, I think the Gears guys are planning to make a multiplat that's Gears style after Gears 3.

1 up, 0 down

Ignitus
Wednesday, February 09, 2011 @ 10:37:09 PM

Yes World, that's what the Epic guys said and I'm excited but... they also said they will look into it after Bulletstorm ships so it's going to take like 2-3 more years. I guess it's better late than never, right? :(

1 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Wednesday, February 09, 2011 @ 11:00:38 PM

Bulletstorm was an unnecessary distraction imo.

5 up, 0 down

FatherSun
Thursday, February 10, 2011 @ 7:55:25 AM

Live will never TRULY be FREE. It will only transform to seem like it is free.

1 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Wednesday, February 09, 2011 @ 10:26:43 PM
Reply

They closed down my Dad's Blockbuster so he asked me what to do. I told him to buy a PS3 and I'd set up Netflix for him :) So, yeah those numbers are gonna keep going up as video rental stores continue to die. Sad though, all those jobs gone.

2 up, 0 down

Alienange
Wednesday, February 09, 2011 @ 10:27:11 PM
Reply

Have you ever done a Wii vs PS3 Netflix comparison? It's like night and day. Not to mention using a pointing device to get your movies working kinda sucks. I dread having to fire it up for the kids. But, anything to keep my PS3 to myself.

And have you noticed that people who don't even play mp games still connect to PSN while they play? Are these people lonely or do we just love being online?

0 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Wednesday, February 09, 2011 @ 10:29:51 PM

I don't feel lonely cuz even during my SP experiences I send messages back and forth with PSXE members over PSN. It's fun to see what people are playing and stuff to ask questions ya know? I don't bother Ben very often though cuz he's always reviewing something.

2 up, 0 down

main_event05
Wednesday, February 09, 2011 @ 10:59:26 PM

haha, I haven't been online in forever, I'm sure world can give an exact number. lol.
effing Hughes Net.

2 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Wednesday, February 09, 2011 @ 11:02:10 PM

lol @ MainEvent, is that the name of your internet provider? Cuz I just got a funny thought that you were calling yourself the Howard Hughes of PSN internet.

2 up, 0 down

main_event05
Thursday, February 10, 2011 @ 12:27:48 AM

I actually had an audible laugh at that, world.

Hughes Net is my ISP. And they are God awful.

1 up, 0 down

JSwayze
Thursday, February 10, 2011 @ 5:39:12 AM

Love being online. I feel naked or incomplete if I'm not signed into the PSN

I hate taking my PS3 to people house who don't have Internet, because I have to leave games like NFS Hot Pursuit at home.

1 up, 0 down

Underdog15
Thursday, February 10, 2011 @ 8:23:44 AM

I only have a small handful of PSXE members on PSN, but even when playing SP it's nice to see what PSXE and real life friends are up to. I have a nice little trophy rivalry going with a couple friends. We're all right around the same level. Brandon's got about 50 more trophies than I do, but I have a higher percentage on the same level by about 11% right now.

Quality over quantity is my argument! I'll probably score another platinum tonight or tomorrow on 3D Dot Game Heroes.

3 up, 3 down

Veitsknight
Thursday, February 10, 2011 @ 9:17:05 AM

Can any of you guys add me onpsn? so far i only have my uncle and my best friend's.
PSN: veitsknight2

0 up, 0 down

Underdog15
Thursday, February 10, 2011 @ 1:00:35 PM

Where's Highlander? Now -I- have my own downvote stalker!!! I'm an accomplished poster, at last!

1 up, 2 down

THEVERDIN
Friday, February 11, 2011 @ 5:23:07 AM

@Alieaage Maybe people just like to see what else is going on. Check out games,demos,movies.

1 up, 0 down

Shadow_Ninja
Wednesday, February 09, 2011 @ 11:24:13 PM
Reply

I am proud to say i was one of those 25% in 2007! and still am! well...kinda...my playstation broke so im just waiting to get a new one.

5 up, 0 down

GuernicaReborn
Thursday, February 10, 2011 @ 1:13:24 AM

Heck yeah! I got mine in 2006. All I played was Resistance online until Warhawk was released in August 2007.

3 up, 0 down

IronFace2
Thursday, February 10, 2011 @ 4:09:13 AM

Got mine in 2007 aswell. Have the very first 60gb model and its still goin. Resistnace was my very first game on the ps3.

2 up, 0 down

matt99
Wednesday, February 09, 2011 @ 11:31:07 PM
Reply

I still remember bragging to my friends about my ps2 being a dvd player...good times.

1 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Thursday, February 10, 2011 @ 12:11:18 AM

No bragging bout the blu ray player too?

1 up, 0 down

FatherSun
Thursday, February 10, 2011 @ 8:11:37 AM

@World, was the 1st word supposed to be NOW? Did'nt know the PS2 had Bluray. lol.

PS3, what will it do NEXT?

1 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Thursday, February 10, 2011 @ 12:27:35 PM

I just assumed the dude had a PS3 too, he is here after all :)

1 up, 0 down

___________
Thursday, February 10, 2011 @ 12:52:26 AM
Reply

thats just common sense, i mean a console not connected to the net is useless!
how else are you suppose to install FW updates, update your games, movies and such?
tis why i wish consoles never had internet, games use to be made properly so if they were broken they stayed broken so developers would make sure this does not happen otherwise they loose out on heaps of sales!
no days developers dont give a sh*t because if enough people complain, eh we can just patch it.
i dont remember playing any games on my ps2 that stopped me from progressing in the game, or corrupting my save file.
cough CLOS, ACB, ME2, whole bethesda range, mercenaries 2, the saboteur.............

2 up, 6 down

FatherSun
Thursday, February 10, 2011 @ 8:06:39 AM

The times they are a changin. Nothing to do but move forward. Or keep the old consoles in playable condition. Cloud storage would remedy the corrupted/save file issue. I await for this feature with a passion. Already lost two years of data. Its just bull....!

1 up, 0 down

___________
Thursday, February 10, 2011 @ 8:36:27 AM

no need, just keep a good PC and a few emulators.
cloud saves are apparently going to be coming in the 3.6 FW update, but exclusive to + members.
the catch though, not everyone has to support it, so if developers dont want to support cloud saves they dont have to.
hopefully they will be signed to your PSN ID that way you can use the same game save on multiple consoles.

1 up, 1 down

kraygen
Thursday, February 10, 2011 @ 3:50:12 AM
Reply

I'm still trying to teach my parents how to use the online capabilities of the ps3 we bought them for christmas in 2009. They are a little afraid of it.

Trying to convince my dad to lower his satellite bill and get netflix streaming, but it's new to him so he is against it. I know another year or 2 from now he'll get it and act like it was his idea and he discovered the greatest thing on earth. Awwwww parents.

3 up, 0 down

FatherSun
Thursday, February 10, 2011 @ 8:02:46 AM

Me and my bro got a Move bundle for my parents for Christmas. They have access to my account so they have about 50 PSN games. It is mostly for when the family drops by but we first and foremost set up the EYE for video chat. They Love it. My dad is a technophile so he love the media capabilities. he is 72 years old.

0 up, 0 down

FatherSun
Thursday, February 10, 2011 @ 7:58:46 AM
Reply

I must admit, Neflix has all my consoles connected. PS3 in the living room, bedroom and my sons room. Wii in my daughters room (plays DVDs as well) and XBOX in my other sons room. ( We have not paid for LIVE for a year and a half. I have my ways, otherwise Live would not exist in my home.) And the PC in my den as well. But that is hardly used for movie watching.

Last edited by FatherSun on 2/10/2011 7:59:36 AM

0 up, 0 down

Simcoe
Thursday, February 10, 2011 @ 8:24:53 AM

I thought you had to subscribe to live gold to be able to use Netflix on xbox.

2 up, 1 down

Temjin001
Thursday, February 10, 2011 @ 9:26:34 AM

You thought correctly Simcoe.

and not only do LIVE members pay for LIVE but they're presented to an onslaught of advertising from marketing partners.
IGN is one of them.
IGN? The trustworthy reputable gaming authority who wouldn't ever let business decisions affect the portrayal or positioning of gaming entertainment to our impressionable youth.

Yes, IGN

2 up, 1 down

maxpontiac
Thursday, February 10, 2011 @ 10:26:10 AM

IGN's advertisements on the 360 and their reviews of a few exclusive PS3 games are not a coincidence I believe..

2 up, 1 down

jimmyhandsome
Thursday, February 10, 2011 @ 12:23:14 PM
Reply

That's a pretty impressive rise in numbers of people connecting online! I've been an xbox live member since the orginal xbox days and its good to see how many more people are connected. Also been a PSN member for about a year now.

2 up, 0 down

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