Wii aids family togetherness: report

21-07-2008

by The Register

If it's quality family time you're after, then it's a Wii 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 percent believe the Wii increases family interaction. By contrast, roughly 52 percent of respondents thought the PlayStation 3 was capable of prompting family togetherness, and 49 percent said the same of the Xbox 360.

For example, 46 percent of Wii owners said they play child against parent games, compared to just 21 percent of PS3 owners. Over 43 percent of Wii owners also play the Wii with their partners, whereas only 27 percent 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 percent of those questioned aged between 16 and 24 had already played on a Wii.

Admittedly, only 15 percent 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.

The Register and its contents are copyright 2008 Situation Publishing. Reprinted with permission.