Gaming News : Most gamers rely on word-of mouth for gaming info

[Kreij]

I thought that many of you may find this little news tidbit interesting and spark a bit of lively conversation here in our favorite gaming section.

It seems that a new poll by the NPD group shows the following.

41% of gamers get their gaming information by word-of mouth.
31% get their information from hands-on play at home or at a friends house.

Only about 5% of gamers get their information from advertising.

This information varied between platforms, but it's interesting to note that the gaming publishers spend millions of dollars promoting their games through adverts, and this seems to be the least effective way of getting their point across.

So, what do you all think, and where do you get your gaming info?

source : gamesindustry.biz

 

[Castiel]

Thats a nice piece. I would have to say that since I have been gaming all my information of games would come from G4, Magazine's, or as of a year now Kotaku.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

well....since people are calling me up already & asking me what to get their kids for Xmas already (Im a Guru! go meee!!) Magazines & the internet mainly. sometimes I might hear some people talking about a certain game when out n about, but personally I tend to follow a series if i can. i.e UT2003, UT2004, UT3 -etc etc. friends have also recommended me games so I guess your correct with games spreading by word of mouth.

there are also so many blogs & twitter type sites out there too where people might blog about new & up coming games or review the games they have played which they feel is a must by.

 

[Kreij]

Being a PC gamers only, I get all of my news from online sources.
I also get PC Gamer, which I read for previews and reviews.
However, a lot of the information on gameplay and problems I get from online message boards.

I would have to say that when it comes to buying a game, it's usually more of "looking for something new, and that looks cool", than any of the above. lol

 

[vega22]

if a friend tells me he thinks such and such a game is good i am more inclined to try it over a random title but i would also bear in mind which friend it is and what their preferrence in games is. if hes a fps gamer then what he would say about rpg games means very little in truth but if he says this fps game is good i would belive him, and the same for other types too.

dont beleive the hype people, mags still get paid to bum a game!

 

[lemode]

Some games just belong on a console and I don’t get any enjoyment out of playing them on the PC. Batman:AA and RE5 fall into this category. Certain games like Bioshock 2 I will play on the PC because the graphics are better & control is way better with a mouse and keyboard. I guess I’m really only into FPS and MMOs on the PC.

Most of my info comes from internet sources. I don’t get hyped on MMOs till I actually play them. FPS I typically stick with what I know/like. Gamestop.com is a nice way to see what’s coming out if I haven’t heard elsewhere.

 

[A Cheese Danish]

For PC games, I get my info from reviews and news online or in magazines.
For console, which I barely play, I play the games at my friends' houses first before I make my purchase.

 

[1Kurgan1]

The big thing is, most people don't go out and actively look at gaming reviews. That 5% that does is the people reading these forums. The actually "gaming audience" is much broader, think of the Wii gaming audience, it's huge. So that 5% really informs a lot more when friends and family come to that 5% and ask whats actually good.

By the time they ask that % has probably tried the demo or read many reviews on it, so that 5% that read really ends up being a much larger number.

 

[pantherx12]

I only get recommendations via word of mouth, might read a review here and there as well.

 

[MomentoMoir]

i get my gaming news word of mouth and most of the time PP lol

 

[FordGT90Concept]

Only about 5% of gamers get their information from advertising.

Kind of hard to get your information from ads when there is hardly any ads.


Most of my information comes from GameStop (release dates/availability, price, and short description).

 

[pantherx12]

Kind of hard to get your information from ads when there is hardly any ads.

I was playing F.E.A.R extraction point and in game there was product placement ads.

A few Dell XPS system were scattered about on one level, with the monitors screen saver a big ole XPS logo.

I promptly smashed the screen with a flying kick and proceeded to laser the systems them self

 

[MomentoMoir]

I was playing F.E.A.R extraction point and in game there was product placement ads.

A few Dell XPS system were scattered about on one level, with the monitors screen saver a big ole XPS logo.

I promptly smashed the screen with a flying kick and proceeded to laser the systems them self

nice
ive noticed that afew videogames are doing in game advertisement like prototype had gamestop all through it

 

[Kreij]

One of the biggest thing that may change my mind on a game is a demo. I think that a good demo does more for game promotion than anything else.

Word-of-mouth means little without some hands on play action.

I like the PC Gamer reviews as they tend not to soft-coat the games faults and at the same time not trash a game unless it really deserves it. I must admit that I thoroughly enjoy when they they get a real turd and run it thought the ringer.

 

[Disparia]

My biggest influence on game purchasing comes from publisher/developer websites and game demos.

Last time I went/read a website/magazine for this type of information was back in 2000, when PC Accelerator went under.

 

[Stearic]

I play PC games exclusively, and I get most of the info from gaming sites such as gamespot, ign, gamespy etc. I use their reviews as a rough guide, and make a final buying decision based on a) game demos, and b) information found in forums; i trust real user reviews more than the magazines or sites. Real user reviews tend to highlight flaws in the game that may not matter for the 'professional' reviewers, but can make or break a game for me (eg. the lousy control system in Deadspace).

Some of the bigger name games, I'll buy without waiting for the reviews - COD series, Oblivion/Fallout etc.