Study: Gamers unaware, don't care about additional game console features

Port Washington (NY) - A new study shows that most gamers just want to play games and don’t really care about all the extra expensive goodies packed into the multimedia consoles, according to a new survey from research group NPD.

Some of the most fundamental, basic features of the next-gen consoles went unknown by the 6,260 surveyed console owners in the US. For example, only 30% knew that the Xbox 360 has the ability to produce high definition graphics. Sony has done somewhat better in making that point with the PS3, but the NPD survey showed that one in two people were not even aware of the PS3’s HD functionality.

Only 40% were aware of the PS3’s built-in Blu-ray Disc player, and only 20% said they had watched a BD movie in the last 10 times they powered up their console.

The survey, which included people aged six to 44, also came back with only 37% knowing that the PS3 was backwards compatible with Playstation and PS2 titles. 50% were unaware of the multimedia features on Sony’s portable system, the PSP, according to the survey results.

It also showed that handheld gamers are more likely to play online games on the Nintendo DS than on the PSP, and on the console side the most common online platform is the Xbox 360.

"To make headway in this ’next-gen’ race, manufacturers still need to be primarily concerned with the quality and entertainment value of the games themselves," said NPD analyst Anita Frazier.