Today Famitsu reported the results of a survey commissioned by Sony Computer Entertainment Japan Asia.
The survey was conducted by games industry specialist marketing and research company Game Age and looked into the demographic spread and opinions of early PlayStation 4 adopters in Japan.
The survey was conducted through March 7-9, less than a month after the PlayStation 4’s February 22 launch. The survey sample was 2,540 gamers through ages 10-49. Here, the term “gamers” was defined as those who have at least 1 dedicated games console in a readily playable state (not in a cupboard or otherwise packed away). The survey itself was conducted as an online questionnaire.
Interestingly the spread of ages of users was quite even:
Ages 10-14: 5%
Ages 15-19: 14%
Ages 20-24: 15% | Ages 25-29: 15%
Ages 30-34: 18% | Ages 35-39: 18%
Ages 40-44: 9%
Ages 45-59: 6%
Famitsu notes that launch windows typically have more buyers in their late 20’s and early 30’s than in their teens - likely as a result of high launch price and the higher purchasing power afforded to working adults. So it’s interesting to see that the PlayStation 4 was still a viable purchase for so many 15-19 year olds.
Users were also polled for the main reasons they bought a PS4 (multiple answers possible). The top 5 reasons were:
1. The beautiful graphics - 49%
2. It’s the successor to the PS3 - 46%
3. Expectation that new games made possible by the PS4 hardware will be released on it - 45%
4.Expectation that the sequel to a popular franchise will be released on it- 40%
5. There’s a game I want to play on it that’s out now - 35%
The launch line-up for the PlayStation 4 was considered by many to be weak, so perhaps it’s not surprising that launch software wasn’t a bigger driving factor in console purchases. Standout titles included Yakuza: Restoration which we considered to be quite strong, however the game is also on the PS3. As of yet, some big PS4 exclusives like InFamous: Second Son have yet to see release in Japan.
Finally users were asked to give a satisfaction rating out of 5.0 for the various features of the PS4. The top 5 most highly rated features were:
1. Graphical Fidelity- 4.6
2. Sound Quality - 4.3
3. Console Size and Design - 4.1
4. Ease of use of the DualShock 4 - 3.9
5. General Satisfaction with the PS4 hardware - 3.8
Going by the sales data for the last two weeks, currently the PS4 is moving around 13,000 a week in Japan, placing it 3rd place behind the 3DS LL (known as 3DS XL worldwide) and PS Vita but above the PS3 and regular 3DS which sell around 6,000 a week.
Shehzaan Abdulla
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