A North American survey of more than 1,000 eight–17 year-olds has found that 66 per cent of respondents plan to ask for a new videogame system this holiday season.

Conducted by Weekly Reader Research on behalf of US retailer Game Crazy, the holiday gift tracker survey found that the most wanted system is the DSi (24 per cent), followed by the PS3 and Wii (both at 21 per cent).

In addition, 86 per cent of respondents said that they expect to ask for at least one game this year, with action and music titles the most in demand.

The four most-wanted games across age and gender were Guitar Hero 5 (48 per cent), Wii Sports Resort (44 per cent), New Super Mario Brothers Wii (41 per cent) and Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Winter Games (33 per cent).

While girls leant towards games suitable for their age group, more than 50 per cent of boys said that they often play games they know have an Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) classification above their age. This was reinforced by the choice of games they want this holiday, with Mature-rated Call Of Duty and Halo titles prominent.

"As Game Crazy's survey indicates, it's not unusual for younger kids to want to play what the older kids are playing. Parents need to understand that not all videogames are intended for younger players," noted Patricia Vance, president of the ESRB.