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Nintendo Dominating US Female Gaming Market

Tom Ivan's picture

By Tom Ivan

November 26, 2009

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80 per cent of the female game playing market in the US are Nintendo console owners, according to Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime.

Speaking at the BMO Capital Markets conference earlier this month, the executive said that there are around 11.7 million female “primary players” using consoles in the US, compared to 33.3 million males. “Primary player” refers to the main user of a home console, reports Kotaku.

This female audience is dominated by Nintendo, Fils-Aime said, with the platform holder commanding an 80 per cent share of the market, or around nine million players.

In comparison, Nintendo figures suggest that Xbox 360 and PS3 hold 11 per cent and nine per cent shares of this market respectively.

"This didn't happen by accident," the executive said. "It's the result of a deliberate attempt to expand the market."

In June the NPD Group said the number of female gamers in the US was on the rise in 2009 compared to last year, “significantly” among console gamers.

Females had increased by five percentage points among console gamers, from 23 per cent in 2008 to 28 per cent in 2009, according to the company’s Gamer Segmentation 2009 report. The jump was largely attributed to the popularity of Wii, which had seen a 19 per cent increase in usage over 2008.

Ben_Lathwell's picture
On November 26th Ben_Lathwell said:

This was pretty dam obvious really. I want to know how much these researchers get paid state the obvious.

Its all just corporate muscle flexing.

Did you know 85% of Gingers prefer ketchup to brown sauce in a bacon sandwhich, whereas 67% of over 90's don't possess a particular preference for any games console.

Verbal_Oz's picture
On November 26th Verbal_Oz said:

Here is where the bricks & mortar distributors can earn their money and actually help to grow the market. My assumption is that the primary place most of these new gamers will go for information will be their local games shop - at least initially. If the staff in these games shops provide good advice and don't just flog endless copies of the latest shovelware/terrible game-movie crossover title then these new gamers may decide to stick around and take a more active interest in their new hobby, which is good for everyone (particularly EDGE!)

If you know someone that just bought their first console you could of course help them out. Christmas is just around the corner, why not pick out a title that you think is well suited to their interests and more importantly, doesn't suck!

Alex_V's picture
On November 26th Alex_V said:

Good point. I agree totally. But the gaming media has a part to play as well. Even Edge.

Sabrewulf's picture
On November 26th Sabrewulf said:

Hear Hear!!

Rudeboy Stu's picture
On November 26th Rudeboy Stu said:

Okay, before all the wailing and gnashing of teeth starts among the hardcore/obesessive gamers out there in Edgeland, just stop and think about the ramifications of this for a second. The success of the Wii has introduced millions of people to the world of gaming, widening the overall appeal, credibility and acceptance of game consoles in general.

Regardless of the allegiances you may have to Sony and Microsoft, Nintendo's 'Clear Blue' thinking - their attempt to appeal to other demographics - has worked better than any gaming analyst could have ever predicted. I think we can all agree on this. We can? Oh great. In the wake of this revelation, whats left that passes for intelligent discussion in Edgeland are often the increasingly petulent protestations among the hardcore/obessesive gamers (you, most likely) that console A is better than Console B.

It's a strange analaogy to use, but while this 360/PS3 war continues to rage, Nintendo have left the battlefield and are conquering far-off lands (the female gamer) that Sony and Microsoft don't seem to be even aware of. Long may it continue. Sony and Microsft's game developers can continue to compete for an ever-decreasing share of the 16-35 year old male demographic market, while Nintendo continues to do impressive business with new markets.

Right, I've been writing this for long enough. To summarise: if you feel compelled to post dismissive comments about how the 360 or PS3 is a 'better' machine than the Wii, go and sit down in a dark room for a while and wait for your faculties to return. Peace and love to you all.... except all you PS3 gamers *shakes fist angrily*