Nintendo Wii (35%) Most Popular Gaming Console for HDTV Gamers

Toronto, ON - It appears that Canadians who use their HDTV for games have a preference for the Nintendo Wii console. According to a new poll conducted by Ipsos Reid, among those who have bought (or plan to buy) a high-definition TV, four in ten (35%) HDTV owners who play games using the high-def televisions connect a Nintendo Wii to the TV. This makes the Nintendo console the most popular console for high-definition gamers, compared to other flagship consoles - namely the X-Box 360 (28%) and the Playstation 3 (25%).

There is also reasonably wide usage of the Playstation 2 (29%), the original X-Box (17%), and the Nintendo Gamecube (12%), while one in ten high-def gamers (10%) say they have "other" consoles.

The study also revealed some interesting information about where buyers, both past and prospective, get their information regarding HDTV's. Most Canadians (62%) say they made use of the internet when doing research on where and what to buy, while half (48%) say they browsed a retail store, and four in ten (37%) spoke with sales personnel at the store. Only three in ten (31%) say they made use of flyers or brochures from the stores they were looking at.

Despite this, however, Ipsos Reid has used a series of calculations to determine which sources of information factor into the decision process with the greatest importance for buyers of HDTV's, and the result is that flyers and brochures actually top the list. Second on the list are discount and bargain websites, congruous with the importance Canadians place in the internet for information. Another surprise is at third place, however, held by TV advertising - despite the fact that only 8% of HDTV buyers said they looked for information from TV advertising.

This could be explained by the fact that when it comes to choosing which store with which to do business, the top two derived factors they take into account (again using Ipsos Reid calculations) are "price" and "special offers". Both of these come directly, and most comprehensively, from flyers and brochures circulated by the stores. Third place on the list is held by the "ability of staff to answer questions or resolve problems", while fourth place is a tie between the store's customer service and its reputation.

These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted from 04/23 to 04/28, 2008. This online survey of 734 Canadian adults who have bought an HDTV was conducted via the Ipsos I-Say Online Panel, Ipsos Reid's national online panel. The results are based on a sample where quota sampling and weighting are employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the actual Canadian population according to Census data. Quota samples with weighting from the Ipsos online panel provide results that are intended to approximate a probability sample. An unweighted probability sample of this size, with a 100% response rate, would have an estimated margin of error of +/- 3.6 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

For more information on this news release, please contact:
Ray Kong
Senior Vice President
Ipsos Loyalty
(416) 324-2016
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid
Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

About Ipsos
Ipsos is a leading global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals. Ipsos helps interpret, simulate, and anticipate the needs and responses of consumers, customers, and citizens around the world.

Member companies assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media. They measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos member companies offer expertise in advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research, as well as forecasting, modeling, and consulting. Ipsos has a full line of custom, syndicated, omnibus, panel, and online research products and services, guided by industry experts and bolstered by advanced analytics and methodologies. The company was founded in 1975 and has been publicly traded since 1999.

In 2007, Ipsos generated global revenues of e927.2 million ($1.27 billion U.S.).

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