Videogames top US present wish lists

Around 42 per cent of adults in the US are planning to give, or hoping to receive, a videogame as a present this Holiday, according to the results of a survey conducted by KRC Research and commissioned by the Entertainment Software Association.

That number is up 9 points in the past five years, while 52 per cent of the 1001 respondents polled between November 4 and 8 this year agreed that videogames represented good value in a tight economy.

"Computer and videogames are topping holiday lists because they provide a superior entertainment value for the whole family," said Michael D Gallagher, president and CEO of the ESA. "With 68 per cent of American households playing computer and video games, US consumers value the creative and innovative products the entertainment software industry produces and are seeking them out for themselves and to give as gifts."

Additionally the survey found that of those polled, 54 per cent planned to play a game with a friend or family member, while the percentage of females likely to receive games as gifts was up 31 points over two years, to 47 per cent.