Nielsen recently did an extensive study on video consumption across multiple platforms. It looks like people are adding screens to their viewing habits and not necessarily replacing them. So people are still watching lots of television, even as more and more people watch video online and are now moving to tablets and mobile phones.
They polled 15 countries for their study and found that the United States has 8.8% penetration for mobile video consumption. That’s fairly high, but not as high as the overall global average which sits at 11%. You’ll notice that Nielsen didn’t poll many Asian countries (Japan, etc.) where usage is much higher, and therefore pulls the average up.
Interestingly, there’s quite a lot of variance between major European countries. France has 8% market penetration for mobile video consumption, while Germany (a “well-connected” place) lags far behind with only 2.5%. That’s a very surprising number, as it sits even below countries such as Spain and Italy.
According to Nielsen, approximately 70% of global online consumers watch online video. That’s an amazingly huge number. But, the trends are moving quicker when it comes to mobile viewing of video. And even to tablets, where Nielsen reports that globally, 11% of online consumers already own or plan to purchase a tablet (such as an iPad) in the next year.
Nielsen recently did a survey about people’s expected buying habits on smartphones. When someone already owns an iPad and an iPhone, they’re 91% likely to buy another iPhone.
Perhaps the most surprising news out of the study is the fact that there are people who own iPads but don’t own iPhones. The iPad has already reached many non-first adopters, and beyond Apple fans that buy everything the company produces.
The addiction that many of us feel with respect to Apple products is clear in the chart above. Once you’ve owned an Apple product and been exposed to the iOS, you’re more likely to purchase more products from the company. iPad owners are 51% likely to buy an iPhone (if they’ve never previously owned one.) And 85% of iPhone owners will make sure their next smartphone is an iPhone as well. That’s a leading statistic, showing great repeat customer buying habits.
Some people think it’s possible that gaming can make the world a better place. And if that’s true then game sales might point to an inflection in gaming’s potential. Game designer Jane McGonigal believes games can change the world, for the better, and that game designers have a responsibility to do so.
In 2009, U.S. computer and video game sales hit $10.5 billion dollars. That dipped from a record $11.7 billion in 2008, likely due to the economic recession. With so much money being spent on games and so many people engaging in games regularly, it seems like the perfect opportunity for those interested in social change to make things happen.
