OTX: Hardware Price Cuts Drive Purchase Intent Surges For Wii, PS3 Exclusives

According to the latest tracking study provided to Gamasutra by OTX's GamePlan Insights, the recent hardware price drops have had a "significant" impact on software purchase intent. Now that former chart-leader Halo 3: ODST has launched, it yields the top spot to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, although purchase intent for ODST still remains strong "That said, Modern Warfare 2 continues to post impressive metrics across the board, ranking second in aided awareness, first in pre-order, and third in intent-to-rent on GameFly," observes OTX's Nick Williams. Additionally, GamePlan Insights data shows that consumer interest in Wii software is rising ahead of the holiday season, with titles like Wii Fit Plus and New Super Mario Bros. soaring to the high side of the charts. "Nintendo recently announced that the Wii hardware price drop was aimed at boosting sales for Wii Fit, and OTX GamePlan Insights tracking data confirms that the price drop has attracted a new set of gamers," says Williams. Before the price drop announcement, approximately 85 percent of Wii Fit Plus intenders said that they own a Wii, compared to just 76 percent afterward. "In other words, the group of consumers who plan to buy Wii Fit Plus has expanded to include significantly more non-Wii owners," says Williams. The non-owner trend is also visible in the PS3 market, with purchase intent for Uncharted 2: Among Thieves rising thanks to gamers who don't yet own a PS3. "In addition, Uncharted 2 has the highest intent-to-rent on GameFly during the last two weeks, which is indicative of favorable word-of-mouth building among enthusiast gamers," says Williams. But the Xbox 360 front has failed to drive similar buzz, says Williams. "There is not yet evidence of the price drop driving purchase intent in major console-exclusives such as Left 4 Dead 2, Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony, and Mass Effect 2." "That said, existing Xbox 360 owners are expressing firm interest in these titles, and they continue to trend upwards leading up to launch." The full September purchase intent charts from OTX's GamePlan Insights is as follows: