Tokyo Game Show Survey Maps Japanese Trends

Japanese game trade organization Computer Entertainment Suppliers' Association (CESA) has published an extensive survey, conducted at the 2005 Tokyo Game Show, which gives an excellent look at the current state of the Japanese video game market, according to the just over 1,000 gamers surveyed. The survey, which is available on CESA's website and which has been partially translated by Gamasutra, was particularly notable in a section which listed the types of game hardware that surveyed consumers wanted to purchase. According to the survey, 71.8% of all those surveyed were interesting in buying a PlayStation 3, and 35.7% a PSP, with the Xbox 360 rating a relatively high 23%, above even the Revolution, which 20.9% of Japanese consumers were interested in buying. Further down the scale, the Nintendo DS interested 13.7% of consumers, presumably because many of them already own one, and the Game Boy Micro 9.7%, with the PlayStation 2 getting 5.7% support, the GameCube 3.1%, the GBA 2.6%, and the Xbox a slim 2%. Regarding the color of the game hardware, a somewhat offbeat question asked by CESA, 21.8% of those replying said it was very important, 37.8% said it was rather important, 31.5% not too important, and 7.0% not important at all, and the surveyors even went as far as to ask about preferred colors: 47.8% black, 26.9% white, 23.5% silver, 22% flat colors (such as green or blue), and 20% 'metallic colors'. Finally, the Japanese consumers were asking about their favorite game genres, and role playing games were a favored response for 70.9% of all those replying, with action taking up 43.8%, adventure 31.5%, simulation/strategy 27.8%, shoot-em-ups 26.8%, goal-based strategy games 23%, fighting games 21.6%, puzzle/quiz games 17.6%, the very Japanese 'love simulation' titles 17.4%, and racing games 16.6%. Continuing on further down the list, MMORPGs were favored by 16.0%, rhythm action games took up 14.5%, sports titles 14.1%, sound novels 10.5%, FPS titles 10.4%, computer board games 10.2%, battle-based network games 7.3%, variety/party games 5.5%, strategy table games 5.4%, gambling table games 5.2%, typing games 5.2%, study/educational titles 4.8%, and slot machine simulator titles 4.6%.