Wii Again Leads BrandIntel Perception Study

Toronto-headquartered research firm BrandIntel has released the latest in its weekly next-gen tracker studies, finding the Wii continuing its lead as gamers enjoy Zelda and Wii Sports. The tracker bases its 'sentiment averages' based on a number of discussion criteria such as general appeal, purchase intent, and brand image to get an overall look of consumer perceptions of each individual next-gen console. According to BrandIntel, the Wii continues to be the most-discussed console, double that of Xbox 360 talk and 12 percent higher than the PS3, with a 'consistently positive' high rate of consumer satisfaction due largely to its controller, top purchase intent, and price/value standard compared with the PS3. The study finds that the Xbox 360 remains a similarly consistent second, with strong positive discussion in its game lineup and graphics, particularly with Epic's Gears of War, which has contributed to a full 25 percent of positive game discussions as of December 11th. Finally, BrandIntel has found that the PS3 is still "struggling to avoid the negative discussion" that's plagued it since before its launch. As consumers continue to have a hard time justifying its $500-plus pricetag, when they are able to find the console at all, the PS3 is additionally seeing negative discussion in areas that it previously excelled in. The study has found that three weeks past the launch of the console, consumers that have managed to purchase a PS3 are reporting lower discussion and sentiment scores on the console's graphics, especially compared with the Xbox 360. In general, the study says, the combined high-cost/low-availability of the console is turning consumers more in favor of the Xbox 360 and Wii. The full findings of BrandIntel's study can be seen via its website.