Gamers Spend Heavily on Non-Gaming Products

Gamers Spend Heavily on Non-Gaming Products

SAN FRANCISCO, July 11 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a research study conducted by videogame magazine publishing market-leader Ziff Davis Media Game Group, core video gamers spend substantially on videogames but also on fast food, consumer electronics, clothes and personal grooming products. The 2005 Consumer Study demonstrates that gamers are a highly influential group with considerable spending power.

Gamers pay close attention to their personal appearance. More than 95% of the gamers surveyed have purchased a personal product in the last six months. In the past six months, gamers have spent nearly $700 on men's clothing and $245 on athletic shoes. Furthermore, nearly 95% of core gamers have visited a fast food restaurant in the last 30 days, averaging seven visits.

Video gamers' purchase habits also herald the convergence of entertainment and technology in consumer electronics products: more than 50% of gamers have purchased a surround sound audio system in the past six months, and almost all of them own a DVD player. Over 80% own a cellular phone.

"Gamers comprise a potent set of consumers both within and outside of the gaming market," said John Davison, Vice President and Editorial Director of Ziff Davis Media Game Group. "Entertainment and consumer marketers are scrambling to hook their programs into the gaming market, and in our gamer community on 1UP.com we've seen substantial interest in products and services outside the traditional realm of gaming."

The study shows that gamers are also heavy music listeners and buyers, including subscribing to music download services and purchasing portable devices. Almost 85% of core gamers have purchased two or more music CDs in the last 60 days, nearly 50% own an MP3 player, and almost a third are likely to purchase a new MP3 player in the next six months.

Methodology

The 2005 Electronic Gaming Monthly reader research study was conducted in May 2005 by Ziff Davis Media Game Group from a sample of newsstand readers who filled out an online survey to qualify for a sweepstakes draw.

About Ziff Davis Media Game Group

Ziff Davis Media Game Group is the largest publisher of electronic game magazines in the United States. Electronic Gaming Monthly has the highest rate base of any independent gaming magazine published. It covers the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Nintendo DS, Sony PSP, and all relevant and emerging game systems. Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine is the #1 publication for passionate PlayStation and PSP gamers. Computer Gaming World is the longest running and most respected publication for core PC gamers. 1UP.com features exclusive editorial content in addition to content drawn from Ziff Davis Media Game Group magazines Electronic Gaming Monthly, Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine and Computer Gaming World. The site taps into the Game Group's unparalleled editorial resources to provide a rich body of reviews, previews, cheats, Top 10 lists, downloads, news and stories. Ziff Davis Media Game Group reaches 8 million core gamers per month, making Ziff Davis Media the largest publisher of video and PC game magazines in the United States.

About Ziff Davis Media Inc.

Ziff Davis Media is a leading integrated media company serving the technology and videogame markets. The Company is an information services provider of technology media including publications, websites, conferences, events, eSeminars, eNewsletters, custom publishing, list rentals, research and market intelligence. In the United States, the Company publishes 10 magazines including PC Magazine, Sync, ExtremeTech, DigitalLife, eWEEK, CIO Insight, Baseline, Electronic Gaming Monthly, Computer Gaming World and Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. The Company exports the power of its brands internationally, with publications in 40 countries and 20 languages. Ziff Davis leverages its content on the Internet with a network of highly-targeted technology and gaming sites including PCMag.com, eWEEK.com, ExtremeTech.com and 1UP.com. The Company also produces highly-targeted b-to-b and consumer technology events including DigitalLife. With its main headquarters and PC Magazine Labs based in New York, Ziff Davis Media also has offices and lab facilities in the San Francisco and Boston markets. Additional information is available at http://www.ziffdavis.com/.

Source: Ziff Davis Media Inc.

CONTACT: Randy Zane of Ziff Davis Media Inc., +1-212-503-3535, randy_zane@ziffdavis.com

Web site: http://www.ziffdavis.com/ http://www.1up.com/

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