Beyen Reports Q1 Ads for Videogames, Consoles Up; Prices Down.Business Editors/High-Tech Writers NIAGARA FALLS Niagara Falls, waterfall, United States and Canada Niagara Falls, in the Niagara River, W N.Y. and S Ont., Canada; one of the most famous spectacles in North America. The falls are on the international line between the cities of Niagara Falls, N.Y. , N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 5, 2003 Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft Lead the Push toward Lower Prices For Videogames Retail ads for videogames surged 38% and retail videogame console ads climbed 49.4% in the first quarter of 2003 relative to the same period in 2002, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the latest data from Beyen, a retail ad tracking company based here. Microsoft saw a quadrupling quad·ru·ple adj. 1. Consisting of four parts or members. 2. Four times as much in size, strength, number, or amount. 3. Music Having four beats to the measure. n. of its retail console advertising in the period. The company also led the charge to lower price points with 43.7% of Microsoft videogame ads hitting a relatively new, for Microsoft, $19.99 price point. By comparison, 90% of Microsoft retail videogame software ads hit the $49.99 price point in Q1 '02. Nintendo joined Microsoft in driving the console advertising increase. While Microsoft tripled its Q1 retail ad share to 26.3%, Nintendo boosted its retail ad share to 29.3% with a tripling of GameCube ads. Sony saw a 14.2% reduction in retail console advertising and fell to a 44.4% ad share, down from 77.9% Q1 2002. "The advertising gains for Microsoft and Nintendo reflect their intense battle for second place in the console market," said Roger Lanctot, director of advertising analysis for Beyen. "The shift to lower price points for software should stimulate sales throughout the category." Sony's sales mix sales mix See product mix. shifted dramatically in Q1 with 26.4% of retail ads coming at the $19.99 price point up from 14.8% in Q1 '02. The company simultaneously folded the $49.99 price point, which fell to 3.0% of retail ads from 71.2% in Q1 '02, and boosted the $39.99 price point to 62.6% of ads from 12.6% in Q1 '02. Sony represented more than half of the videogame ads in the $19.99 category. National retailers Best Buy and Circuit City combined with regional player Fry's Electronics Fry's Electronics is a specialty retailer of software, consumer electronics, computer hardware and household appliances with a chain of superstores headquartered in Silicon Valley. Starting with one store located in Sunnyvale, California, USA, the chain now boasts sales of $2. to account for 70% of total retail ad volume in the category, up from 55% in Q1 '02. Consolidation also hit software where Best Buy, Circuit City and Target Stores captured more than three quarters of all retail videogame software ad volume, up from 65% in Q1 '02. The data reported here is based on the tracking of retail preprint pre·print n. Something printed and often distributed in partial or preliminary form in advance of official publication: a preprint of a scientific article. tr.v. and run-of-press advertising drawn from 102 daily newspapers encompassing 85 U.S. metropolitan areas. Beyen's North American North American named after North America. North American blastomycosis see North American blastomycosis. North American cattle tick see boophilusannulatus. headquarters is in Niagara Falls, New York Niagara Falls is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 55,593. It is across the Niagara River from Niagara Falls, Ontario, both named after the famed Niagara Falls which they share. , with its corporate headquarters in Dusseldorf, Germany. For further information contact Roger Lanctot, director of advertising analysis at (905) 374-4596. |
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