Video Games Are Hotter Than Ever; First Quarter 2002 Video Game Rental Revenues Up 9% From 2001, According to the VSDA.Business/Entertainment Editors & Retail/Video Game Writers ENCINO, Calif.--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--May 20, 2002 The video game rental market is booming with a flurry Flurry A drastic volume increase in a specific security. of new game titles and the introduction of two new game platforms, 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. Bo Andersen, president of the home video and entertainment industry's international trade group -- the Video Software Dealers Association (VSDA VSDA Video Software Dealers Association ). "The video game rental business enjoyed a strong first quarter due, in part, to increased competition and consumer choices fueled by the introduction of Microsoft's Xbox A video game console from Microsoft that was designed to compete with Sony's PlayStation and Nintendo's GameCube. Introduced in 2001 with a 733 MHz Pentium III CPU, 5x DVD drive and custom-designed graphics processor, the Xbox also includes four game controller ports, Ethernet networking and Nintendo's GameCube," said Andersen. According to VSDA's VidTrac program -- the video industry's most accurate video rental point-of-sale point of sale n. pl. points of sale A business or place where a product or service can be purchased. Also called point of purchase. point tracking technology for measuring national consumer video rental spending, based on actual rental transactions -- video game consumers rented 49.2 million games and spent $201 million during the first quarter of 2002. Compared to a year ago, video game rentals are up 9.8% from 44.8 million and revenues were up 9.2% from $184 million. Revenues for the first quarter of 2002 were also up significantly, 24.5%, from the previous quarter (fourth quarter of 2001) at $161.4 million. "With limited platforms and games available, the video game rental market was slipping into a quiet slumber. However, GameCube, PlayStation A video game console from Sony that was introduced in the U.S. in 1995. CD-ROM based and using a 32-bit MIPS CPU, the original PlayStation was the first of a family of desktop and handheld units. 2 and Xbox have reawakened consumer interest in experimenting with new game titles," added Brad Hackley, Director of Research for VSDA/VidTrac. Sony SONY Standard Oil of New York (common, but untrue; it's an urban legend) , through its platforms PlayStation and PlayStation 2 products, dominated the market in the first quarter of 2002, and remains the video gamer's platform of choice, occupying 64% of the overall video game rental market. In fact, all ten of the Top 10 Video Game Rentals for the first quarter were PlayStation 2 products (see Top 10 list below). Nintendo's N64 platform ranked number two. In just four and a half months on the market (debuting November November: see month. 15, 2001), Microsoft's Xbox soared from zero to 9% of the market, winning the #3 spot. Xbox's success was fueled by the popularity of Activision's "Wreckless: Yakuza yakuza Japanese gangsters. Yakuza, who trace their roots back to ronin (masterless samurai), often adopt samurai-like rituals and identify themselves with elaborate body tattoos. Missions" (#15 game of the first quarter 2002) and Microsoft's "Blood Wake" titles (#20 game of the first quarter 2002). Nintendo's GameCube, which streeted November 18th, ranked #4 with 4.5% of the rental market.
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1Q2002 Game Platform Market Share
PlayStation 2 42.5%
PlayStation 21.6%
Nintendo 64 18.0%
Xbox 9.0%
Nintendo GameCube 4.5%
Other 4.3%
Source: 1/6/02-3/31/02, VSDA/VidTrac
Rank
1 PS2-Grand Theft Auto 3 3-Oct-01 Take 2 Interactive
2 PS2-Max Payne 20-Nov-01 Take 2 Interactive
3 PS2-State Of Emergency 18-Feb-02 rockstar games
4 PS2-Agent Under Fire 14-Nov-01 Electronic Arts
5 PS2-Final Fantasy X 28-Dec-01 Electronic Arts
6 PS2-Metal Gear Solid 2:
Sons Of Liberty 14-Nov-01 Konami
7 PS2-NBA 2K2 15-Jan-02 Sega Of America
8 PS2-Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 31-Oct-01 Activision
9 PS2-Simpsons Road Rage 22-Nov-01 Electronic Arts
10 PS2-WWF SmackDown Just Bring It 2-Nov-01 THQ Inc.
Source: 1/6/02-3/31/02, VSDA/VidTrac
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Established in 1981, the Video Software Dealers Association (VSDA) is a not-for-profit Not-for-profit An organization established for charitable, humanitarian, or educational purposes that is exempt from some taxes and in which no one in profits or losses. international trade association for the approximate $19 billion home entertainment industry. VSDA represents more than 1,700 companies throughout the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. , Canada, and a dozen other countries. Membership comprises the full spectrum of video and video game retailers (both independents and large chains), as well as the home video divisions of major and independent motion picture studios, and other related businesses that constitute and support the home video entertainment industry. |
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