According to a new market research survey, 63 percent of Americans have played a videogame in the past six months — which spanks the 53 percent who have been to a movie. Go team hermits! Also, 94 percent have listened to music, which makes feel really bad for those other 6 percent of people, who claim not to have listened to any music in the last six months. Sad, you guys.
I know I’ve played videogames and been to the movies in the last six months. Hell, I’ve done both in the last 24 hours. (Every Little Step was so good!) What I thought was more interesting in the study was that videogame spending now accounts for one-third of the average monthly entertainment budget, and not just because games are more expensive than movies or music — there’s also been substantial growth in the number of people playing.
What do you think, PopWatchers? Are you playing more or going to more movies? And have your entertainment dollars been allocated differently recently?
addCredit(“Slater: Donato Sardella/WireImage; Theater: Solus-Veer/Corbis”)
With the right game you get more bang for your buck with Video Games, but I have been going to the movies more.
As a side note, the Wolverine game is ten times better written and acted then the movie.
This is beyond eerie timing! I just wrapped up a fifteen and a half page paper on the role of video games in society and then I check on EW.com and see this! Interesting, indeed.
Movies are an investment of time and money. In DC, it’s $50 for two people between entrance and concessions. At best, you get two hours worth of enjoyment.
Video games are different. You can buy them at discounts (“brand new” is “$20 bargain bin” material usually within a month or three), and at worst you get something worth a trade in for your next game. At best, you end up with a game you’ll play for months or sometimes for years.
Economically, going to the movies doesn’t make as much sense as your dozens of home options, video games in particular.
Am I a nerd because I spend more time reading than playing video games or going to the movies? I do them all, but I have just found myself reading more as of late.
I am one of the few non-video-gamers I suppose.
I pay $8.50 once a month to see an afternoon matinee movie, and zero dollars per month to buy or rent video games.
I used to play more videogames than going to the movies, but for the past year or so it has been the opposite.
Sometime I go for months without playing any video games, but all it takes is one… one game to suck me in and my life is consumed by it for weeks. Hours a day every day. Then I give it a rest.
Movies, on the other hand, I watch pretty consistantly (as long as I’m not currently geeked out on an awesome video game)
I do both, far too often. My husband and I probably play a video game an average of 3-4 times a week, and I see at least one movie every week. (Of course, I review a movie every week for my job, so I’m not sure I count. I probably would see a movie every 2 weeks if I didn’t review them, however.)
http://www.fwdailynews.com/jenny
Video games killed monthly comic books years ago, and it comes as no surprise that movies are next. Like one of the other commenters said, good video games can give you weeks/months/years of enjoyment.
Another problem is that modern theatrical films are all but advertisements for the inevitable Director’s Cut DVD released three months later.
Now — are there numbers for those people who just skip the theater altogether and buy the home video release?
I don’t go to movies, I only rent movies. http://cutegirlsdating.com
This isn’t very surprising. I mean we live in a 24/7 news media cycle, where information is accessible at any given time now. That also means forms of entertainment are unlimited. The standard, stereotypical ways we entertain ourselves are working less as people want bigger, better and more entertainment stimulation. Don’t get me wrong movies, music and television will always be around to entertain us, we just have to make room for other and different forms of entertainment into the group.
I definitely go to more movies than I play video games. The last game I bought was Guitar Hero 2 for PS2. I rarely get to play it, though. (Sadly, I have to borrow my brother’s PS2 when I want to get my rock star on.) I enjoy games, but they cost so much! Movies, on the other hand, I don’t want to live without.
One thing to remember is that, with platforms like the Wii, video games are moving from the teenage gamer and single guy realm to family entertainment. With three young children my husband and I rarely see movies, but we play bowling with the kids several times a week.
I’ve been playing WoW for 3 yrs now and I still get to watch the latest movie and hear the latest music. I ain’t sacrificing movies and WoW when I can enjoy both. For WoW fans out there, get a chance to win 500,000 gold just by simply giving a name to the twitter pig! You may visit this site given by a friend for more information. http://wowgoldpig.blogspot.com/ Send an entry and may the best man win!
I bought around 20 games this year, went to see 4 movies (only because a friend was paying for the tickets) and bought 2 bluray movies. So I spend more money on games. If I also take into account the older movies I have watched and the older games I have bought it would be something like 40 games to 20 movies or so. I just enjoy playing a game a lot more then I enjoy watching a movie.