Smartphones, tablets and gaming consoles among the most popular Christmas gifts

• Approximately 1.9 million German internet users plan to give gaming consoles as Christmas gifts
• ‘The broad range of games and functions offered by the latest generation of gaming consoles makes them an ideal Christmas gift for the whole family.’

Berlin, 15 December 2015 – Consumer electronics are among the most popular Christmas gifts this year. Approximately one out of seven (15 per cent) internet users aged 14 and older in Germany plans to give these devices as gifts this Christmas season – that’s more than 8 million people. Approximately one third of internet users planning to give consumer electronics as Christmas gifts want to put a tablet (34 per cent) or a smartphone (32 per cent) under the tree. Gaming consoles are also extremely popular this year: nearly one quarter of internet users (23 per cent, or approximately 2 million Germans) who plan to give consumer electronics as gifts are considering purchasing a PlayStation 4, Xbox One or Wii U for that purpose. The BIU, the German Games Industry Association, reported this information based on a survey of internet users aged 14 and older conducted by market research institute GfK.
 
[quotation cite=”Dr. Maximilian Schenk, Managing Director of the BIU”] “For many consumers, the broad range of games and functions offered by the latest generation of gaming consoles makes them an ideal Christmas gift for the whole family.[/quotation]‘For many consumers, the broad range of games and functions offered by the latest generation of gaming consoles makes them an ideal Christmas gift for the whole family,’ says Dr Maximilian Schenk, Managing Director of BIU. ‘Particularly at the end of the year, these consoles score big points with consumers thanks to exciting new games like ‘Assassin’s Creed Syndicate’, ‘Star Wars Battlefront’ or ‘Fallout 4’. Additionally, attractive discount bundles – which consist of a console and games – make the latest-generation devices particularly interesting at Christmas.’

Increased interest in gaming console purchases became evident throughout the year

The strong interest in the latest generation of gaming consoles already became evident during the course of this year. By October 2015, approximately 800,000 Germans had expressed interest in purchasing a gaming console, as a GfK survey commissioned by BIU revealed. Another three million Germans said at that point that they could imagine purchasing a console.

Note on market data:

The GfK Consumer Panel surveyed Germans 10 years of age and older regarding their interest in purchasing the latest generation of gaming consoles; this data is representative of 67.7 million people in Germany. In December, internet users aged 14 and older in Germany were surveyed regarding the most popular Christmas presents; this data is representative of 55 million people in Germany.

About the BIU

BIU – Bundesverband Interaktive Unterhaltungssoftware (German Games Industry Association) is the association of the German computer and video games industry. Its 26 members are developers, publishers and providers of digital games, and they represent over 85 per cent of the German market. The BIU is, for example, the sponsor of gamescom. As an expert partner for media and for political and social institutions, the BIU answers all questions on the topic of digital games.

Press contact

Martin Puppe
BIU – Bundesverband Interaktive Unterhaltungssoftware e. V.
Charlottenstrasse 62
10117 Berlin
Germany
Tel.: +49 (0)30 2408779 20
Fax: +49 (0)30 2408779 11
Email: puppe@biu-online.de
Twitter: @game_eV
Facebook.com/BIUeV

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