A survey published by U.S. video game specialty retailer Game Crazy this week found that 86 percent of teens and "tweens" will ask for a video game this year, with
Guitar Hero 5 and the M-rated
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 among the most wanted.
The action and music genres were the most popular genres for this year, according to retailer Game Crazy's survey, conducted by Weekly Reader Research. The four most-wanted games among the 1,000 respondents ages 8-17 were Activision's
Guitar Hero 5 (48 percent), Nintendo's
Wii Sports Resort (44 percent) and
New Super Mario Bros. Wii (41 percent), and Sega's
Mario and Sonic at the Winter Olympic Games (33 percent).
Game Crazy also broke the survey down by age and gender, finding that 50 percent of boys often play games that have an Entertainment Software Rating Board rating that's above their age bracket.
At 48 percent,
Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games was the most-wanted game among 8-10 year old boys. But in the 11-13 year old boys bracket, 41 percent want the upcoming Mature-rated military shooter
Modern Warfare 2 from Activision and Infinity Ward, making it the second-most wanted game in that gender/age group after
Guitar Hero 5.
In the 11-17 year old boys bracket,
Modern Warfare 2 was the most-wanted game with 46 percent. ESRB's Mature rating indicates a game that is deemed appropriate for people ages 17 and up.
The survey also showed that 66 percent of kids plan on asking for a new video game system this holiday. The most desired system is the Nintendo DSi (24 percent), followed by PlayStation 3 and Wii (21 percent each), according to the survey.
Game Crazy's complete breakdown by age and gender can be seen below:
Girls
-- 8-10 Years-Old
-- Wii Sports Resort (Rated E) - 56 percent
-- New Super Mario Brothers (Rated E) - 49 percent
-- Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Rated E) - 44 percent
-- 11-13 Years-Old
-- Guitar Hero 5 (Rated T) - 53 percent
-- Wii Sports Resort (Rated E) - 52 percent
-- New Super Mario Brothers (Rated E) - 42 percent
-- 14-17 Years-Old
-- Guitar Hero 5 (Rated T) - 57 percent
-- Wii Sports Resort (Rated E) - 48 percent
-- New Super Mario Brothers (Rated E) - 48 percent
Boys
-- 8-10 Years-Old
-- Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Rated E) - 48 percent
-- New Super Mario Brothers (Rated E) - 47 percent
-- Guitar Hero 5 (Rated T) - 47 percent
-- 11-13 Years-Old
-- Guitar Hero 5 (Rated T) - 42 percent
-- Call of Duty (Rated M) - 41 percent
-- Wii Sports Resort (Rated E) - 41 percent
-- 14-17 Years-Old
-- Call of Duty (Rated M) - 46 percent
-- Guitar Hero 5 (Rated T) - 45 percent
-- Halo 3 ODST (Rated M) - 39 percent
"As Game Crazy's survey indicates, it's not unusual for younger kids to want to play what the older kids are playing," said ESRB president Patricia Vance. "Parents need to understand that not all video games are intended for younger players. The ESRB ratings provide guidance about content and age-appropriateness so parents can make sure the games their kids play are suitable for their age."
