New system will track frequently played games, demographics, related media trends among gamers
By Caroline McCarthy
Staff writer, CNET News.com
Nielsen Media Research, famed for its influential television ratings, has announced that it will begin providing ratings for video games.
The new system will use patented technology to monitor the goings-on of video game consoles--including next-generation models such as Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii.
Data will be compiled regarding which games are played most frequently, along with corresponding information about the demographics of the players. The system also is intended to offer insight into what television and Internet trends they follow. Called GamePlay Metrics, the video game rating system will be the first project launched by Nielsen's new Wireless and Interactive Services Division, which launched on Wednesday.
By offering statistical data video game use, Nielsen hopes that advertisers who target games and their players will be able to better pinpoint who their audiences are and which games are potentially the most lucrative. In-game advertising has recently been on the rise, and technology's mainstays are noticing: Microsoft, for example, snapped up game ad leader Massive this spring.
In addition to advertisers, Nielsen is marketing GamePlay Metrics toward the game industry itself. Creating games for consoles that have yet to be released is an expensive and often hit-or-miss enterprise, and Nielsen anticipates that its data will help game manufacturers develop a business model that can cut down on costs.
Participants in GamePlay Metrics will come from the same 10,000 sample households used for Nielsen's television ratings. When household members load up games on their PlayStations, Xboxes and other consoles, the titles of the games will be recorded without interruption, along with relevant demographic information.
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