Video Gamers and TV
I thought this article was interesting. I can't be the only gamer here who finds that they spend very little time in front of the TV. Aside from sports and the occasional show on the History or Discovery Channel, I rarely watch TV anymore. I can go days without even turning the TV on. I've been thinking about getting an HDTV for a while now but just can't justify it when I so rarely watch TV. I should be just drooling over the thought of an HDTV but I find I'd rather spend my money on a new video card or other upgrade for my system.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=581&e=2&u=/nm/20040826/t...
Almost Half of Video Gamers Cutting TV Use --Study
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Nearly half of video game players watched less television last year or plan to cut their viewing time this year, according to a report issued on Thursday that lends credence to industry fears that young men are switching off the tube.
The Ziff Davis Digital Gaming in America survey found that 26 percent of gamers had cut their TV watching over the last year, and a further 20 percent expect to do so this year.
Television ratings provider Nielsen Media ignited a storm of controversy among network executives last fall when it reported a 7.7 percent decline in prime-time viewing by men aged 18 to 34.
Nielsen cited growing competition from video games and DVDs. Studies have shown that the average game player is 29 years old.
The Ziff study, a random poll of 1,000 people nationwide, was conducted in May and June by the Strategy Group. It is published annually.
The research also found that game players are not just sitting in their living rooms. Half said they play games on their cell phones, for an average of 4.4 hours a week. They also spent an average of $19 in the last 60 days on phone games, the study found.
Some networks had suggested that Nielsen's sampling was flawed, and Nielsen said about half the decline could be explained by changes in the composition of its ratings sample and in the way it measured data .
Earlier this month, Nielsen said viewership in the first eight weeks of the summer season by men aged 18 to 34 was down only 3 percent for the four major networks.
The use of my TV is limited to videogames and movies. Every once in a while I''ll watch one of the CSIs, and I''ll catch a couple of football games when the season starts up, but beyond that I don''t use the TV for watching television. Ever since the Simpsons started to suck I''ve had fewer and fewer reasons to watch anything.
Worst signature ever.
Gamertag: Tex Red
www.mumfordland.com
This is true.
Coupled with gaming, the types of shows now popular (read=reality) are just not for me.
I only watch a couple of the cable channels (sci-fi, history, etc). I NEVER watch network and haven''t for months.
I don't think I've ever said this sentence before, but man would I love to hump that butterfly.-- KrazyTaco
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2005 GWJFFL2 Champion
Ok, I''m going to sound like a religious fanatic, just bear with me. The biggest thing to change my TV viewing habits was buying a Tivo. It records all my geek television shows so I can get some console gaming in without missing a Stargate. It''s also nice to watch a show without commercials. Why devote an entire hour to a favorite show when I can watch it in 40 minutes whenever I want and not put up with those idiotic Enzyte commercials.
"In heaven all the interesting people are missing." -Friedrich Nietzsche
"Duct tape is like the force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the
universe together." -Carl Zwanzig
I saw a TV soap opera with a girl the other day (Goddamn! Them''s some hot women right there!) and I realized I had not watched TV in about 2 weeks. It''s just getting less and less interesting, when you have DVDs and videogames.
/I''ll keep watching that soap opera, because it has a g(. )( .)d storyline
The man wears a bucket of KFC on his head. I wouldn't expect anything less. - Pred
The less-tv-due-to-games phenomenon doesn''t take rocket science to figure out. People have a finite amount of leisure time available to them. If gaming is added to the leisure activity list then something''s got to give. It only makes sense that overall TV time has taken a hit since it''s such a common activity.
I watch an hour of national and local news on a daily basis (mainly while sitting on the couch playing games on my IPAQ or GBA) and usually one or two movies a week. That''s it. I haven''t watched network TV shows for almost 20 years. It has long since been replaced with gaming and internet surfing.
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That is some serious gamer dedication. You deserve some major props because I''m pretty sure that watching Friends, Frasier, and Seinfeld are responsible for taking 10 points off my IQ and 10000 points off my high scores.
"In heaven all the interesting people are missing." -Friedrich Nietzsche
"Duct tape is like the force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the
universe together." -Carl Zwanzig
I still tune in occasionally, but with my PC and consoles, the time I actually spend infront of the TV has been whittled down a great deal. The only shows I actually attempt to watch anymore are Pardon The Interruption (BRING WILBON AND KORNHEISER BACK YOU F***ERS) and a smattering of what''s on Cartoon Network. And Sportscenter.
Quote:
XBL Tag: Prederick
God bless Tivo! I watch less and less every year.
Gamer Tag -- Edgar Newt
Yep, I definately fall into that category. I watch a few specific shows (Stargate, CSI, etc.) but that''s about it. And I mostly watch to spend time with my wife (who watches lots of tv). If I had to choose between games and TV, I''d choose games, unless it was a particularly juicy episode of a show I really like. During the summer when everything is in reruns I just about never watch TV at all.
I still want an HDTV though. All the better for my Gamecube and Xbox!
Graktar, Orc Hunter
Meh - since we can get DVDs of all the shows we like through NetFlix after the season''s over, we dropped everything but basic (network stations, basically) cable. Why pay $30 extra a month?
Everything can be debated, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's debatable.
--Chuck Klosterman, Fargo Rock City
I haven''t subscribed to cable for almost 2 years now. Xbox Media Center + Downloaded Divx and the occasional TV show keep me satisfied. It''s like having a Tivo, but getting someone else to do it for you
40% Gaming, 40% DVD/Divx, 20% Downloaded TV (Sans commercials)
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Which Soap opera Mex?? Do tell!
And does porn count as watching TV??
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“The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable.” John K Galbraith
I don''t watch much TV but when I''m watching movies, HD is absolutely amazing. Got a 55"" Mitsubishi and it''s the greatest thing evah!
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I keep updated on all the reality shows because the television is in the same room as the only broadband outlet in the house. Headphones help, but there''s still those pesky fractions-of-seconds between songs in which bits and pieces of ''OMGOMG JOEY VOTED OUT JOSH!!!'' leak in.
Really, though, I can''t think of the last time I intentionally sat down and watched television on my TV. I still watch quite a bit of Family Guy, Simpsons, Scrubs, Trailer Park Boys, News and hockey, but that''s only when I''m at a buddy''s house. When I''m just doing my own thing, I really never ever turn on the TV.
Even television news has been rendered somewhat useless because I can browse whenever I want on sites like CNN.com.
Oh, and what''s all that jibba-jabba about phone games? I can''t think of a single person I know who plays phone games, period, except maybe a little ''Snake'' when they''re bored waiting for the bus, and they certainly don''t pay $19.00 in 60 days for THAT...
[edited 3 times, because spelling is hard]
"PEACE ON EARTH. GOOD WILL TO MEN. PUBLIC SHELTER. ADMISSION 50¢"
It''s called ""RubÃ"", and then there''s one called ""Mujer de Madera"" (Wooden woman?), starring Ludwika Paleta''s boobs(among others).
The man wears a bucket of KFC on his head. I wouldn't expect anything less. - Pred
I would like to think Video games single handidly was responsible for the decline in TV watching by males in the age range they polled, but let''s be real here, the Networks are also a major contributer to that result. I can''t turn on the TV without flipping past 20 reality type shows, most of them are about hooking up with the opposite sex and I could care less what Whores or Gigaloes are trying to use sex to win money.
As far as I am concerned Video games are way more interesting because they are interactive and with wide spread broadband it has also become somewhat social as well. I do however love to watch TV and if the Networks continue to cancel the quality shows that start off slow in favor of quick ratings grabs I will continue to find other things to do. SCREW YOU NETWORK BASTARDS!
"Can I have a job? I donut have much experiences, butt I always use an spellchecker spellchecker on my articles." - Sway
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I guess if I wasn''t into games I might watch more TV but really I spend a fair amount of time in front of the tube still. I have a ReplayTV myself, one of the older models with the commercial skip which probably adds to that somewhat. Just about every worknight I spend the last hour or two before going to bed to read watching something. Sometimes it is just something silly like old reruns of Married with Children or Futurama. Probably the most relaxing hour or two that I have most days.
Didn''t like The Real World when it first came out. Over a decade and hundreds of retreads of the same concept later... nope, still don''t like it! I think the success of Reality shows just goes to prove that the majority of people out there are drama queens and just love to get into all the little nyah nyah bullsh*t that goes with that territory. No matter. I''ll keep watching what''s left of the sitcoms that are out (Scrubs, in particular. If Joey can follow the Frasier mold and do its own thing, maybe it will be good) and Adult Swim, and that really qualifies as more than enough TV watching, anyway.
BTW, Morrolan, totally dig your signature. I wonder whatever happened to those guys?
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I find it ironic anytime a healthy vaccinated person bitches about science...on the internet. - MaverickDago
We have a TV for Xbox, movies, and DVDs of TV shows we actually want to watch (Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Futurama so far...).
Almost all tv shows still suck, right? If there''s just one or two good ones, we can wait for the DVDs...
¡¡Thread arise!!
An article posted here at WomenGamers says "Nielsen to Provide Video Game Rating Service". They're using the current 10,000+ Nielsen families to gather this data.
"Gamers With Jobs will take over the world someday. I hope they're benevolent overlords." -- Bill Harris
I got an a 46' HDTV mainly for next-gen gaming and to watch NFL games. For those with component cables, try switching to an HDMI cable if your TV has the jack for it - made a big difference with the quality of the visuals and audio.
Lag used to be a lot worse back in the day. Hell, it took Jesus 3 days to respawn.
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To be fair, the quality of TV has gone up over the last 2 years IMHO. TiVO (and usenet in my case) have allowed me to keep with the good shows while riding the commuter train on the good ol' PSP, while saving those precious after work hours for the wife, food and gaming...
I'll fire aimlessly if you don't come out!
I watch very little television. I do the Daily Show 2-3 times a week and Adult Swim on Sunday evening. Throw in a few random viewings of Mythbusters, and I'd say that I watch less than 6 hours weekly.
Variable -> Veeble -> vbl
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