Most US children will be asking for video games this Christmas, but the majority of them want subscriptions rather than physical games.
The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) carried out a survey of US adults (aged 18-65) and children (aged 10-17) to understand what the top present requests will be this year. In total, the survey included 500 adults and 501 children and was designed to be nationally representative.
The results show a clear preference for video game-related presents (72%). Of the children surveryed, 59% of girls and 86% of boys will be asking for video game gifts this year. However, specifically what they are asking for may surprise you. The top five requests are as follows:
Game subscriptions (39%)
Game consoles (38%)
Game accessories (32%)
In-game currency (29%)
Physical games (22%)
It suggests that the majority of kids want a games console with an extra controller and a subscription so they can play lots of digital games. Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony can all deliver such a selection of gifts through a combination of their hardware and subscription services, but we'll have to wait and see which one proves most popular (I'd bet money on it being Nintendo).
Away from video games, the ESA found children also want money/gift cards (70%), clothes/accessories (66%), and electronics such as a new smartphone or smartwatch (62%). Physical toys/games (38%), tickets/experiences (32%), crafts (28%), and books (26%) are proving much less popular as we turn increasingly to entertaining ourselves digitally and online.