Women, it appears, are in love with the Nintendo Wii while a lot of guys want plasma TVs and navigation gear.
Tonight SmartHouse will announce the 2008 winners of the Best Of the Best Awards at a function in a Sydney Art Gallery. The event marks the end of a year in which we have seen new products and advancements in technology in just about every category. In many cases the devices we have chosen are powered by batteries and a recent survey by battery maker Energizer has revealed the top ten products for 2007.
According to the research, plasma TVs and the Wii top the list of must-have Christmas presents with women turning to gaming as a means to relax.
The Nintendo Wii took second place (assuming you can get your hands on one). The survey found that just under a third (30 per cent) of 16-24 year olds would choose a games console compared to nearly half of 25-34 year olds (42 per cent). The poll shows computer games are now more popular than ever with older generations.
The launch of the Wii has had one of the biggest influences on the market this year along with the Sony PlayStation which is also driving Blu-ray sales.
Recent SmartHouse Online research reveals that of the 3,000,000 people who visited the SmartHouse web site this year many are doing so because they are in the market to buy. The research also confirms what Energizer has revealed, that is the Wii is driving a multiple player interactive experience, often among older people with money. Bored with watching free to air TV they are turning to interactive gaming and movies as entertainment in the home. The research has also revealed that games like Wii Sport are also driving interaction between parents and children.
The Nintendo console has also proved hugely popular with families and women, previously a minority in the computer-gaming market. According to the Energizer survey, the Wii tops women’s Christmas wish list with 16 per cent – almost double the number of men choosing it.
It is not just the entertainment market where gadgets are booming. A digital alcoholic breath tester comes third (10 per cent) in the list of gifts people would buy their friends, with twice as many male respondents saying they would buy one for a female friend.
The survey found that women were more likely to buy their partners a sat-nav system for the car despite men’s claims they’re better drivers. While men think their partner would like a coffee making machine with almost three times as many men saying they would buy this for their partner compared with women.
While hi-tech devices like the iPhone and Wii are increasingly popular, more basic gadgets such as televisions and mobile phones also remain very popular. According to Energizer’s research the top 10 gadgets on people’s wish list this Christmas are:
1) Hi-Definition TV/Plasma
2) Nintendo Wii
3) Laptop Mac/PC
4) Satellite navigation system
5) Digital camera
6) Nintendo DS Lite
7) Sony PS3
8) iPod/MP3
9) Mobile phone
10) Digital radio
