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Halo 3 Fans Play Videogame around Their TV and Movie Schedules

Videogame enthusiasts who received the popular Halo 3 videogame still found time to watch television and go to the movies as they had before, according to a report by Integrated Media Measurement Inc. (IMMI).

Despite concerns among the television and motion picture industries that the new videogame would adversely affect movie attendance and television viewing during the holiday season, IMMI found that “Halo 3″ maintained their usual movie and television habits.

The IMMI study compared television- and movie-viewing patterns of “Halo 3″ players before the videogame’s release to their viewing patterns after its release.

The long-awaited blockbuster videogame grossed a record-setting $170 million in first-day sales (Sept. 25, 2007).

Prior to the launch, “Halo 3″ players watched an average of 27.1 hours of television per week; following the launch the same group watched an average of 26.9 hours. Movie-going habits remained unchanged.

According to the findings:

• Most of the “Halo 3″ game-play took place early in the day on weekends: Some 27% of the total game starts occurred before 5 pm on Saturday or Sunday, with game-play starting to drop around 5 pm.
• During the week, game-play began its descent at 7 pm, leaving plenty of room for prime-time television viewing.
• Only 7% of “Halo 3″ game starts occurred on the weekends after 7 pm, again leaving ample time for movie attendance.

“There is a constant battle for consumers’ attention among all forms of media, and the launch of an eagerly anticipated videogame could have a temporary yet significant impact on television and movie viewing,” said Amanda Welsh, head of research for Integrated Media Measurement Inc.

“That Halo 3 had a very solid launch with strong sales, yet did not impact television or movie viewing, indicates people are not only expanding the hours they spend consuming media but are taking a much more ’scheduled’ approach to how they spend their leisure time.”

About the study: The study was implemented through a research panel built by IMMI that mirrors US Census results for fundamental demographics in key markets. IMMI provides thousands of panel members in key markets with a mobile phone, asking them to carry it with them wherever they go. The mobile phone is equipped with a technology that creates digital signatures of all the audio media (television, radio and movies) to which it has been exposed. IMMI can determine viewing audiences, as well as certain types of consumer behavior based on a timeline of when the media was viewed or heard.