This stat got a passing mention in a recent pre-E3 story on Microsoft’s Xbox strategy, but it’s such a juicy stat it deserves a headline. Are you using Xbox (or even Playstation) for much more than games?
The original blog post from Microsoft points to 30 hours per month of video consumption per month per Xbox, and growing fast. There’s surely going to be some territorial differences, with the US having services like Netflix to make added video close to a no-brainer. But even here we’ve now got movie rentals and also Foxtel, so we’re not totally left out in the cold here.
We’re wondering if non-gaming content is something core gamers are getting into. Or is it the kind of thing that fits into those nights where there’s not enough time for a good game session so a TV show or movie is a good fit? And why not do it all on the one piece of hardware? Or do you prefer to keep things separate?
Shameless plug, but only because it’s a total freebie: Don’t forget the free month of Foxtel offer running right now. The ads are all over our site. Or are you someone who would not even try Foxtel because you don’t want your console to be taken over by other media?
doubleDizz
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 11:39 AMnot in my house! I’ve got 3 xbox’s, 3 PC’s, 2 laptops and a bunch of smart phones all connected to my network.
Due to distance to our exchange and the dodgy phone lines in our area, if one person were to stream Foxtel to their console our entire bandwidth would go to sh.t
I’d love to get the foxtel thing, but until we get some better netspeed (NBN MUCH?!!) it ain’t happening
Dissection
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 11:39 AMShameless plug indeed :P
I use mine to stream videos from my PC quite often though gaming is still the main thing on my 360.
Seamus Byrne
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 11:56 AMYeah, I went the shameless option because I genuinely wondered about that question. I can see both sides. Some of us would get a lot out of having Foxtel on our 360. Others would find it becomes a conflict with their game time.
Black Dahlia NZ
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 12:03 PMis foxtel australia only? is that like our sky?
Gladice
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 4:59 PMI’m using the free month now, and on the rare occasion i actually bother turning it on, I only ever end up watching the Simpsons. The issue isn’t the fact that it’s on the xbox – in that respect it’s great, the streaming works incredibly well at high quality. But why the hell would I ever pay $70 per month for this service?
Foxtel, give me the ability to hand pick each channel for a reasonable price, and then we’ll talk.
p5yL3nT G
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 5:40 PMDo you have to ring Microsoft to cancel out of the Foxtel and Xbox Live trials?
Gladice
Wednesday, June 15, 2011 at 9:14 AMYep, otherwise you get charged for the next month.
Black Dahlia NZ
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 11:41 AM95% gaming, use to use xbox to stream movies but now have my own game room so watch movies in the lounge via media player.
NegativeZero
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 11:48 AMI must be doing it wrong then, because the only non-gaming time on my 360 is spent downloading games off the marketplace or idling on the dashboard. They don’t count that as ‘non-gaming activity’ do they?
Cakesmith
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 11:51 AMI don’t really use any of the non-gaming services on the 360. My PS3 on the other hand gets used for TV, Blu-Rays and streaming videos from my computer.
Tom
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 11:51 AMXbox is pretty much all gaming. The PS3 on the other hand is used pretty much to watch stuff. Blu-rays, other .. video files. Plus it’s quieter.
Anonymouse
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 11:54 AMJust started streaming movies/tv shows to my PS3. But, that’s only because I’ve got an old 360 that doesn’t have WiFi built in.
DENAz
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 11:57 AMYeah I use Foxtel on my 360 constantly. Before I got Foxtel, I used to use my PS3 and had PlayTV running through that. So I rarely ever use anything other then my xbox or ps for watching TV.
I don’t bother with facebook and twitter though, I have a laptop for that
Lone Wolf
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 11:57 AMI’ve been using the 360 to watch dvds since my DVD player stopped working, but I’d imagine the PS3 would have a higher percentage than the 360
os42
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 12:00 PMToo much of an expense for me – Foxtel means getting a Gold Live subscription, and getting a better internet connection – as it is, I have to be careful how much I download.
Melektaus
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 12:01 PMI game 2 or so hours a day on my 360, and could see myself easily using the non-gaming features of the 360 more, if they were availble. Netflix, Zune music, I’d be all over that shit.
I currently don’t subscribe to Foxtel on Xbox 360, but I’m not opposed. I plan to subscribe when Game of Thrones hits Showtime, and looking at the new E3 dashboard (and assuming that we Aussies get all these features), I could easily see myself using it more.
mccawsome
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 12:07 PMI was using the PS3 and 360 to watch media files but I can do it direct through my TV now so I do that. why have the extra device on if I don’t have to.
The PS3 is still my bluray player of choice. I have 2 others (one built into Sound system and one separate 3D bluray) but they are too slow to boot up movies.
buckE
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 12:10 PMI do most of my gaming on PC/PS3 these days. I have an Xbox 360 in both my bedroom and main lounge room that I use primarily for streaming TV shows and movies from my PC. I have signed up to the free month of Foxtel, but can’t see myself staying with it. Not enough channels for the price IMO. Maybe if they had more channels including the History Channel, CI, Nat Geo Wild and the +2 versions of the more popular channels, I might be swayed.
Once Gears of War 3 and Forza 4 are released, gaming time will outweigh video time on one of my Xbox 360′s.
Akra
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 12:13 PMTried the Foxel Free Month offer, still waiting on the Xbox Live Gold Code to actually use it.
Dire Wolf
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 12:25 PMMy consoles really only get used to play games or watch dvds/blu rays. I once watched an episode of Doctor Who using that ABC Iview thing on my PS3 but that’s it really.
Salmonpie
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 12:28 PMPS3 with Play TV, Blu-Ray and media streaming 360 for Games, the odd movie, streaming and watching sky news sometimes
f4cti0n
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 12:32 PMSince the PSN went down and came back all I’ve used my PS3 for is two races of WipEout and hundreds of hours of streaming MKVs and AVIs.
I’ve gotten through three and half seasons of Rescue Me most recently.
Used to do a lot of media center stuff with my Xbox360 back in the day (again, more than gaming).
Matt
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 12:37 PM99.9% of my Playstation3 usage is non-gaming. I’ve had PlayTV since Dec’ 09 and in all honesty (this will sound jaded) free-to-air australian TV has been the most interesting thing going.
Still, that means PS3 is on everyday – which is a lot more than the Xbox or Wii gets. But PC and PSP/3DS gets used everyday, there’s probably a minimum of 4 good gaming hours in a day.
So yeah.
the General
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 1:02 PMI use the Foxtel on my 360 constantly. I live in a rental with other students and getting a dish on the house is messy. 80% of the time it is used is for foxtel. The rest of the time is split between gaming and streaming music and videos from other computers.
Braaains
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 1:16 PMMost of my PS3 usage is gaming, but it gets a solid workout as a movie and music player, too. Also use PlayTV a bit. And occasionally use the PS3 for YouTube because it’s quicker to start up the PS3 than it is the PC.
It’d be interesting to know if that 40% is a result of actual gaming use declining, or just an increase in non-gaming use. Perhaps a result of a whole bunch of casual users jumping on the Kinect advertising bandwagon last xmas and are now finding themselves bored of Kinect, not interested in buying “real” games, and are turning to the other, non-gaming uses of the console instead?
Nic
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 1:19 PMSame as a few other people. Xbox for gaming, PS3 is pretty much purely for PlayTV… well it was until it died :(
Ben
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 1:37 PMFoxtel isn’t available to rural areas of Australia due to some kind of territorial thing between Austar and Foxtel. Unfortunately Austar isn’t available on the xbox 360 either.
So for those of us not living in the city watching movies/tv shows on the xbox is down to good old fashioned DVDs/streaming from the computer/Incredibly over-priced Zune marketplace.
On that note I often stream things from my PC to the xbox 360, but it’s still 99% of the time a gaming device.
Seeing a rural video on demand addition to the platform would definitely change that for me however.
HotBreakfast
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 10:09 PMNot advocating blatantly using a loophole but if you know someone in a capital city who’s willing to help you, you can setup your account with an area serviced by foxtel and the streaming will work where ever you are.
I lived in rural SA which was only serviced by Austar and signed up with my folks address and BAM! Foxtel on my XBOX, easy.
Ch-Ch-Check it out!
oggob
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 1:42 PMPlayTV is used a fair bit, but mainly because we don’t actually have any other recorder in the household.
Otherwise, of course we watch movies on it (it is a DVD/Blu Ray player) and stream a few TV shows also, but overall I would still say the split is 75/25 to gaming still.
Awnshegh
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 1:56 PMNo non gaming activity on my 360. Love to see how they make this figure up.
Cougar
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 2:22 PMAbsolutly. I have Windows Media Centre setup through my 360, and it’s basically my HD Tuner for my TV. I have also started with Foxtel, so yes I would actually believe that stat for my personal use.