Kids covet Guitar Hero 5 in US survey

A total of 86 per cent of 10 to 19 year olds in America will ask for at least one videogame as a gift this Christmas, according to a survey published by US specialist retailer Game Crazy.

In the survey conducted by Weekly Reader Research over 1000 US teens and tweens (defined in the survey as those aged 8 to 13 years old) were asked which games they most wanted this Christmas. The most popular genres proved to be "action" and "music".

The four most keenly desired titles across all ages and genders were Guitar Hero 5 (48 per cent), Wii Sports Resort (44 per cent), New Super Mario Bros Wii (41 per cent) and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (33 per cent).

For 8-10 year old gears the most popular choice was Wii Sports Resort (56 per cent), for 11-13 year old girls it was Guitar Hero 5 (53 per cent) and for 14-17 year old girls Activision's latest rhythm action game also topped the list with 57 per cent of respondents expressing an interest in the game.

A wider variety of titles were mentioned by boys, with 8-10 year olds plumping for Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (48 per cent). For 11-13 year olds it was Guitar Hero 5 (42 per cent). Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (46 per cent) proved the most popular choice for boys aged 14-17 years old, even though the game is Mature-rated in the US and 18-rated in the UK.

The survey also suggests that 66 per cent of children plan to ask for a new video game system for Christmas. The number one choice came out as the Nintendo DSi (24 per cent), followed by the PlayStation 3 and Wii (both on 21 per cent).

"As Game Crazy's survey indicates, it's not unusual for younger kids to want to play what the older kids are playing. Parents need to understand that not all video games are intended for younger players," said Patricia Vance, president of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB).