Microsoft: Xbox 360 Users Only Game 60% Of The Time

Ever heard of Microsoft's Xbox 360? It's a gaming console, right? Well, maybe. Maybe not! The console definitely started out as a game console when it originally launched, offering up far superior graphics compared to the Nintendo Wii and catering to more hardcore gamers. But soon after came the external HD DVD drive, and while that was short lived, Xbox LIVE brought along lots of digital content, from the Xbox Video Store to Netflix integration.


Speaking to attendees of BMO Capital Markets Digital Entertainment Conference in New York, Dennis Durkin (which is listed as the corporate vice president and chief operating and financial officer of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business) stated that it was used for games only 60% of the time on average, at least in the U.S. where Netflix and almost all of the other multi-media services are available exclusively. That means that nearly half of the time, Xbox 360 owners are doing something else with their consoles, or "non-gaming activities." That includes watching Netflix, listening to Music and interfacing via social networks.


Specifically, Durkin said: "What we found is the core gamer might be the person who brought the console into the house, but as you widen the choices of content, it broadens what people can do with the system." Also, those same members are spending around 3 hours per day online. So, are gaming consoles the entertainment centers of the future? Or are they the entertainment centers of today?