Talking Cars

Staring at a screen all day might rot your eyes out, but it could also save you from buying a clunker. As it turns out, individuals classified as “online gamers” are a valuable source for car advice. The evidence comes from a study done by Ziff Davis and a supporting analysis from ConStat. The findings of their 1UP network automotive study show that gamers are a key contributor to the spreading of car advice via word of mouth. A total of two-thirds said that they had given out car tips in the past six months. Seems like these guys aren’t spending all their time playing games.

So what kind of facts are these gamers dealing out? A large portion, 63%, said they tell about choosing car models and what cars would suit an individual best. Other respondents helped people choose dealerships and gave tips about how much should be paid for certain vehicles.

Although they spend a lot of time at the computer these gamers get around. The study showed 73% of the people owned 2 or more vehicles. Many have American made cars, but aspire for foreign and environmentally sound ones in the future. These people also said they wouldn’t mind paying the extra buck for advanced technologies like mp3 outlets, GPS, and surround sound. Before buying a car the top three websites they recommend visiting are the dealerships website, Kelly Blue Book, and Cars.com.

Given the positive insight from this data getting the low down on cars from gamers is probably worth a shot. However, I wouldn’t recommend venturing on the gaming route yourself. Chances are you won’t be able to drive your new car quite as well with your eyes rotted out.

http://www.womma.org/research/011179.php
http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=67120
http://www.ziffdavis.com/press/releases/070830.0.html