Console Interest Down Slightly

The latest edition of The Industry Record reveals that interest in all three next-gen platforms has slightly decreased over the past few weeks, due to the current lack of new, big games for each system. While the drop in interest is less than 2 percent for each console, the data shows how directly release schedules affect consumer attraction.

The Industry Record is a bi-weekly publication distributed by IGN's GamerMetrics. Metrics analyzes the behavior of users across all of IGN Entertainment and measures what titles and consoles gamers are most excited about.

While the Xbox 360 continues to enjoy the most activity on IGN, it also saw the biggest drop in interest, falling 1.7 percent between April 22 and May 7. Late May releases like Forza Motorsport 2 and Shadowrun could put the 360 back in the black, though. The Industry Record notes that Microsoft's console is already showing strong interest in releases scheduled for the latter half of 2007 such as Halo 3, Grand Theft Auto IV, and Mass Effect.

Unfortunately for the PlayStation 3, there aren't any end-of-May releases ready to raise gamers' excitement about the system again. PS3 interest is down 1.3 percent, although fervor over Spider-Man 3 has prevented further decline.

The Wii saw the smallest drop in interest, 1.2 percent, thanks to continued enthusiasm for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Super Paper Mario. Consumers' attitudes towards the console's fall lineup are "inconsistent," the Record notes, particularly over recently announced third-party titles.

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