According to a new survey from Harris Interactive, about half of Americans (51 percent) say they will be purchasing toys as gifts this holiday season, while two in five (40 percent) will not, and one in ten (9 percent) are not sure. About three-quarters of those with a child in the household (72 percent) say they plan to purchase toys compared to 42 percent of those without a child in the household. The poll also shows that toy manufacturers should expect slightly less in sales compared to the last two years.

A recent survey of Japanese consumers about two upcoming systems might be cause for concern to executives at Nintendo and Sony. According to Japanese research firm goo Research, consumers aren't all that excited about either the Wii U or the PlayStation Vita. The firm surveyed 1,083 of its members and unearthed some interesting sample opinions on the upcoming products from both companies.

A new survey of Playr2.com users shows that a majority of its members are not satisfied (or interested) in 3D gaming. Tapping into 1,001 members, the Playr2.com asked them what they thought of the prospect of 3D gaming. Around 44 percent of respondents said that 3D gaming is “unnecessary," while 28 percent said they were "unimpressed" while playing the 3DS. Around 22 percent said that 3D technology impairs the gaming experience.

Social game maker RockYou announced the results of its Social Gamer Thought Leadership study, conducted by Interpret. The study surveyed 2,000 social gamers in the US age 18 and older, 60 percent female and 40 percent male, who play at least one hour a week.

The survey found that social gamers spent 13 hours per week on social networks and an average of 9.5 hours per week on social games. They also had an average of 218 social connections, 16.5 real-life friends who play the same social games, and have made 20 new friends through social gaming.

A new survey commissioned by PopCap Games and conducted by University of Massachusetts Amherst psychology researcher Susan K. Whitbourne, Ph.D. that compared the gaming habits of older and younger players who play Bejeweled Blitz regularly felt mentally "sharper." The findings of the survey of 10,000 U.S. adults were presented at the American Psychological Association's (APA) annual convention in Washington D.C. The survey investigated the feasibility of Bejeweled Blitz as a cognitive training tool for older adults.

According to a new poll from games comparison and marketplace website, Playr2, Guitar Hero 5 is the favorite "next-gen video game" selected by female gamers, beating out the likes of Assassin’s Creed II, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, and Halo: Reach.

A new poll by Siena College has found that most New Yorkers think that technology has made life better, but admit that devices that provide constant information updates also add to their anxiety levels.

According to a new study conducted by VGMarket and commissioned by Playspan, U.S. gamers have shifted from using credits earned from advertising offers to "real world" payments for digital goods using debit, credit and prepaid cards. The data comes from a survey compiled in July 2011 from over 1000 gamers drawn from a VGMarket database.

According to new research from games comparison and marketplace website Playr2, Duke Nukem Forever has been voted the "most disappointing video game release" of the past 12 months, beating Dragon Age II and Crysis II for the top spot.

It appears that Duke Nukem Forever owners agree with what most critics had to say about the game. Members of Playr2 felt that it was the biggest disappointment of the past 12 months.

A new report from Nielsen reveals that a major number of Netflix users - about half of them - use the streaming entertainment service on a console. Respondents to the survey said they like to use the Xbox 360, the Wii, or PlayStation 3. The study also found that 89 percent of Hulu users watch directly from their computers, compared to 42 percent of Netflix customers. Some of the Hulu number can be attributed to the service's restrictions on a lot of content, designating many shows as "Internet only."

A new survey by video game price comparison and marketplace Playr2 reveals that the average consumer doesn't spend all that much time playing a new game's campaign mode (or single player) before their interest wanes. The short answer to that question is the time spent on the campaign mode is usually just a handful of days, according to a survey of 1,671 users. Breaking that question down among the most popular titles, the answers become even more surprising:

- Call of Duty: Black Ops - 2 days
- Terminator Salvation - 2.5 days
- Resident Evil 5 - 3.2 days
- God of War 2 - 3.3 days
- Uncharted 2 - 3.8 days
- Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands - 4.1 days
- Assassin's Creed II - 5 days
- Uncharted - 6.6 days
- Metal Gear Solid 3 - 6.8 days
- Grand Theft Auto IV - 8.2 days

This question did not include downloadable content or online modes.

Maybe someone is doing something wrong? According to a survey commissioned by (of all people) Doritos, 84 percent of women gamers said they enjoyed playing games more than any other activity including sex (70 percent), working out (62 percent), shopping (71 percent), and takings baths (75 percent). Nearly one in five female gamers (17 percent) also admitted they play online games in bed.

The survey also founded that Women play online games for longer periods of time than men. Participants said that they spent an average of 3.5 hours playing online games each week. 23.1 percent of women's time online is spent gaming, compared with 22.3 percent for males. The survey of 2,052 people found that 49 percent of women play online games, almost matching the percentage (50 percent) of men that game online.

The survey was commissioned by the snack maker to coincide with the launch of its new Facebook game, Doritos Dip Desperado.

According to a survey conducted by video game price comparison site Playr2.com, gamers age 18 - 40 may end up dedicating almost two years of their lives playing video games. The company conducted a survey of 1,452 of its members, asking a variety of questions about their gaming habits. The survey found that the average gamer will spend about 1.8 years of their life playing games on various platforms. 

The average starting age of gamers was around 9.1 years. Most said they spend an average of 9.2 hours a week playing games. Most surveyed said they planned on giving up gaming when they turned 45 years old.

A new survey conducted by MCV UK finds that a majority of gamers in the United Kingdom believe that the never-ending stream of security breaches has seriously hurt consumer confidence. While hacking groups like Lulz Security may be retreating from attacking game-related websites and services, gamers surveyed say that the damage is already done.

MCV surveyed 633 UK gamers who use digital services such as PlayStation Store, iTunes, Steam, and other digital distribution. They found that 34 percent had doubt that most publishers are capable of protecting the personal data of users. Another 20 percent said that they don’t trust download services at all.

The Australian Government’s Attorney-General’s Department has posted an online survey to gauge public opinion on the recently released draft guidelines for the R18+ ratings classification released earlier this week.

The survey contains four possible answers showing either support or opposition to the new game classification and a comment section where participants can leave lengthy comments. The survey does not seem to be exclusive to citizens of Australia (though it does require users to leave their name, state, territory and email).

Here are the four choices users can select:

A survey conducted by GameSpot reveals that consumer confidence in the PlayStation 3, Sony, and the PlayStation Network has not been diminished by the three week downtime of the network that caused a serious breach in security. GameSpot surveyed 2,285 of its members to find out if they planned on sticking with the console. A majority of those users said that they would stick with the PS3, while nine percent said they were jumping ship to Xbox 360.

When asked how the recent security breach impacted how they felt about Sony and the PlayStation Network, 14 percent said that they no longer trust Sony or the PlayStation Network; 35 percent said it had not changed their opinion; 23 percent said that they would trust Sony going forward because the security breach forced the company to add stricter security measures; and 28 percent said that they would change how much information they share with Sony.

A survey conducted by Information Solutions Group and paid for by casual game publisher PopCap Games claims that one-third of adults in the United States and the United Kingdom identify themselves as "mobile phone gamers." The survey also found that among mobile phone gamers, the mobile phone is now the primary gaming device of choice, surpassing consoles and personal computers in less than two years. The survey also found that smartphone owners are the most avid consumers of mobile phone games. These and other purchase and consumption trends identified in the survey suggest growth in the mobile games sector that will continue for the foreseeable future.

A new survey from Bigpoint reveals that the stereotypes associated with online gamers are false. A global survey of 6,663 "online gamers" found that most considered themselves well-rounded individuals with real world friends, good looking, and in relatively good health. The Bigpoint Gamer Survey presents a different image of online gamers - attractive, healthy, cultured, and popular with the opposite sex.

Around 62 percent of players said they had more friends in real life than online. Around 55 percent of players under 20 said they have more real friends than online friends, and 73 percent over the age of 50 claimed to have more real-life friendships. A total of 28 percent of the people met most of their friends online and went on to meet them in real life. Only a tenth of all gamers said that their only real friends were online gamers.

According to a new Rasmussen Reports survey 54 percent of the American public oppose the new net neutrality rules approved by the FCC last week. The national telephone survey also found that only 21 percent of likely U.S. voters want the FCC to regulate the Internet as it does radio and television, while 25 percent are not sure.

According to Rasmussen, the survey was conducted shortly after the FCC decided on a party line vote to impose net neutrality regulations on the Internet. Republicans and unaffiliated voters overwhelmingly opposed the FCC regulation of the Internet, while Democrats were more evenly divided. Those who use the Internet the most were most opposed to FCC regulations.

Fifty-six percent of voters believe that the FCC will use its regulatory powers to promote a political agenda. Half of that number (28 percent) disagreed.

What is the most impactful technological advance in the last ten years according to the American public? According to a new Zogby poll, broadband internet access.

The Zogby International interactive survey found that adults think the expansion of high-speed internet has had the greatest technological impact on society over the past decade. The survey also revealed that broadband is a technology that most believe they cannot live without. The poll of 1,950 adults was conducted from Dec. 8 - Dec. 10, 2010.

New data from NPD Group reveals that only 15 percent of children in the United States want video games for the holiday season. The data comes from the Kids Industry Data Service (KIDS) report. The report found that video game-related gifts were the second most wanted items, behind "toys," but ahead of items like electronics, books and other entertainment.

Of those kids who wanted video game-related items, The Wii and DS represented 22 percent of all requests, while 18 percent wanted an Xbox 360, 7 percent requested a PS3, while the rest were marked as "other."

Call of Duty: Black Ops and Halo: Reach were the most popular video game items on children's wish lists.

Kinect was the most asked-for accessory, though accessory request only accounted for 6 percent of all items on Children’s wish lists.

Source: Gamasutra

Low-tech gifts rank higher this year than high-tech toys and video games on children's wish lists this year, according to a survey conducted by YouthBeat. The survey included kids (ages 6-10), tweens (11-13) and teens (14-18 years old) who were asked about items on their 2010 holiday gift wish lists.

While nearly half of those surveyed listed a video game or video game system as a preferred gift overall, low-tech items such as books or non-electronic games were also a popular choice. YouthBeat concluded that these results were due to the state of the economy.

"Children seem to be somewhat more strategic about their choices, adding more items and smaller gifts than in previous years," said Amy Henry, Vice President of Youth Insights at C&R Research.

According to a new Zogby poll, 63 percent of adults in the United States would rather do all of their holiday shopping online than going to a local mall. Nearly 64 percent said that they plan to make the bulk of its holiday purchases online this year.

While the data is interesting, it's not all that different from a similar poll conducted last year by Zogby. In 2009 61 percent preferred exclusively shopping on the Internet, 23 percent said they would rather shop at the mall, and 69 percent said they planned to purchase holiday gifts online.

On the other hand, even though 86 percent say they have made online holiday gift purchases in the past, 31 percent prefer to do all their shopping at the mall this year, and 22 percent do not plan to buy any gifts online at all

We will see if this poll data pans out for online retailers after the holiday shopping season is over.

According to a new Harris Poll, over half of Americans (53 percent) say they are planning to purchase toys as gifts this year while two in five (40 percent) say they will not purchase toys and 7 percent are not sure. Three-quarters of those surveyed in a household with children (73 percent) say they will purchase toys as gifts this year. I feel sorry for the one-fourth of those kids who live in those other households. These are just some of the results of a special Harris Poll of 3,084 adults surveyed online between October 11 - 18, 2010.

A new Harris Poll finds that a majority of Americans believe the Supreme Court is a necessary branch of the government. Why Harris Poll asked such a silly question, I do not know. The poll also found that two in five Americans (42 percent) said they are not knowledgeable about the Supreme Court confirmation process. Almost three in five (58 percent) Americans said that they are knowledgeable about the process, with 14 percent saying they are very knowledgeable and 44 percent saying they are somewhat knowledgeable. Americans 65 and older (74 percent) and men (71 percent) were more likely to say they were knowledgeable on the subject compared to younger Americans (18-33) and women (both 46 percent).

Anecdotal evidence to be sure, but a reader poll by MyCE about DRM is nonetheless interesting. The reader poll, which surveyed 386 users, asked if "the implementation of Digital Rights Management (DRM) actually encouraged more people to illegally download cracked copies of movies or games instead of purchasing legitimate copies."

According to the results, 11 percent said no; 23 percent said it made no difference and a whopping 66 percent said yes.

Some will probably argue that the readers of the site are naturally skewed towards a negative opinion on DRM, or that the poll is highly unscientific, but the results are still interesting.

Visit the site and check out its fancy pie chart.

While you can probably guess what mobile companies would say when asked what they think of net neutrality, The Globe and Mail decided to ask them anyway, as part of an international survey. The results? Mobile companies are *gasp* against net neutrality. Shocking, right?

The survey, conducted by Law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer for the Globe and Mail, asked international mobile executives what they thought of mobile net neutrality. Fifty-five percent of those surveyed said that they would like to "break away from fixed line and mobile net neutrality."

 Respondents also indicated that legal loopholes in the existing system need to be fixed before different types of data can be identified and treated appropriately. Basically the mobile industry highlighted in the survey have no problem charging content providers for giving priority to data.

"The survey responses indicate that the greater the bandwidth used by a particular app or user, that’s when it would merit a different fee structure. [Traffic] prioritization is likely to be looked at very closely by regulators," said Natasha Good, a partner with the law firm.

People don't seem to know what they want when it comes to gambling. According to two separate polls from Rasmussen, people loathe gambling if it is online, but love it if it is on terra firma. One poll published on August 10th asked people if they had ever gambled online and what they thought of online gambling in general, while another poll conducted on August 9 asked respondents if they approved or disapproved of gambling locally. The results are pretty surprising if you put the responses from both together. It seems that gambling is no longer a moral issue in America..

According to a survey from VGMarket, women spend more money than men when it comes to social gaming. The survey found that female gamers spent $15 more per year on "first-party purchases" in social games than men, and twice as much on in-game money. Women 25 years old and older in North America spent a lot more on virtual currency and items than men: overall spending was $80 for females and $60 for males, even though 78 percent of 2221 respondents were men.

The original survey also found that 75 percent of respondents had purchased digital goods within the last 12 months; but it only polled users of micro-transaction sites PlaySpan, its subsidiary Ultimate Game Card and Facebook currency service Spare Change. It should also be noted that the survey was commissioned by PlaySpan; later VGMarket removed the 75 percent statistic has now been removed from the survey, because it only sampled PlaySpan customers. While the survey's methodology was slightly exclusionary in its questioning and only offered a narrow look into spending habits on certain services, it's still of interest.

Gallup's 2010 Confidence in Institutions poll puts the United States Congress in last place among 16 institutions rated this year with the lowest numbers since the poll was instituted in 1973. The Gallup poll was conducted July 8-11, before Congress passed the financial regulatory reform bill, which President Obama signed into law this week.

Eleven percent of Americans surveyed said "they have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in Congress." This is the lowest rating for Congress in the history of the survey - down from 17 percent in 2009 and one percentage point lower than the previous low for Congress, recorded in 2008.