Xbox Live Has Prime Time, Just Like Television

It seems that people tend to play on Xbox Live more between the hours of 7 PM and 11 PM, if a new study coming from tracking data firm Nielsen is to be believed. Using the social game 1 vs. 100 as a benchmark, the Games division of the company, which usually deals with television rating, says that even during this peak period, there are things game developers can do to actually boost the participation of the player base.

Partnering with Microsoft, Nielsen placed watermarks in the second season of the quiz game, which is online only. They found out that those who logged into 1 vs. 100 averaged more than 70 minutes of play time, with the number jumping when Nielsen took into account only the Live portion of the game, where a real life host is introduced and real prizes are offered to those who perform well.

The findings of the Nielsen study are important because they show how advertisers could get more mileage out of placing ads in some Xbox Live-powered videogames or programs rather than spending their dollars on run of the mill television shows.

Carolyn Fuson, who is the senior audience and analysis manager for Xbox Live Advertising, stated, “In one specific case, an advertiser who placed ads within the games saw notable brand recall and lift. Our ability to learn more about the audience can only be a positive to those brands looking to make an impact on the growing gaming community.”

The partnership between Microsoft and Nielsen to measure Xbox Live audiences and showcase their advertising potential comes just as Bloomberg spread a rumor that the Redmond-based company and a former Fox News president would be collaborating on creating a television channel that would offer both original programming and reruns. There are suggestions that the cost of an Xbox Live Gold subscription could be raised because of the television channel.