According to a new usage report by consumer research group NPD, gamers are either unaware or apathetic to the non-gameplay features of next-gen consoles.

PS3 owners, the report says, are less likely than Xbox 360 owners to download demos and videos on their consoles due to unawareness. In addition, only 37 percent of PS3 owners are aware of backwards compatibility for PS1 and PS2 games. In contrast, a majority of PSP and DS owners are fully aware of what their handhelds are capable of.

The study also found that DS users are more likely to play games online than PSP users, and 360 users are more likely to play games online than PS3 and Wii users.

"This study verifies what many of us already know: features related to playing games are by far the most important to consumers of video game systems," said analyst Anita Frazier. "While systems' capabilities of providing owners with additional features may become more important in the future, currently the importance of these features and the awareness among consumers of these features is far from universal.

"To make headway in this next-gen race, manufacturers still need to be primarily concerned with the quality and entertainment value of the games themselves."

Subzer0 via gameprofamily.com »