Top 2005 searches: PSP bests Xbox 360 in Yahoo ranking
by Vladimir Cole 
{ Jan 1st 2006 at 4:00AM }
In Yahoo's top product-related searches for 2005, Sony's PSP came in at sixth place overall. The Xbox 360 came in seventh overall. The Nintendo Revolution was not searched for enough in 2005 to earn a spot on this year's rankings, though Sony's PlayStation 3 was. Only one other electronics device (the iPod) outranked the PSP and Xbox 360. This is interesting because search activity is a raw measure of general interest in a product.
Is it surprising that the PSP topped the Xbox 360 as a search item in 2005? One interpretation is that search tends to be driven by advertising and word of mouth and that there tends to be more of it after a given device has launched. Since the PSP had more post-launch months in 2005, it's natural that it would outrank the Xbox 360. If this is the case, then the Xbox 360 has done nearly as well in one month as the PSP has done in nine months.
Another interpretation is that search activity is directly correlated to pre-launch hype. In other words, it's the pre-launch buzz that really drove Yahoo's search traffic. If this is the case, then the Xbox 360 underperformed versus the PSP. We can't know for sure unless Yahoo wants to release the numbers behind their rankings.
One thing's certain: 2006's numbers will be very interesting.
[Image credit: small portion of the image from Yahoo's search feature, linked-to below.]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Sean @ Jan 1st 2006 4:07AM
Couldn't it be people were searching for PaintShop Pro?
Dasutin @ Jan 1st 2006 4:30AM
I don't understand, why is it that Britney Spears is always number one for most searched person? She can't be that popular still? But I'm not suprised PSP came on top, what should have came out on top too is Sony Rootkit!
http://www.dasutin.com
Drew @ Jan 1st 2006 5:04AM
i know the reason it outranked the 360. there are many many people that own PSPs that don't know how to put movies, music, videos and pictures onto their psp.installing software or just draging and clicking, people need help figuring out how to use the PSP. They search online to figure it out. That and the combined fact that its been out for a few more months gives it the edge. But this holiday im surprised to see it being higher than the 360. especially with this big shortage issue...
Slashbunny @ Jan 1st 2006 5:20AM
HEY
IOM DRINMK AND U R A DUMMY POOOP heAD LOO!L! HEHE THE NUMBER SARE NOT INTERNETSTING! hAHAA
D @ Jan 1st 2006 6:12AM
Whats this Joystiq qhinging that X Box got beat [sarcasm]NEVER, its was because........ because of....... Hurricane Katrina or change in the climate as a result of polar caps melting[/sarcasm]
Ahhhh so lame you be, lets everyone cry for X Box 360 and its beat down by a hand held system.
funkonaut @ Jan 1st 2006 10:16AM
I'm always amazed at how well the PSP is doing. On my daily commute into work I usually spot at least one person in my train's car playing a PSP. I'm the only one that's playing a DS. And it doesn't matter if I change trains; it's usually the same thing.
Which leads me to believe that the PS3 is going to be a huge seller. Sony owns the video game market right now in a big way.
Steven @ Jan 1st 2006 1:40PM
Outrageous lies. We all know Yahoo has got it in for Microsoft. I'm sure Yahoo just switched the rankings around so they weren't in Microsoft's favour.
ross @ Jan 1st 2006 3:07PM
PS3 was 6 on the product search list....check it out..
overall - cars - elecronics
1 Digital cameras -Honda- iPod
2 Flowers -Toyota- Music downloads
3 iPod -Ford- PSP
4 Nike -Nissan- xBox 360
5 Prom dresses -BMW- Digital camera
6 PSP -Mercedes- PlayStation 3
7 xBox 360 -Chevrolet- XM Radio
8 Halloween costumes- Dodge- MP3 Player
9 Shoes -Lexus- Video games
10 Roses -Ferrari- Sirius Radio
mike @ Jan 1st 2006 3:55PM
you know PSP's ranking doesn't make its games any more interesting unfortunately...
and the global marketshare numbers don't help either
insertname @ Jan 1st 2006 9:58PM
Quote:
We all know Yahoo has got it in for Microsoft.
Well at one stage at least, (I don't know if they still are) Yahoo was owned by Microsoft.
Ohmshalone @ Jan 7th 2006 11:23AM
What would interest me more are google's figures.