2014’s Most Sought After Holiday Gift And ‘Can’t Live Without’ Item? Video Games Top The Lists According To New U.S. Survey

Holiday shopping means a search for the year’s ‘must-have’ gifts, with shoppers working hard to find those ‘can’t live without’ items for family members (and even for themselves). A new survey of GameStop’s (NYSE: GME) PowerUp Rewards members in the U.S. has found that 73 percent of people plan to purchase – or hope to receive – video games this season, outpacing other gift ideas like cash and gift cards (56 percent), clothes (48 percent), and toys (30 percent). More than half of parents that responded – 54 percent – said their kids would not survive the holidays without video games. That has video games being more important to kids this year than other presents (48 percent), spending time with family and friends (47 percent), sleep (34 percent), and even their smartphones and tablets (32 percent).

What titles are rising to the top for gift-givers and wish list makers? For the kids, parents are seeking LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, Super Smash Bros., and Minecraft (24 percent, 23 percent, and 20 percent respectively). Meanwhile, the release of Grand Theft Auto V on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 (34 percent) narrowly edged out Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and Assassin’s Creed Unity (33 percent each) as the leading gift pick on respondents’ own shopping lists.

“Although gaming is popular throughout the year, the holidays seem to get people even more excited to share the joy and start playing,” said Frank Hamlin, chief marketing officer at GameStop. “From the latest consoles to handhelds and the abundance of new titles, there is a perfect gift for gamers of all ages. Based on the holiday data, video games are looking like surefire gift options for 2014!”

Holiday shoppers are also thinking about tech and gadgets in new ways to gift, with more than a quarter of respondents saying they are likely to purchase a pre-owned electronic device, such as an Xbox One or PS4 game console (36 and 35 percent, respectively), an iPad or iPhone (21 and 17 percent), or an Android device (16 percent). Trading in those old gadgets that otherwise would be collecting dust is also on shoppers’ radars to help buy a gift, with 25 percent of those surveyed being likely to sell a device.

Where to shop? Ninety-one percent of respondents plan to head to GameStop stores, with just under 20 percent looking to buy online this year. And when it comes to paying for this year’s gift picks at GameStop, those surveyed plan to use a range of different currencies: 88 percent will spend via cash or credit card; 45 percent with their PowerUp Rewards points; 33 percent through trade-ins; 15 percent through the PowerUp Rewards credit card; 8 percent via layaway.

To learn more about the latest holiday shopping advice, deals, and more please visit the 2014 GameStop Holiday Hub at www.GameStop.com/Holiday.

Methodology

This survey was commissioned and conducted by GameStop and research partner Brierley+Partners. It was fielded on November 14, 2014. A total of 1,136 PowerUp Rewards members, between the ages of 14 and 64, participated in the online survey.

About GameStop

GameStop Corp. (NYSE: GME), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Grapevine, Texas, is a global, multichannel video game, consumer electronics and wireless services retailer. GameStop operates more than 6,600 stores across 15 countries. The company’s consumer product network also includes www.gamestop.com; www.Kongregate.com, a leading browser-based game site; Game Informer® magazine, the world’s leading print and digital video game publication; and www.buymytronics.com, an online consumer electronics trade-in platform. In addition, our Technology Brands segment includes our Simply Mac, Spring Mobile and Cricket stores. Simply Mac, www.simplymac.com, operates 46 stores, selling the full line of Apple products, including laptops, tablets, smartphones and offering Apple certified warranty and repair services. Spring Mobile, http://springmobile.com, sells post-paid AT&T services and wireless products through its 311 AT&T branded stores. Cricket Wireless, www.cricketwireless.com, offers pre-paid wireless services, devices and related accessories. We operate 51 Cricket stores in select markets throughout the United States.

General information about GameStop Corp. can be obtained at the company's corporate website. Follow GameStop on Twitter @ www.twitter.com/GameStop and find GameStop on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/GameStop.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20141203005749/en/