$200 or $300, it is still a cheap form of entertainment when compared to the PC gamers. There is no way 50% are hardcore gamers. I've been around video games and the people that play them since the 80's and a good friend of mine has been working at a game store for over 5 years. Believe me the hardcore group does not make up that much of a consoles market. At least two thirds or more of any consoles owners (including the Xbox) are casual gamers. Many have no idea what games are even worth buying. I was in EB today and watched the clerk try to explain to a thirty year old guy that not every game that is released is made for every console. He was apparently an Xbox owner and was frustrated because some PS2 game he wanted was not on Xbox. He claimed it was a conspiracy by the video game companies to make us buy all three consoles. I'm guessing he is not a hardcore Xbox gamer.

Anyway I go with my opinions based on my experience. If I'm wrong we will see when Xbox launches its online network.

His point is having broadband doesn't mean you are a hardcore gamer. I have broadband and never play games online. His point is you are an early adopter. Someone ahead of the rest of the public with regard to the technology curve. So if someone is willing to spend $300 to buy a console there is a 50% chance they will have broadband Internet. Is that so hard to swallow?

Yes, I see no logic in this at all. It makes the assumtion that the 15% of online users that have broadband also bought half of the Xbox systems. I'm sorry but I don't see how that assumtion is made. Anyway we will see once Xbox live starts up.

Note: I'm not hoping the Xbox online service fails. I just don't see a big market for it for any of the three consoles. I will find out if I'm wrong soon enough.

Either way, MS doesn't expect a lot of support for it either. They have said so already. This thread is beating a dead horse.

How many, exactly or approximately, is 15% of Online users anyway?

Leave the dead horse alone.

Again, I disagree. If you ask who console manufacturers are targeting in the intitial six months of a console's life, they would tell you it's the hardcore gamers (or early adopters of technology). By the end of a console's lifespan, the majority of it's user base will be casual gamers but not in the early stages. It is only after the intitial launch period that console manufacturers begin to target casual gamers with their marketing. That's it for me on this topic. The dead horse is thoroughly beaten.

Tis a dead horse. But on one last note, isn't it possible that Microsoft is using the information found on it's Xbox website? I know that I've registered there simply to be entered into drawings. Do I have an Xbox?, no. But I checked yes for their sake. Do I have broadband?, no. But I checked that too in the hopes of being an Xbox live tester. A 50% number is outrageous, regardless of the gamer demographics. This field you call "Statistics" is merely altering numbers to produce desired results. For all we know, that 50% number was for 46-50 year old women living in the San Francisco area.

People can come up with numbers to prove anything. 14% of all people know that.