New research indicates that shoppers favour consoles ranging from $100 to $300, and that game selection is the most important attribute when choosing a system.

A survey of 3,309 online shoppers conducted in early December by PriceGrabber.com revealed that the number of consumers interested in video game consoles, games and accessories continues to rise.

Some 64 per cent of respondents are planning to purchase this equipment in the next year, according to the survey.

Holiday season gift-giving is no exception, and 71 per cent of online shoppers are planning to spend more than $50 on video game paraphernalia this year.

The increase in popularity is attributed to manufacturers expanding their target market to include casual gamers through lower price points and a wider selection of games.

Nintendo has capitalised on appealing to the casual user with the launch of the Wii. At its regular price of $250, the Wii is the least expensive console among its competitors.

However, it is not likely that consumers are paying $250 for the Wii, as limited supply has been driving prices up. The console is selling at the premium average price of $650, which is 161 per cent more than the regular price.

PriceGrabber.com's survey indicates that 31 per cent of online shoppers favour the Nintendo Wii, saying that the system offers the best games.

Until recently, the most popular video games were the violent ones. But the survey suggests that non-violent games, such as music and sports games, have gained in appeal.

Around 29 per cent of respondents rated animated/child-friendly video games as their preferred genre.

Additionally, games with a musical twist have skyrocketed in popularity. Activision's Guitar Hero III dominates the competition as the most popular vide o game sold on PriceGrabber.com.