Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
Navigation
Primary Navigation
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Secondary Navigation
Search
Search:
Videogame sales shine despite economic gloom: report
AFP - Saturday, December 13
SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - - US videogame sales were a bright spot on November's bleak economic landscape, climbing to nearly three billion dollars, according to market research firm NPD Thursday.
Videogame sales so far in 2008 topped 16 billion dollars at the end of November and are on pace to crest 22 billion dollars for all of 2008, according to the industry tracking group.
Sales in November were 10 percent higher than the same month last year, before a financial storm slammed the economy.
"The video games industry continues to set a blistering sales pace," NPD analyst Anita Frazier said, citing research that showed videogames were "the category consumers are least likely to cut back on this holiday."
Videogame sales are up 31 percent for the year, driven by demand for titles such as "Gears of War 2" and "Call of Duty: World at War," according to NPD.
Videogames crafted for Nintendo's coveted Wii consoles made up half the top 10 best selling titles.
Wii sales in November were more than double those of Microsoft Xbox 360 consoles and more than five times those of Sony's PlayStation 3 systems.
Still, each of the rival videogame console makers "had something to brag about" in the robust sales figures, Frazier said.
Videogame sales are being bolstered by an industry trend of expanding the audience beyond "hardcore gamers" by designing offerings for families, girls, seniors, and others aside from young-male fans of shooter titles.
"Economic factors are also at play given that a video game is a relatively inexpensive form of entertainment for the hours of value it provides," said Frazier.
A freshly released "Fallout 3" videogame from Bethesda Softworks lets people immerse themselves in the roles of heroes or outlaws in a vivid post-apocalyptic Washington for scores of hours.
At a price of 60 dollars for a copy of the videogame, the cost breaks down to less than a dollar an hour for entertainment as compared with five or so dollars an hour to go to a film.
"It's clear there can be more multiple victors this generation (of consoles)," Frazier said.
"While price is certainly a strong factor, particularly as the current economic situation continues to prevail, the most important factor that will drive success in 2009 will be the line-up of compelling games that will keep consumers involved in the industry."
Email Story
IM Story
Printable View
Blog This
Recommend this article
Average (0 votes)
Sign in to recommend this article »
Most Recommended Stories »
Related Articles: Internet Portals & Search Engines
Car key blocks mobile phone use while drivingAFP - 1 hour 15 minutes ago
Videogame sales shine despite economic gloom: reportAFP - Saturday, December 13
US gives digital diplomacy a chance, on YouTubeAFP - Saturday, December 13
Google releases finished version of Chrome browserAFP - Friday, December 12
Related Articles: Technology
Car key blocks mobile phone use while drivingAFP - 1 hour 15 minutes ago
India plans 3G spectrum sale Jan 15: reportAFP - Saturday, December 13
Videogame sales shine despite economic gloom: reportAFP - Saturday, December 13
US gives digital diplomacy a chance, on YouTubeAFP - Saturday, December 13
Google releases finished version of Chrome browserAFP - Friday, December 12
Enlarge Photo
Boxes of Wii Nintendo consoles are seen in a shop in London as Nintendo released its latest games console, the Wii in 2006. US videogame sales were a bright spot on November's bleak economic landscape, climbing to nearly three billion dollars, according to market research firm NPD Thursday.
Related Photos
Slideshow Full Photo Coverage: Internet Portals & Search Engines
Related Full Coverage
Internet Portals & Search Engines
Latest development in the online world
All Full Coverage
Most Popular – Technology
Viewed
White House mulls urgent new steps on autos
US Senate fails to reach deal on auto bailout
Autism, other disorders linked to post-natal factors: study
Muslim pilgrims stone Satan at the hajj
Sarcasm finds medical use in dementia detection
View Complete List »
Search:
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular