Video game sales in the US were up 31% through April over 2007, according to NPD Group. "Grand Theft Auto IV," which made $500 million in its opening week, was not released until April 29. NPD said the video game industry now takes in $18 billion annually.
"There is a theory that in difficult times, people nest more, so at-home entertainment is more
recession-proof than away-from-home activities," Anita Frazier, analyst at NPD, told Advertising Age. "Some of that may be going on, but I think there is a broader
interest in gaming as a form of entertainment and that more people are moving gaming up in their list of preferred leisure activities."
The gaming audience is broadening. In 2007, 72% of 6 to 44 year-olds played video games, up from 64% in 2006, according to NPD. Family games accounted for 17% of all games sold in 2007, up from 9% in 2006, according to the Entertainment Software Association.