The Industry

While the world’s economy is experiencing one of the largest recessions in the last 50 years, the gaming industry seems to be uneffected. In 2008, global sales of video games and consoles have topped $63 billion, and in Canada the sales have risen by 33% from 2007 to $2.1 billion. This drastic increase was probably fueled by the increasing unemployment rates - when you can’t find a job, might as well escape the reality and play some Xbox.

The Gamers

Average age: 35 years old

Average lifetime duration of game playing: 13 years

Gamers that play online: 44%

Most addicting game type: Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG)

Most popular MMORPG: World of Warcraft (62% of MMORPG Market; 11.5 million players)