The Computer Games Industry: New Industry, Same Old Issues

Impact Of The (Computer) Games Industry Today

The computer games industry is one of the fastest growing sectors of the 21^st century. In 2004, the industries worldwide worth stood at 20b Euros for software and hardware (ISFE, 2004, see Krotoski, 2004). More digital games are sold in the US and UK than books (Bryce and Rutter, 2003). The estimated turnover of the UK computer games industry in 2008 was £625 million, with a direct contribution to UK GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of approximately £400 million (Oxford Economics, 2008). A staggering 273.5 million computer games were sold in the USA in 2009 (ESA, 2011). The increasing dominance of computer games as a mainstream leisure activity is illustrated by the ESA who reported that in 1996 the American entertainment and software industry sold about $2.6 billion in sales revenue, in 2009 sales had increased to £20 billion (ESA, 2011). Computer games are a growing part of our culture, with a number of related activities including magazines, internet communities, and blogging. The games industry has also been recognized for influencing sales in other industries, such a as increasing the demand for high definition television (ESA, 2011).