Newsglobal

Our recent report of console game sales increasing and the general industry decline may not just be a result of the credit crunch, at least if you believe Activision boss Mike Griffith. According to the CEO, Guitar Hero III has become the first game in history to reach $1 billion in sales, and this is a figure that’s expected to be outstripped by World Tour in the future due to its full-band package. Griffith says that these figures are not an anomaly and that video games will eclipse all other forms of entertainment over the next decade. Factors such as social gaming and the ability of modern hardware to make titles so spectacular in terms of graphics and immersion means that it’s almost like living the role of the action hero in a movie for yourself, which is becoming more appealing than passively watching a film. “Games are no longer pre-set trips through linear mazes,” said Mr Griffith. “They are becoming a legitimate story-telling medium that rivals feature films” he says. “The moviegoer is passive whereas the gamer is active and part of the game itself.” US market statistics indicate that between 2003 and 2007 sales of cinema tickets dropped by 6% and recorded music by 12%, whereas the video game industry grew by 40%. Also interesting is the fact that those artists featured on the aforementioned game saw a rise in download sales of between 15 and 843%, so it seems like gaming is also giving a leg up to other sectors as well. With mind control on the increase we wonder if it’s getting to the stage where we’ll end up living a Matrix-like existence in a virtual world. Assuming, of course, we’re not actually doing so right now. - Paul Lester [BBC] consoles entertainment gaming

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