The computer and video game industry has grown substantially over the past few decades from a niche market to a mainstream, $67 billion industry in the United States alone in 2011. The average gamer is now 37 years old, and nearly half of all gamers are women. The industry employs over 120,000 people and has experienced significant growth rates even as the overall economy struggled in recent years. Mobile gaming, an older demographic of gamers, and more female gamers represent opportunities for continued growth in the gaming market.

2.  The computer and video game industry is one
of the fastest growing sectors of the
entertainment industry in the United States.

3.  Considered by some as a curiosity in the
mid-1970s, the computer and video game
industries have grown from focused markets
to mainstream. They took in about US$9.5
billion in the US in 2007, 11.7 billion in
2008, 25.1 billion in 2010, and 67 billion in
2011 (ESA annual report).

4.  Global game market revenue: $65 billion in 2011
 Retail software revenue: $29.5 billion in 2011
 Online revenue (including digital
delivery, subscriptions, Facebook games): $18 billion
in 2011
 72% of American households play computer or video
games
 Age of the average gamer: 37 years old and has been
playing for 12 years.

5.  The age of the average game purchaser is 41.
 82% of gamers are 18 years of age or older.
 42% of gamers are women
 Adult women gamers (37%) now outnumber male
gamers age 17 or younger (13%)
 29% of gamers are over the age of 50 (an
increase from 9% in 1999)

7.  Import duty on games in disc format is
2.7%, this could be the reason for an increase
in download sales.
 The average salary for an American in the
main stream game industry is $81,000.

8.  Games programming: $92,962
 Art and Animation: $75,780
 Game Design: $ 73,386
 Production: $88,544
 Audio: $83,182
 Quality Assurance: $47,910
 Business and legal: $102,160

9. Their Top 10 Game Companies
1: Square Enix(final fantasy) Final Fantasy 12
2: LucasArts(star wars) Battlefront 2
3: Bungie(Halo) Halo 3
4: Capcom(Resident Evil) Resident Evil 4
5: Harmonix(rockband) Rockband
6: Activision(guitar hero) Guitar hero 3: Legends of Rock
7: Microsoft(age of empires) Age of Empires 3
8: Nintendo(Brawl) Brawl
9: Naughty Dog Jak 3
10: Aeries Games Dream of Mirrior

10.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_video_ga
me_developers

11.  The real annual growth rate was 10.6% for the period of 2005-
2009 (compare with the real growth for the U.S. economy as a
whole at 1.4% for 2005-09). The video game industry employs
120,000 directly and indirectly and experienced an employment
growth rate of 8.6% between 2005 and 2009. Important
subsectors include: software, hardware, and accessories.
Consumers spent a total of $25.1 billion on the three combined
in 2010.Recent trends in who and how games are played have
been revolutionizing the industry. Four recent trends that
present great opportunities:
 Mobile gaming: 55% of games play on mobile and handheld
devices
 Growing older gamer market: 29% of gamers are over the age of
50 (an increase from 9% in 1999)
 Changing gender demographics: women over 18 years of age are
one of the industry’s fastest growing demographics
 Internet Based Gaming: 19% of gamers pay to play online