Video game industry's recession resistance persists
The economic wolf is at your door, but acid-spewing aliens are threatening you and your squad-mates on some desolate planet. Or it's the ninth frame and you are one strike down against an opponent whose bowling prowess is considerably better than President Obama's. So those worries about jobs and the banking industry will just have to wait, OK?
The same need for escapism that packed movie theaters during the Depression of the 1930s appears to keeping the video game industry thriving as the recession of the late 2000s drags on. Industry analysts NPD Group said Thursday that sales of gaming hardware and software jumped 9 percent in February, spurred by the usual suspects: anything Nintendo More about Nintendo Wii-related and sequels to tried-and-true franchises like "Street Fighter" and "Killzone."
When you break it down by category, software sales spiked 14% during the month and consoles saw a 10% increase. That's nearly US$1.5 billion worth of revenue as consumers stage their own bailout of video game companies via their thumbs and wrists.
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