Sales figures are murky, but most estimates put annual revenues (for video games) at between $60 billion and $70 billion.
According to NPD, a firm of analysts, sales of consoles and other hardware fell by a fifth in America last year. Sales of the games themselves are doing no better. Both Sony and Microsoft, which makes the Xbox, a rival line of consoles, have reported falling income from their games divisions.
Games designed for smartphones and tablets are booming. In 2012 the ten top-grossing apps for Apple’s iPhone smartphone were all games. Many mobile games are free; those that are not sell for a handful of dollars compared with $60 for a big-budget console title.
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