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Report: UK Games Industry Outsells Film In 2009
In the UK 2009 saw more money spent on games than movies (including trips to the cinema and on DVD film releases) reports The Daily Telegraph.
The paper calls its research the “clearest evidence yet that the video games market has come of age and transformed itself from a niche form of entertainment for teenage boys into a mainstream form of entertainment for millions of British families.”
In the 12 ending September 2009, £1.73 billion was spent on games estimates research firm GFK Chart-Track. The UK Film Council reports that £1 billion was spent at the British box office during the same period, with an added £198 million spent on films released on DVD and Blu-ray.
Former Cabinet Office minister Tom Watson demands the industry be taken seriously. "Like anything digital, Parliament has a very narrow view of video games. Too many politicians think video games are played by teenage boys staying up all night shooting things in their bedroom. And yes there are plenty of those, but there is also a huge range of people of many different ages who love playing games. The industry has matured over the last decade, and so too have gamers."
Watson argued that the debate surrounding Modern Warfare 2 typified the attitude many have about games. "Yes, let's have a debate about unpleasant content in video games, but don't beat up on the whole industry," he said.
The Daily Telegraph added that industry figures now show the number of games consoles being used in Britain has risen from 13.5 million in 2008 to over 25 million earlier this year.
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Copyright 2006 - 2009 Future Publishing Limited, Beauford Court 30 Monmouth Street Bath, UK BA1 2BW
England and Wales company registration number 2008885
It's certainly good news, if not necessarily a cultural change within society's general acceptance of what is unequivocally a modern entertainment medium which cannot be equalled by passive experiences such as music, film or even literature.
Don't get me wrong, I still like to read the odd book, listen to plenty of music and marvel at Blu - Ray Sin City, but for me certain games are a pinnacle of my collective enjoyment of art, storytelling, skill and immersion; Shadow of The Collosus, Demon's Souls, Zelda, Bioshock and GTA4 fit this mould.
The acceptance will come when women, girls over 20+ in particular, start buying actual consoles for themselves and not for their boyfriends / brothers. The good news is that the industry will continue to flourish, and therefore more families will cite Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360 as entertainment peices for them all rather than just the aforementioned adolescent. It's already starting with the likes of Wii Fit, Brain Training and Guitar Hero, so for all the 30-somethings out there like me who yearn for the day they can cite their videogaming prowess without fear of prejudice, this is vindication that we were indeed the early trendsetters.
This is great news!
At last games are seen to be going toe to toe with the film industry, and winning, but sales still doesn't mean that the majority of people will still think that they're "just for kids".
I wonder if this will help the UK games industry when dealing with the government.