Games to eclipse other media

Video games are set to eclipse” all other forms of media entertainment, according to Activision Blizzard’s president and CEO of publishing Mike Griffith.

During his keynote speech at CES 2009, Griffith boasted games are prospering as demand for almost every other entertainment category declines, according to the BBC. He claimed social gaming, more interactivity and better technology will help gaming to further dominate the entertainment landscape in future.

Griffith said: Movies, recorded music and TV – these are all stagnating or contracting entertainment sectors.”

He cited US market figures showing varying declines in consumption for each media category between 2003, including a six per cent decrease in movie tickets sold, a six per cent drop in the number of hours of TV being watch and a 12 per cent fall in the recorded music sales. In the same period, the video game industry grew by 40 per cent.

Video games are poised to eclipse all other forms of entertainment in the decade ahead,” he said.

He also pointed to the video game adaptation of James Bond: Quantum Of Solace as evidence of how games are taking over.

The moviegoer is passive whereas the gamer is active and part of the game itself,” he said. He went on to say that Quantum Of Solace players would spend more than 50 hours with James Bond, while those who went to see the movie would only spend 106 minutes.

Looking forward, Griffith said more interactive controllers, such as Guitar Hero’s drums and guitar and Nintendo’s Wii Remote, will encourage more people to take up gaming.

Those new controllers are encouraging new ways to become more socially active in gaming. They are brining in a whole new group of consumers that have never before been involved in gaming. The one thing that is for sure is entertainment is changed forever with gaming.”