Game sales shake up.(market outlook)

According to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA; www.theESA.com), the US association representing computer and video game software publishers, new data reveals that the percentage of Mature-rated games sold in 2003 declined, whereas the number of Teen rated games sold last year rose.

The 2003 US sales figures announced by the ESA and compiled by the NPD Group, a global market information company that measures product movement and consumer behavior, indicate the majority of games sold were rated E for Everyone (54 percent), followed by T for Teen (30.5 percent), and M for Mature (11.9 percent). In 2002, E-rated games accounted for 55.7 per cent of games sold, whereas T-rated and M-rated games made up 27.6 percent and 13.2 percent of games sold, respectively. Of the top 20 best-selling console games, 70 percent were rated E or T; and, an impressive 90 percent of the top 20 computer games were rated either E or T.

In 2003, game sales in the US reached a new pinnacle: Combined sales for computer and video games exceeded $7 billion for the first time. Overall, US sales of console games totaled $5.8 billion (186.4 million units), and computer games accounted for $1.2 billion (52.8 million units) in sales. In 2002, game software sales totaled $6.9 billion, with console games contributing $5.5 billion in sales, and computer games adding $1.4 billion.

Also in 2003, a record number of console video games exceeded the 500,000 or 1-million mark in terms of units sold. A record nine console games sold more than one million ...