Introduction

The video game industry has experienced explosive growth over thepast few years. eMarketer

estimates that the video games will be a

$47 billion

industry by 2009, up from $33 billion in 2006. Accordingto eMarketer

seven out of ten US consumers now play videogames

. It's not just something for kids anymore, as adults, familiesand even grandparents are getting in on the fun. Video games are alsoused for training purposes, for medical purposes and much more.There is a wide range of game types and styles, and people playgames for a variety of reasons—fun, competition, learning, etc. Withthe rise in video game players, types of games and advertisers lookingto connect with this audience, the options are virtually endless foranyone looking to break into the industry.As the popularity of video games increases, so does the need for morepeople working in the industry. If you love video games and want tomake them a part of your daily career, then you'll be happy to knowthere are many great opportunities for you. If you're still in school,deciding what to specialize in school or just looking for a part time wayto make some extra money on the side, then video games may be theway to do it.We will talk more later about the different ways that you can makemoney with video games. But for now, let's talk more about theindustry.

http://makemoneygaming.blogspot.com/2008/03/video-game-spending-to-reach-13-billion.html

http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?id=1006147&src=article1_newsltr

Some ways you can make money in video games are:

•

Get paid to play (be a tester, enter tournaments, etc)

•

Write about games (game reviews, guides, books, etc)

•

Sell video games (yard sales, eBay, online store, etc)

•

Sell game tips (hints, guides, tips for being better at agame)

•

Game design (writers, graphic designers, etc)

•

Video game advertising

•

Online puzzles, contests, casinos, etc

Here are the Top 10 Video Game Industry Facts:

(According to ESA- Entertainment Software Association)

1. US computer and video game software sales grew six percentin 2007 to $9.5 billion – more than tripling industry softwaresales since 1996.2. Sixty-seven percent of American heads of households playcomputer and video games.3. The average game

player

is 33 years old and has beenplaying games for 12 years. 4. The average age of the most frequent game

buyer

is 38years old. In 2007, 92 percent of computer game buyers and 80percent of console game buyers were over the age of 18.5. Eighty-five percent of all games sold in 2007 were rated "E"for Everyone, "T" for Teen, or "E10+" for Everyone 10+. Formore information on ratings, please seewww.esrb.org.6. Eighty-six percent of game players under the age of 18 reportthat they get their parents’ permission when renting or buyinggames, and 91 percent say their parents are present when theybuy games.7. Thirty-six percent of American parents say they playcomputer and video games. Further, 80 percent of gamerparents say they play video games with their kids. Sixty-sixpercent feel that playing games has brought their families closertogether.8. Thirty-eight percent of all game players are women. In fact,women over the age of 18 represent a significantly greaterportion of the game-playing population (31%) than boys age 17or younger (20%). 9. In 2007, 24 percent of Americans over the age of 50 playedvideo games, an increase from nine percent in 1999.10. Forty-nine percent of game players say they play gamesonline one or more hours per week. In addition, 34 percent of

http://www.theesa.com/facts/top_10_facts.php