In his keynote speech at CES, Activision president and CEO Mike Griffith proclaimed that video games are "poised to eclipse all other forms of entertainment in the decade ahead," citing four years of growth where other media have declined, reports the BBC.
In the period from 2003-2007 in the U.S., movie ticket sales and the cumulative hours of television watched dropped 6%, music sales dropped 12%, and DVD sales stagnated, Griffith said. On the other hand, the video game industry grew by 40%.
Griffith credited Activision's Guitar Hero franchise for some of that growth, for its promotion of social gaming. And he praised Wii for its role in encouraging consumers who had never picked up a controller to invest in games.
But more generally, Griffith said that the interactive nature of video games is what will ultimately lead consumers to re-evaluate how their funds are spent on entertainment.
His claims are sound, especially in light of the current economic climate. $60 for a game sounds expensive, but consider the value proposition. Citing Quantum of Solace as an example, Griffith explains that someone playing the video game would likely spend up to 50 hours engrossed in the world of James Bond, while someone watching the film would get a comparatively paltry 106 minutes worth of passive entertainment.
Chris says: We'll take him at his word that there are actually people who have spent 50 hours on Activision's latest Bond game.
Image courtesy Activision
Games will 'eclipse' other media [BBC]
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