By Carrie Anne Deters
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Computer and video game software sales rang in at about $7.4 billion in 2006. With countless opportunities to condition those button-pushing thumbs—cell phones, various gaming systems, computers, and other wireless devices—it’s no surprise that this industry is exploding.

Today, more than 69% of people who are the head of their household play video games. Thirty eight percent of game players are women. The Entertainment Software Association offers a slew of interesting facts that alter casual perceptions of the gaming industry.

Fascinating stats
Forty is the average age of the typical game buyer. Adult gamers have been playing for an average of 12 years. The average adult plays games 7.5 hours a week.

People who have never had an interest in video games  before are picking up controllers and getting hooked. The Nintendo DS offers Brain Age and Nintendogs, two games that have been popular over a span of age groups.

The Wii, Nintendo’s newest venture, created quite a stir during the holiday season last December. Stores across the country couldn’t restock their shelves fast enough—and that demand hasn’t eased.

According to Amber McCollom, senior public relations manager at Nintendo, “The Wii is a new, innovative system that was brought on by the games  themselves. Nintendo’s executive team realized the audience was stagnating and had been. There was an appetite to reach a larger community.”

Nintendo’s designers and engineers created a gaming system that would appeal to a wide audience, one that would be attractive to a person who had never touched a video game. They hit pay dirt with the inception of the Wii—a game that was logical, with an easy-to-use controller, that focused on immersion, participation, and realism.