Since Sony launched its first PlayStation console in 1995, videogaming has enjoyed a rapid transition from the bedrooms of pubescent boys to that most coveted of locations; the space under the living room TV. The demographic has also changed accordingly. Those teenage boys have grown up and now sit nicely in the 18-34 bracket; their wives and girlfriends regularly join in play, particularly with social games and more mainstream offerings like karaoke. The Nintendo Wii has even been credited with getting grannies out of their chairs; its motion-sensing controllers limiting the intimidation many non-gamers feel when exposed to outwardly complex controllers for the first time and allowing such diverse activities as bowling, fishing and even yoga.

In financial terms, the numbers speak for themselves. Thanks to a typical suggested retail price of between $50-60, a single game can generate astonishing revenues, smashing the average cinema box office takings for a Hollywood blockbuster. In 2007, sci-fi epic Halo 3 took $170 million in the U.S. alone on its first day on sale, and with an increasing trend for post-release "add-on" content for purchase and download via online-enabled console services such as PlayStation Network or Xbox Live, games can continue generating revenues long after release.