Any video games feature a strong power-up that makes the player impervious to damage, at least for a while. As the economic crisis hit in late 2008, some said the same about the industry itself. The theory went that sales of video games, which had been strong in 2008, would also be strong in 2009, because games are a relatively cheap form of entertainment that let people escape from gloomy economic reality.
At first glance the sales figures seem to reveal the idea that video games are recession-proof. In June 2009, for example, sales of games in America were 31% lower than in June 2008, according to NPD, a market-research firm. In July sales were down 26%, the fifth successive monthly decline. But the year ended with a record-breaking December, as people bought consoles (游戏控制台)and games for Christmas. Globally, says Piers Harding-Rolls of Screen Digest, a consultancy, sales of games were down by 6.3% in 2009.
In some respects, this stumble reflects gaming's new popularity. When it was less of a mainstream activity it was not so connected to the wider economic cycle. The success of the family-friendly games have broadened gaming's appeal, but the new players they have attracted are less keen garners who are more likely to cut back in hard times. During 2009 more people turned to mobile, web-based or second-hand games, says Mr. Harding-Rolls.
Another way of looking at things, however, is to say that spending on gaming is driven by big hits, and that the slight decline in 2009 reflects creative rather than economic weakness. Entertainment industries always have their ups and downs, says Shigeru Miyamoto, the creative force behind many of biggest games. There was an unusually large number of hits in 2008, which boosted sales, and fewer big releases in 2009 until late in the year, which may explain the weak mid-year sales. The top 20 games took a larger share of sales in 2009 than in 2008, which shows that the games industry, like the film industry, is becoming increasingly polarized between hits and misses. Hence the hit-and-miss results of the big publishers of video games.
Overall, says Mr. Miyamoto, 2009's crop of games may just have been less compelling. "We were not able to produce fun-enough products," he says. That highlights the importance of continued innovation, he says—but it leaves unanswered question of whether gaming is indeed recession-proof.