Ben-DutkaBy now, industry insiders and journalists are well aware of the fact that gaming has gone fully mainstream, but the potential statistics might surprise even the most optimistic fans.
According to research by technology analysts TDG, about 190 million households around the world will have a next-generation console by 2012, and about 148 million of that 190 million will be connected to the Internet. (source- DigitalSpy.co.uk) As for actual downloading of digital media, the report estimates that 110 million consoles will be used for that purpose in a little over three years time. Co-author of the report, Colin Dixon, said that these findings prove how far consoles have come; that the general public will be turning to video game systems more and more to satisfy their movie and even television needs. "Microsoft and Sony know that today's console gamers are perfectly suited for new TV offerings," he said. And if you're wondering whether or not gamers have it in them to spend a good deal of money online, Dixon added that most of them are clearly "quite comfortable spending money for online digital media." But it's that 190 million number overall that's turning heads, and infusing even more legitimacy into the thriving industry.
190 million. Seriously, that's just nutty. Coming from the early days of Atari, most of us could never have believed at the time that such a statistic could even be suggested for the future.
