"The gaming industry saw its sales rise to some 10.5 billion dollars in 2005.

The NPD group, the firm responsible for calculating sales figures for a myriad of products ranging from interactive entertainment to household goods has recently reported their findings for the year of 2005, and how it relates to the progression of the gaming industry in the United States of America. The company, the leading marketing information provider, found that video games, including software, hardware, and accessories, had a sales total of 10.5 billion dollars in the United States alone.

2005's mark exceeded the previous years sales status by 6 percent and raised the bar higher for the industry as the previous high total tallied in at 10.3 billion in 2002. The analysts attribute the rise in sales to an exceedingly more popular handheld division, which according to the firm, offset the decline in the sales of traditional, console games. Handhelds accounted for 1.4 billion of the industry's total sales in 2005. The previous year saw a considerable, 96 percent rise in portable hardware sold, a 46 percent increase in handheld software generated, and an 88 percent increase in accessories sold, compared to 2004." [more]