The casual games industry has grown from almost nothing in 2002 to well over $600 million in 2004 in the United States (US). By 2008, industry experts anticipate that the market will surpass $2 billion in the US alone.

The casual games industry has grown from almost nothing in 2002 to well over $600 million in 2004 in the United States (US). By 2008, industry experts anticipate that the market will surpass $2 billion in the US alone. A recent AP-AOL study indicates that forty percent (40%) of all people in the United States turn off their televisions in favor of playing some type of video game (Source: "Poll 4 in 10 Americans Play Video Games" (May 8, 2006). It is estimated that almost one hundred million people in the US will play a computer game this year alone.

Furthermore, a recent study conducted by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) puts forth that there are more women gamers than males in the twenty-five to thirty-four age range, with the average age being around thirty years. In this age bracket they say sixtyfive per cent of women play video games compared to only thirty-five percent of men. (Source: New York Times, April 17, 2006.)