It's official: Video games are bigger than DVDs, Blu-rays

When it comes to "packaged" home entertainment software, video games had their biggest year yet in 2008—so big, in fact, that they finally eclipsed combined DVD/Blu-ray sales, and according to projections, there's no turning back.

Industry research firm Media Control GfK International (via Video Business and Engadget HD) reports that global video game sales gobbled up about 53 percent of the "packaged home entertainment" market last year, with that figure expected to climb to 57 percent in 2009.

And while worldwide Blu-ray sales actually doubled in 2008, sluggish DVD sales dragged down the entire DVD/Blu-ray category by six percent last year. (The survey doesn't include rental DVDs or streaming videos.)

Frankly, I'm not the least bit surprised by the latest figures—after all, the gaming industry has (literally and figuratively) exploded in the past few years, especially thanks to the red-hot Wii. Indeed, I'm feeling the effects in my very own living room; I finally broke down and got my first gaming console (the Xbox 360, now joined by a PS3) a little over two years ago, and before I knew it, I was spending a lot more time (and money) on games than I was on movies. When was the last time I bought a DVD? Um ... I'll have to get back to you on that one.

And then there's the bang-for-the-buck factor: Just consider that you can easily spend 30 hours playing, say, the single-player campaign in "Grand Theft Auto IV," which makes the steep $60 price tag look downright economical compared to $14.99 for a two-hour DVD movie. No wonder video game sales are going up even as we're facing the worst economy in decades.

So, quick show of hands: Who's spending more on games than on DVDs and/or Blu-rays? (Anyone?)

Related:
Videogames sales bigger than DVD/Blu-ray for first time [Video Business, via Engadget HD]