US Game Market Tops Over $20 Billion

Despite a struggling economy and reports of layoffs, studio closures, and major restructuring in the video game industry, the latest sales numbers released this week seem to prove that people still can’t get enough of their gaming.

“Even in difficult economic times, the video game industry continues to support our country’s local, state and national economies with record-breaking sales figures and rapid technological innovation,” said Michael D. Gallagher, president and CEO of the ESA, the trade association representing U.S. computer and video game publishers. “Our industry’s exceptional creators, artists, and storytellers, coupled with a commitment to providing unparalleled entertainment, have fueled high-octane growth, turning video games into the most sought-after medium on the market today.”

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Doritos: Dash of Destruction - A Bonafide Hit

Microsoft is touting the latest advergame on Xbox Live Arcade as one of its biggest yet. Apparently the game has done so well that it is getting some love from one of Microsoft’s top executives who is speaking at CES this week in.

“Doritos: Dash of Destruction has been the most downloaded game in the second half of December with just under 1 million downloads,” said Mark Kroese, General Manager of Microsoft’s Entertainment & Devices Advertising Business Group, during his Game Power Conference Session presentation at CES.

Our own Kyle Orland, who is at the show this week, caught up with Kroese shortly after his presentation to ask him why he thought the game did so well, beyond being a freebie. He pointed out that Dash of Destruction was much better than other free games they’ve offered, like the Yaris advergame: “it’s actually a good game!”

And if you’re wondering why it doesn’t show up in any of Major Nelson’s list of Top Xbox Live Arcade titles in 2008, the answer is simple: it’s free.

Dash of Destruction is a free arcade racing advergame developed by Ninja Bee for Xbox Live Arcade to promote one of the world’s most popular snack foods. The game was released on December 17, 2008 for free and was based on a concept created by gamer Mike Borland, who won the Unlock Xbox competition sponsored by Doritos. His game concept was brought to life by Ninja Bee and released on Xbox Live Arcade.

While fans ate the game up (pun intended), critics derided it for having the most easily unlockable achievements.. ever. Most of them could be unlocked within less than twenty minutes of play. Easy or not, the game apparently garnered the attention of the Xbox Live community. The game also went out of its way to be cheesy, encouraging players to “get their Gamerscore on” or go on a “Gamerscore Rampage.” Personally there’s nothing wrong with being cheesy when promoting a nacho cheese flavored snack food..

Kyle Orland, live from CES, contributed to the report.