Entertainment software: suddenly huge, little understood

Purpose In less than three decades the entertainment software industry has emerged as a huge industry, with sales larger than Hollywood movie box office sales. Yet, little is known about this industry. Stereotypes about the industry may not be correct. This paper seeks to address this knowledge gap. Design/methodology/approach The paper identifies what is known, and what needs to be known. The paper reviews the literature and adds data from the most recent reports available. Findings The literature has been slow to address this industry. It has not even been clear what to call this industry. (Some people still call it the video game industry.) The most basic marketing issues still need to be researched, i.e. customer benefits sought and segmentation. A typology of game genres is proposed. Originality/value This paper is the first overview of the entertainment software industry from a marketing perspective.