The data shows that approximately 267.8 million computer and video games were sold in 2007. Console software sales reached $6.6 billion (153.9 million units), while computer games sales were just $910.7 million (36.4 million units). The portable market was also a significant factor with a record $2.0 billion (77.5 million units) in software sales.

"The video game industry set the pace over all others in 2007, with record-breaking sales, off-the-charts consumer demand, and innovation reaching from galactic exploration to guitar simulation," said Michael D. Gallagher, president and CEO of the ESA. "On average, an astonishing 9 games were sold every second of every day of the year." The ESA also pointed out that the industry sold over 13.4 million portable game units in 2007, "easily trumping the much-hyped Apple iPhone, which sold just 8 million units."

"Expansion was an overarching theme for the industry last year - from the types of games sold to the people who bought them," added Anita Frazier, NPD's industry analyst. "NPD's consumer demographic data verifies that two non-traditional consumer groups grew over-proportionately to the whole: females and individuals over the ages of 35."

Additionally, although many in the mainstream media tend to focus on mature-rated video games, NPD's data revealed that, in unit sales, only 15.5 percent of games sold last year were rated "M," while 56.5 percent of games sold were rated "Everyone 10+" or lower. 28 percent of games sold were rated "Teen (T)." The ESA said that one of the largest genres growing was "Family Entertainment," which grew 110 percent (17.2 percent of all games sold in 2007, up from 9.1 percent in 2006). "This is clearly an industry strongly rooted in family-friendly entertainment, and not on Mature-rated titles," emphasized Gallagher.