Research on how the games industry did in the first quarter of 2011 showed an increase from the same time period last year (Q1 2010) by 1.5%.
 The figures were spread across 3 area which where:

• Physical copies of video games. This saw $2.03 billion in Q1 2011.
• Used games, game rental, subscriptions, digital game downloads, social network games, dlc and mobile games. This saw $1.85 billion in Q1 2011.
• Game hardware, content and accessories. This saw $5.9 billion in Q1 2011.

NPD Group who conducted the research said:

“While the new physical retail channel still generates the majority of industry sales, our expanded research coverage allows us to assess the total consumer spend across the growing number of ways to acquire and experience gaming, including mobile apps and downloadable content,” said Anita Frazier, industry analyst, The NPD Group. “Through a combination of point-of-sale and consumer research tracking, The NPD Group is providing an expanded, more comprehensive measure of a dynamic and rapidly evolving games industry.”

Source: NPD Group