Videogames Play Through Recession Woes

Revenue generated in the U.S. and Canada by the videogame industry, minus hardware sales, will grow at an average clip of 5.8% annually over the next five years, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers analysis due out Tuesday.

Such growth prospects exceed that of other media, with notable exceptions being online advertising and Internet access — the latter being driven by a continuing shift from dial-up to more expensive broadband.

Revenue from PC games will continue to decline, but console, hand-held and wireless games will more than make up the slack.