UNESP 2024/1

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    The first Game Developers Conference, in 1988, attracted 25 participants and took place in a programmer’s sitting room in California. This 2023 summit, which began on March 20 in a giant exhibition centre in San Francisco, demonstrates how the industry has grown. Some 3.2 billion people now play, thanks largely to the spread of the smartphone. Women are now almost as likely as men to call themselves gamers. Gaming is catching on among all age groups. In Britain, for instance, half of those aged 55-64 play video games, though for less time than the young. Worldwide there are now more console owners aged 35-44 than 16-24.

    The bigger the audience, the bigger the market. Consumers will spend 185 billion dollars on games in 2023, more than half on mobile games. That is about five times the value of the cinema box office, and two-thirds more than the video-streaming business. As gaming continues to grow, it is beginning to rival television as the world’s favourite entertainment medium.

(https://view.e.economist.com, 20.03.2023. Adaptado.)