MELBOURNE - A survey has revealed that despite the economic slump, Australians are still splashing out on video games.

The study revealed that people Down Under spent a record 2 billion dollars on games last year, a 47 per cent increase on 2007.

Experts reckon that with the ongoing recession, consumers will turn even more to home-entertainment options this year.

The amount being spent on video games shows no signs of slowing down, with games companies continuing to flood the market with impressive titles, killer graphics, and upgraded games consoles.

As per Interactive Entertainment Association of Australia head Ron Curry, games are no longer the sole preserve of hardcore, male tech-heads or young children, they involve the whole family.

“Sales figures for the past two years actually show that the industry has grown more than 112 per cent since 2006,” News.com.au quoted Curry as saying.

“The industry has really witnessed phenomenal growth, which has largely been driven by people playing games together,” he said.

The latest statistics, compiled on behalf of the IEAA for their Interactive Australia 2009 report, reveal that video gaming is changing face.

An estimated 68 per cent of Australians now play computer or video games, half of them on average at least an hour every day.

The report also shows that more than 46 per cent of gamers are women, and contrary to popular belief that video games are for children, it shows that the average age of gamers is now 30 year.

Family, action and racing games were the top-selling genres in 2007-2008, and family-friendly games have helped the growth in the video-games industry by an average 15 per cent a year. (ANI)