Rationalizing play a critical theory of digital gaming

Abstract

One of the fastest growing leisure activities of the new century, digital gaming has quickly developed from a marginalized children's pastime into a multi-billion dollar global industry. According to recent estimates by PricewaterhouseCoopers (2008), the global digital games market generated $41.9 billion in sales in 2007, and is expected to surpass $68 billion by 2012 (Bond, 2008). Industry analysis firm comScore estimates that approximately 217 million people worldwide played online games in 2007-a number that continues to multiply as broadband Internet access spreads across the globe (Castronova, 2005).