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Chapter 1 Introduction: Global Trends
Digital entertainment in general refers to the use of digital technologies such as
computer graphics, interactive techniques, etc. in the production of films, videos
and television programmes, animation, games, edu-tainment software and other
digital multimedia content. It is a new, evolving industry worldwide, cross-cutting
various service and production sectors, cross-breeding new and conventional media.
The market is growing and there is a huge potential to develop.
Some facts and figures to illustrate the global market potential for the digital
entertainment industry are set out below:
• nine of the top ten all-time top-grossing films at the worldwide box office are all
richly imbued with digital effects, and the remaining one is an animation feature
film. These include global box-office hits in 2002 like “SpiderMan” and “Harry
Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”;
• the worldwide computer animation industry is estimated to be worth US$25
billion, with more and more designs finding their ways into film, television,
multimedia, games and merchandise;
• in 2002, over 221 million computer and video games were sold in the US,
almost two games for every household. For Americans aged six and above, 60%
or about 145 million people, played console and computer games on a regular
basis1;
Introduction: Global Trends
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Surveys conducted by Interactive Digital Software Association (http://www.idsa.com)
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• new game consoles, like Sony’s
PlayStation 2, Microsoft’s Xbox and
Nintendo’s GameCube, with
audiovisual facilities to play CD and
DVD and connection to the Internet,
are evolving to become the future
“digit al home enter tainment
centre” and hence have potential to
become the next generation of “networked entertainment server” to deliver
Internet-based, real-time and personalised digital entertainment services; and
• the growth in console software in 2003 is forecast to account for more than
US$11 billion worldwide, and the growth of online game is estimated to reach
US$5.3