Microsoft has hailed the £84m that Xbox 360 game Halo 3 made in the first 24 hours it was being sold as a record for an entertainment product.
Industry watchers are wary of declaring this as the start of a new era for computer and video games because many other sectors of the industry are larger.
Here the BBC News website breaks down the entertainment industry to see where people are spending their money.
Total money spent
Gamers have been rushing to buy Halo 3 on its first day of release. But people around the world spent more money on DVDs, cinema tickets and music than video games in 2006.
Total numbers sold
In the UK, DVDs were the most popular entertainment product by far, with 227 million sold in 2006. Cinema tickets and CDs came next, followed by computer games with 65 million.
Most popular releases
An estimated 7.5 million people in the UK went to see Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End between January and July - eclipsing the sales of the most popular DVDs, CDs and games.
Average costs
Computer games may not sell as many copies as other entertainment items - but they cost a lot more. Each game cost an average of £20.95 in the UK last year.
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