] Sales of games alone are set to hit $18.5bn, while 32
] million consoles will be sold, according to London-based
] market research firm ScreenDigest.
]
] The upbeat forecast reflects the growing popularity of
] gaming, which is becoming a major rival to other forms of
] entertainment such as the cinema.
]
] "These figures clearly demonstrate the commercial
] strength of an industry rich in creativity and
] entertainment value," said Roger Bennett, Director
] General of the trade body, the Entertainment and Leisure
] Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), which
] commissioned the study.

Gaming set for record year

We had a chance to try out a demo of the upcoming Matrix game for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, and PC at a press event in Los Angeles last night. The game is being developed by Shiny Entertainment and is slated for release this May in conjunction with the release of The Matrix Reloaded movie. While the game will obviously have ties to the upcoming film, it will feature an original story--developed in conjunction between Shiny and Larry and Andy Wachowski--that will intertwine with and expand on events and characters from the film. The game focuses on two characters, Niobe and Ghost. You select one character to play as from the start, and you'll see different levels or play different roles in the action depending on your selection. The demo we played, while still early, gave us a sample of the fighting, driving, and flying levels in the game.

Hands-on: Enter the Matrix - Enter the Matrix News for All at GameSpot