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...The NPD Group provided a reminder this week that market growth is not guaranteed. The gaming industry in the US ended the year (2007) with record retail sales of nearly $18 billion.

This week The NPD Group the industry-research firm released US retail sales data for the january 2008 period. While software sales for the month were up 11 percent to nearly $611 million, hardware sales fell by a quarter to around $378 million. Combine that with a modest decline in accessory sales, the industry overall was down 6 percent for the month, posting $1.18 billion compared to january 2007's $1.25 billion take.

Despite this, the month contained indications that the industry actually grew. That was because the january 2007 reporting period was five weeks long as opposed to this January's four-week span. Analyst Anita Frazier said that the numbers are much rosier when this adjustment was taken into account.

The big winner in the gaming market was console software which was nearly 50 percent up when compared to last year.

Hardware sales were down and a lot of this was to do with poor supply that assertion was backed up by a statement from Microsoft saying the Xbox 360 was suffering from temporary shortages.

Nintendo's lon...more

How Does the PS3 Stack Up to Its Competitors, the Xbox 360, and Nintendo Wii?

...Finally, theyre all here. The Xbox 360 has had the next generation gaming market to itself for a year. Now its two competitors, the Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii, are here. No more speculating about speed. No more guessing about memory. Now we can take a look and see exactly how they stack up compared to each other.

Let the console wars begin again.

Price

The PS3 has two configurations much like the Xbox 360. The PS3 comes in a $499 version that comes with a 20 GB hard drive and a $599 version that comes with a 60 GB hard drive; Wi-Fi; and memory stick, SD, and Compact Flash slots.

The Xbox 360 has two configurations. It comes in a $299 core version and a $399 version that comes with a 20GB hard drive.

The Nintendo Wii is the cheapest of the bunch with just one configuration that costs $250.

Processing Power

The Playstation 3 com...more

When You're At Your Wit's End: Shopping Survival Tips for Moms

...hipping when you purchase multiple items. This could save in the final costs. Some of the best bargains are at online auctions and discount store web sites. Also, by state law you aren't charged sales taxes on purchases made outside your state.

Be Prepared

If you decide to go shopping at your favorite stores, make sure you are prepared. Have your list ready and wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Start shopping early and during the week instead of waiting for the weekend. Also, buy heavy gifts last to avoid carrying them around all day and take advantage of gift-wrapping. These practical steps will make your shopping experience more enjoyable.

NASCAR Racing Games

...thout a doubt the coolest racing game of cool racing games. The graphics are more exceptional than ever, the 43 opponents make the race even more thrilling than before, you get to reach dazzling speeds of over 180 miles per hour and at the same time you get improved control over your car. And as if this wasnt enough there are added effects like shaking camera effects, solar effects or blurred images which combined with the sound of the engine make you feel like you are actually behind the wheel.

To help you improve your driving measure the level of control you have over the car Electronic Arts have added a sliding scale to the game which can help you achieve complete control of the vehicle. ...more