Games & girls

Not film, not digital music, but - at $7 billion in sales last year - video games are "the world's fastest-growing entertainment industry," the Washington Post reports in a thoughtfully researched update. Women make up 39% of gamers, a significant proportion, but that large industry - with all its male game designers - has a long way to go before it figures out how best to appeal to that large group, which some analysts say is just as sophisticated and diverse as male gamers. Some girls and women like shooter and sports games, some like the very popular Nancy Drew-based games such as "Secrets Can Kill" by Her Interactive. Her's Megan Gaiser had a hard time getting a publisher, so she promoted "The 3D Adventures of Nancy Drew" through Her's Web site and sold them on Amazon.com. "Since 2000, the Nancy Drew franchise has sold 1.8 million units." A couple of Nancy Drew game reviews can be found at Games4Girls.com ("Message in a Haunted Mansion" is one of their favorites).