With the US gaming industry reaching a soaring US$ 933 million last July, not to mention that things are generally looking good for the those who work in electronic gaming, it's no surprise that the NPD Group is taking its chances by predicting that the US gaming industry will score a total of US$ 18 billion this year.

NPD's Anita Frazier is especially optimistic about how gaming is turning out financially, saying that "The industry is up by nearly 50 percent. The back part of the year would have to fall apart to not have a record-breaking year. I think we'll end in the range of $16 to $18 billion in the US."

Drawing from the Wii's almost chronic supply problem, Frazier predicts that the Nintendo Wii will still suffer shortages well until the next year, which is not so surprising given that the Wii stayed on top of the recent NPD charts.

Frazier also has a word of advice to the gaming industry: don't cram the holidays with too much big-name releases. She believes that if a game proves to be a good title, it will sell throughout the year. "It can be very beneficial to have some breathing room," she said.