Anyone surprised? Used games can literally double or triple their value if they're something long form, say Dragon Quest VIII (around $10 used) or Final Fantasy X (around $15 used). You can drop $10-$15 on a movie ticket, a watered-down drink, and a bag of oily, over-salted popcorn for a couple hours of generally trite escapism, or direct that fifteen bucks toward something that'll keep you occupied for dozens. Something you can play in the comfort of your home. Something you can start or stop at leisure. Something you're actually controlling and interacting with, as opposed to passively receiving.

Nielsen adds that new game sales have been soft for three reasons: Used-game purchases are at an all-time high, video game rentals too, and 2009's been lacking the "name" games (Halo 3, Grand Theft Auto IV) to bring in the crowds. Nielsen says awareness of new titles has dipped in 2009 to its lowest levels since 2007.

Importantly, Nielsen says it's not hardcore gamers driving up the usage averages, but mainstream gamers "playing more of the broadly appealing games" like Wii Fit, Guitar Hero and Rock Band.

For more gaming news and opinion, point your tweet-readers at .