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Wipe the image of the lone teenage video game player and his controller from your mind.

Gaming has grown up - and spread across generations and cultures.

What used to be button-pushing is now a three-dimensional world and the basis for social networks, information sharing and even life skills.

Consider that:

Retail sales of video and PC games in the United States hit a record $7.4 billion in 2006, according to the NPD Group, an industry analyst.

Add in sales of computer systems and consoles such as the Xbox 360 and Playstation 2 and sales figures nearly double - $13.5 billion in 2006.

A 2006 survey by the Entertainment Software Association found the average game player is 33 years old. Nearly four in 10 gamers are women.

With top-sellers ranging from the fantasy role-playing "World of Warcraft" and the nonviolent family simulator "The Sims 2," to football games like "Madden NFL 2007" and the advanced strategy of empire building in "Civilization IV," game players have a wide variety to choose from.

So tune in, turn on and boot up - it's time to get in the game.