NPD Group is a good resource for market information and they have recently released how they classify video games.

They have done a good job of breaking down the game content and monetization models that exists in the gaming industry. Their categorization makes sense to me and I don’t see anything that has been overlooked.

The high level classifications are:

  • Video game category
  • Industry segments
  • Channel (purchase)
  • Delivery method
  • Business model
  • Payment method

See the flow chart below for details.