Tennis, anyone?

Video game demographic activity has evolved, from teenage boys locked in the basement for hours in game-swathed solitude, to mass audiences now playing together.

According to Advertising Age, new consoles like the active Nintendo Wii and games like Guitar Hero encourage people to host parties and bar nights that revolve around game play. Advertisers are quickly jumping aboard.

Invitation making site Evite caught onto Wii parties after discovering a rash of users searching for Wii party ideas on its site. The company recently launched pages dedicated solely to these gaming soirées.

In bars and restaurants, Guitar Hero nights are the new karaoke. Patrons sign up to play their favorite classic rock ballads with the game's guitar-shaped controller.

The new games are also challenging the notion that video games are for young people. Wii parties are now features on Norwegian Cruise Lines. And Erickson Retirement Communities are now placing Wiis in group homes.

Expansion of the target demo has helped gaming industry sales to rise to $18 billion from $16 billion last year.