It's been a bad year for a lot of industries, banking, housing, and auto are just a few to mention.

It hasn't been the best of years for the video game industry either.

And with the holidays just around the corner, you might be surprised to find out what's taking its place.

"Chutes and Ladders, Candy Land, and Monopoly," says Tom Ostrowski with the Wal-Mart Toy Department.

That's right, board games are making a big comback this year.

"They appeal to all age groups. They have a long shelf life and most people look at them as cheap entertainment also," says Ostrowski.

Tom Ostrowski is the Toy Department Manager at the Quincy Wal-Mart. He told me he's seen an increase in sales for board games this year. He also says board games are the number one selling category in the Toy Department. The economy may play a role in the recent popularity in board games. That's whys stores have priced them to sell this holiday season.

"$5, $10, up to $30," says Ostrowski.

But don't consider it game over for the video game industry either.

"I think they are very popular still. Since consoles have dropped in price, we've sole quite a few," says Brad Harscher, a sales associate with the Quincy Wal-Mart.

All three of the major video game consoles, the Nintendo Wii, Microsoft X-Box 360, and Sony's Playstation 3 have all slashed their prices.

Remember when it was hard to get a Nintendo Wii? That shouldn't be the case this year. Most store shelves have these stocked. A problem you may run into this year is finding the games you want.

"The new Super Mario Bros. game for the Wii is really popular. It's been selling like crazy," says Harscher.

Other popular games, include Modern Warfare for X-Box and Uncharted 2 for Playstation. The bigger downside of video games is the cost. Compare a five or ten dollar board game to the price of a 40 to 50 dollar video game. On the flip side, you can even buy some board games as a video game. It all comes down to personal preference and the amount of money you're ready to spend.

Another plus to the video games, these days they are much more than just a typical video game console.

All three major ones connect to the internet for online gaming, the Sony Playstation 3 can even be used as a Blu-Ray player.