Thanks to the good graces of J.J. Abrams and Hugh Jackman, the entertainment industry has been doing its part in staving off the collapse of our entire economy. However, just when you thought it was safe to once again start lighting your cigars with $100 bills, comes this frightening bit of news: Reports show that the recession-proof video game industry experienced a 17% drop in sales when compared to the same time period last year, and game sales are down an even scarier 23%. Sure, the comparison is slightly unfair — April 2008 saw the release of the wildly successful Grand Theft Auto IV — but that doesn't stop us from feeling like we should drop everything and head over to the nearest bodega to stock up on water, canned food, and extra batteries for our Xbox 360 controllers.

Video game industry sales drop 17% in April [LAT]