Hero Interactive, Great Fun, Good Business.

Lets face it, everyone wants to play a good game. According to the Entertainment Software Association, sixty-eight percent of American households play computer or video games. And in 2008, U.S. computer and video game software sales grew 22.9 percent in 2008 to $11.7 billion.

That's a huge pie to take a bite, and Hero Interactive is looking for a nice serving.

Founded by Jared Riley, in St. Joseph, Mich. and with a crew of about 4 game programmers, the company is bringing money into Michigan through the free flash game market.

Hero Interactive focuses on games that are rich in experience, yet not too difficult for casual gamers. Which is great, because getting into serious gamers market means you have to compete against juggernauts like Sony's PS3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360

One of their first big hits, Bubble Tank, gives the player control of... a bubble tank. The player then moves from stage to stage, trying to burst the other bubbles while avoiding being popped.

After being released March 2007, the game has seen a sequel, Bubble Tank 2, and two spin-offs are in production.

But games that are free don't generate money right? Flashgamelicense.com shows their monthly sales figures. In 2009 alone, Flashgamelicense.com has sold over 900 games to sponsors, totaling $1.07 million. That's just one company selling games for programmers.

In Michigan, businesses haven't jumped off the manufacturing economy. But there is a bright side. Back in 2007, Google (The one and only) set up an office in Ann Arbor to start pushing the Mitt into the digital age.

So businesses like Hero Interactive definitely have a market, and bigger game programers could easily set up shop. But until then, try out Hero Interactive's new game Pixel. Wasted too many hours on this one.