Music sales have been on the decline for years—even if that decline seems to be slowing—with record executives citing illegal filesharing and downloading as one of the root causes for the downturn.

But are all those Sam Goody's closing and executives whining over just the rampant illegal downloading, not purchasing, of music? The Guardian argues that video game spending is contributing to, if not causing, the commercial music industry's woes.

At least in the UK, video game spending has risen from £1.18 billion in 1999 to £4.03 billion in 2008, as music sales sank from £1.94 billion to £1.31 billion. The Guardian argues that those of us disposing of our income are happier to dispose of it on a forty hour game than on four CDs—or on a game in which we can play the music we love. The publication also throws DVD spending into the mix, but the rise in sales there isn't as dramatic.

Last time I purchased a CD? About six months ago.

Are downloads really killing the music industry? Or is it something else? [Guardian - thanks, Stephen!]