UK Games industry now second-biggest in world

UK game software sales are off to a flying start in 2009, with unit sales up 37% in the first five weeks compared to the same period in 2008, say ChartTrack. Game revenues also experienced a 21% increase in that time too. This means that Britain has overtaken Japan to become the second biggest gaming territory in the world (after the US of course.)

ChartTrack also revealed that the UK software market grew by a total of 26% in 2008 – leaving the region ahead of Japan in unit sales for that whole year.

“I haven’t got a crystal ball, but it’s very much a possibility that the UK will overtake Japan in terms of annual software revenue, ” ChartTrack director Dorian Bloch told MCV. “Japan is certainly in a decline at the moment, mainly down to the fact that everyone seems to have already bought a DS or PSP, so hardware sales aren’t driving software sales – although DSi is flying off the shelves. The very sudden decline of PS2 is also a factor. The Japanese market is about twice the size of ours, so there is room for manoeuvre in terms of people who had a DS four years ago and want a new handheld.”

Apparently the UK’s impressive start to the year can partly be attributed to the cheap sales at stores such as Zavvi. Of course, when the DSi launchs in the UK later this year, we’re likely to see another boost in sales.

Come on, my fellow limeys! Lets beat those Japanese at their own game, then we’ll see about those Yanks!