Xbox Live Arcade topped $100m in 2009

Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade generated $103.4 million (£65.9m) during 2009, a 34 per cent increase from the previous year, according to a report from Forecasting and Analysing Digital Entertainment (FADE).

The average price of a downloadable game for Xbox Live also rose significantly from $8.33 to $9.12, with the majority of the best-sellers commanding a price point around the $15 mark.

Promotions such as the Summer of Arcade push also helped sales, with estimates that Castle Crashers sold over one million copies during the entire year. EA and DICE's Battlefield 1943 is estimated to have sold over 800,000 units.

Electronic Arts announced in July the game had become the fastest-selling game on Xbox Live to date, and Microsoft has previously said that its Summer of Arcade promotion helped sales climb 200 per cent during July and August.

According to the report, the average spend for an Xbox Live Arcade user was $2.79 during 2009, down from last year. It suggested that motion control tech Project Natal could help grow XBLA in 2010, driving new types of Arcade games on the service.

In January Microsoft revealed that 39 million Xbox 360s have been sold globally, with over 20 million connected to the Xbox Live service.

FADE also released estimates of its top ten Xbox Live Arcade titles by revenue, which can be read below:

Estimated Top Titles by Revenue, 2009 (Average Price)

• Battlefield 1943 (EA Dice) - $12.5 million ($15.00)
• Castle Crashers (The Behemoth) - $7.3 million ($15.00)
• Trials HD (RedLynx, LTD) - $7.1 million ($15.00)
• Shadow Complex (Chair Entertainment / Epic Games) - $6.1 million ($14.38)
• Family Game Night (Hasbro) - $4.2 million ($9.53)
• Marvel vs. Capcom 2 (Capcom) - $4.2 million ($15.00)
• Magic: The Gathering (Stainless Games) - $2.8 million ($10.00)
• Worms 2 (Team 17) - $1.8 million ($10.00)
• Peggle (PopCap Games) - $1.8 million ($8.86)
• Turtles in Time: Reshelled (Ubisoft Singapore) - $1.7 million ($10.00)