FIFA tops UK's 2005 sales; market growth slows to a crawl
Electronic Arts' FIFA '06 was the best-selling videogame in the UK last year, according to new figures from ELSPA, which reveal that the growth of the leisure software market slowed down massively as the effects of the hardware transition took hold.
Electronic Arts' FIFA '06 was the best-selling videogame in the UK last year, according to new figures from ELSPA, which reveal that the growth of the leisure software market slowed down massively as the effects of the hardware transition took hold.
The good news for the market is that it did experience positive growth, with software sales across all formats hitting GBP 1.35 billion, up 0.7 per cent over last year's figure and setting a new high water mark for the industry.
However, that 0.7 per cent growth compares with 6.6 per cent growth in 2004 - a major slowdown for the market, especially when it's taken into consideration that 2003 had market growth of 7.1 per cent, and 2002 showed 8 per cent growth.
The slowdown comes even despite the launch of two new hardware platforms during 2004, the Nintendo DS and the PlayStation Portable, both of which have been judged to be very successful to date in the UK marketplace.
EA's FIFA '06 topped the full-year sales chart which was released this afternoon by publisher trade body ELSPA, leading a field dominated by racing and football games - with Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer 5 at number two, EA's Christmas number one Need for Speed: Most Wanted at three, and Sony's Gran Turismo 4 at number four.
A second FIFA branded game from EA, urban-themed title FIFA Street, also made it into the top ten at number seven, while there was space for two movie licensed titles - Star Wars Episode II: Revenge of the Sith at number five, and King Kong at number nine.
"We are now starting to see a trend in the market where software sales continue to rise even during the cycle before the introduction of exciting new technologies," commented ELSPA director general Roger Bennett, "with software publishers fully exploiting the tried and tested current hardware platforms."
"It is a testament to the strategic marketing initiatives of the entire industry that, despite being a transition year between current and next-generation hardware, our industry has still continued to gain momentum," he added.