GameStop celebrates US $1.7 billion Christmas

US retailer GameStop has reported sales of US $1.7 billion for the nine-weeks of Christmas, ending December 30th, 2006.

The results are a 29 per cent increase over the previous year, with the retailer hailing the season as one of the most successful ever.

"I am particularly pleased with the robust sales of hardware systems, even in the face of ongoing shortages of PlayStation 3 and Wii," commented CEO R. Richard Fontaine.

"The diversity of the desired products made this a real game specialist's holiday," he added.

The retailer also revealed that Gears of War, Final Fantasy XII, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Guitar Hero 2 and WWE Smackdown Vs. RAW were the strongest performing software titles over the period.

"We have never had a holiday season with more hardware choices or more accessory options, and perhaps what is more encouraging is that we are seeing a broader base of customers enjoying the gaming experience than ever before," said Fontaine.

GameStop is now increasing its sales guidance for Q4 2006, from 22 percent to 23 per cent, and its full year sales are now expected to range from 10 per cent to 10.5 per cent.