IT’S INCREDIBLE!
Video game of hit film moves into contention for Christmas No. 1
Tuesday 23 November 2004/... After a hectic week in the nation's betting shops for the "Official Computer and Video Games Christmas Number One" slot, a new contender has come to the fore. ELSPA (Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association) and Ladbrokes, the UK's favourite bookmaker has today confirmed that The Incredibles video game has been given odds of 8/1, moving it up towards the new favourite, GTA: San Andreas.
"It's definitely heating up out there," said Roger Bennett, director general of ELSPA. "Successful movie releases always have a positive impact on video games sales and Pixar titles have performed amazing well in the past. However, it's still anyone's game at this stage."
David McMorrow, Ladbrokes Marketing Manager said: "We've been taken a little by surprise by the interest shown in The Incredibles. We posted odds of 16/1 on Monday, had to cut the price overnight to 8/1 and this is bound to drop even further. Bearing in mind that last year's winner came from out of nowhere, then we think there is a good chance we could be looking at the 2004 winner. Especially when you look at all the hype the movie is generating."
The revised odds (as at 09:00 today) for the top ten titles, compiled by Ladbrokes in association with ELSPA, are:
7/4 - GTA: San Andreas
3/1 - Need For Speed: Underground 2
5/1 - Call of Duty: Finest Hour
5/1 - GoldenEye: Rogue Agent
6/1 - Half Life 2
7/1 - Halo 2
8/1 - The Incredibles
25/1 - Prince of Persia: The Warrior Within
25/1 - SingStar: Party
25/1 - The Getaway: Black Monday
Prices correct at time of writing and subject to change.
Ladbrokes Rules apply.
Combined multi-format sales will count in the week running up to Christmas.
Ladbrokes will take the final result from ELSPA/ChartTrack.
These prices are available through Ladbrokes shops, over the phone and at www.ladbrokes.com
EDITORS NOTES
About ELSPA - http://www.elspa.com
ELSPA (The Entertainment & Leisure Software Publishers Association) was founded in 1989 to establish a specific and collective identity for the computer and video games industry. Membership includes almost all companies concerned with the publishing and distribution of interactive leisure software in the UK.
ELSPA's activities include: Official Chart and Industry Reports, Anti-Piracy UK and EU, PR and Communication, Events. More information on all these activities can be found at http://www.elspa.com.
The UK Interactive Leisure Software Industry - Facts & Figures from ELSPA/Screen Digest/Chart-Track:
- The UK is a world centre for games development.
- In 2003, UK sales of video games, other leisure software products and games consoles topped £2 billion, for the second year running.
- Over 20,000 people are employed in the UK leisure software sector.
- The British games industry generated £494m of exports in 2003. 33% of all PS2 games bought in Europe originate in the UK (the same proportion as US originated products and ahead of Japan and any other country).