UK Games Sales Smash All Previous Records

Thursday 20th December 2007/... Video and computer games sales in the UK are at an all-time high, smashing sales records in 2007 and last week notching the biggest ever single week of sales. For weeks 1 through 50, in 2007, the total number of units sold was up 16.6 per cent and 25.3 per cent by value.

Chart-Track, who compiles data on behalf of ELSPA, today reports that current full year UK unit sales will reach around 78 million games sold in 2007, demolishing the previous best year for the UK games industry, set in 2006.

Last week games generated sales of £87.9 million. UK retail has enjoyed a record-breaking third quarter, with software units up 19 per cent on 2006 from 12.61 million to 15.03 million and revenues up an eye-popping 36 percent from £233.5 million to £332.6 million.

Paul Jackson, Director General of ELSPA, said: "2007 has been a fantastic year for our industry as all the latest generation of consoles and hand-held devices have become fully established. Videogaming is now enjoyed by everyone, young and old, male and female. Interactive entertainment is now truly mass market, and this is just the beginning of a period of real sustained growth."

As predicted, the console market, thanks largely to the success of Nintendo's DS Lite and Wii plus strong sales of Xbox 360 and PS3, led the way in terms of overall market increase and units for Q3 have rocketed by 33 per cent from 8.52 million to 11.33 million. Revenues of consoles show a 45 per cent increase from £180.95 million to £263.20 million. As such, the console market now accounts for 79 per cent of software revenues and 75 per cent of total software units.

The console proportion of units is the equal highest of any previous quarter and the highest ever for a third quarter. In terms of cash going through the tills, console software is the highest proportion ever for a third quarter.

Editors Notes:

The Christmas Chart, complied by Chart-Track, ®2007 ELSPA Ltd is always the last published chart before Christmas contains data right up to and including Saturday 22nd December, week 51 2007and is expected to be published on Monday 24th December. The last time this happened, with sales right up to and including the 22nd December, was back in 2001 (EA's Harry Potter & The Philosopher's Stone was the winner).

The race for this year's Christmas Number One game is set to be one of the most closely contested ever with Sega's Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games narrowly outselling Activision's re-invigorated Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and perennial big-hitter Electronic Arts' Need For Speed: ProStreet and FIFA 08.

With no major new releases due until next year, all the main contenders for the Christmas No 1 spot are gearing up for a sprint to the finishing line and it's anyone's guess as who will land this year's highly prized festive honours, with just 2,500 unit sales separating the Top 3. For week 50 (week ending Saturday 15th December) on the All Formats Chart, Sega's Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games for Wii (107k) is still leading the chasing pack in the All Formats Chart with just one week to go until Christmas as Activision's Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (106k) and EA's FIFA 08 (104k) close in - both up one place to No's 2 and 3 respectively. The favourite for the Christmas No 1 position remains EA's Need For Speed: ProStreet (94k), which is currently idling in fourth place, having slipped two place to No 4, followed closely by EA's The Simpsons Game (93k) at No 5.

Ends.

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.

For further information on ELSPA or to arrange interviews, please contact:

Tom Sargent or Laura West

BARRINGTON HARVEY

Email: tom.sargent@bhpr.co.uk or laura.west@bhpr.co.uk

Tel: 01462 456780

Fax: 01462 456781

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