UK software sales hit £1.26 billion in 2003
New figures from publisher association ELSPA reveal that 2003 was another record year for the videogames market in the UK, with software sales growing by 7.1 per cent to reach a massive £1.26 billion (€1.8bn).
New figures from publisher association ELSPA reveal that 2003 was another record year for the videogames market in the UK, with software sales growing by 7.1 per cent to reach a massive £1.26 billion (â'¬1.8bn).
The growth throughout the year was capped by a spectacular Christmas period, which saw a record 15 titles selling more than 300,000 units each, and thus achieving an ELSPA Platinum sales award, while EA's FIFA 2004 went double platinum, with sales of over 600,000 units.
The figures confirm what we all knew anyway - that 2003 was a huge year for Electronic Arts in the UK, with the company not only holding the biggest selling game in the country throughout the year - FIFA 2004 - but also being responsible for 13 other titles in the full-year top 40.
Although obviously the PS2 continued to dominate proceedings, ELSPA points out that the majority of best selling games were actually multi-format titles, while even the PSone gets a look-in on the chart, with Konami's Dancing Stage at number 21. The new Pokemon games earn the GBA its spurs in the annual top 40, with both Ruby and Sapphire appearing in the ranking.
In terms of console hardware sales, the final figures have yet to be enumerated, but they're expected to bring the final tally for videogame revenues in the UK in 2003 to well over the £2 billion mark. Sales of home consoles are thought to have remained steady at around four million units, although the decline in sales of the PS2 and Xbox at Christmas (only GameCube recorded better Christmas sales than last year) does give cause for concern that the hardware market may now have peaked.
"2003 has also provided substantial evidence of the way video games have been integrated into mainstream entertainment culture," commented ELSPA director general Roger Bennett, who went on to refer to the launch of TV awards show GameStars, the Sunday Times' new monthly gaming supplement and the opening of betting on game-related topics by bookmaker Ladbrokes as examples of the continuing mass-market acceptance of gaming.