It’s hard to argue against 2008 being considered one of the greatest gaming years of any generation. Every console saw a plethora of exclusive and multiplatform titles hit home which sold millions of copies. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the United Kingdom has experienced a record year in game sales during 2008. According to The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), shoppers defied all recession odds by spending £4.03 billion on video game products last year.
Furthering those impressive numbers is the 82.8 million actual game sales there were over the course of the year. That amounts to a modestly high £1.9 billion. These figures are an increase of more than 23% over 2007s figures. Sony’s PlayStation 3 software department saw a 145 percent boost in sales, shifting over 10 million titles alone.
Michael Rawlinson of ELSPA, credited this increase to the ability of video games to bring families closer together.
"Videogaming is increasingly bringing families together with the introduction of so many outstanding family-based console titles," says Rawlinson.
"These have really opened up the market to those who may never have even considered playing a videogame before."
We think it’s safe to say that the United Kingdom loves its video games.