History has always shown that the largest game markets in the world reside in the United States and Japan. However, the United Kingdom may have something to say about that. According to recent numbers released by the stat-crunching employees over at Chart Track, U.K. game unit sales rose 28% in 2008. With that sales spike, the territory moved ahead of Japan as the number two market in the world, just behind the U.S. market. Chart Track Company Director Dorian Bloch feels that the U.K. has a very good chance of surpassing Japan in software revenue sales as well.
"I haven’t got a crystal ball, but it’s very much a possibility that the U.K. will overtake Japan in terms of annual software revenue," Bloch informed MCV.
"Japan is certainly in decline at the moment, mainly down to the fact that everyone seems to have already bought a DS or PSP, so hardware sales aren’t driving software sales – although DSi is flying off the shelves," Bloch continued. "The very sudden decline of PS2 is also a factor. The Japanese market is about twice the size of ours, so there is room for maneuver in terms of people who had a DS four years ago and want a new handheld."
Watch out America, you may have won the War of Independence, but now the U.K. is gunning for you in the video game industry!