James Delahunty
12 Jan 2007 5:12
According to Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), 2006 was a record setting year for the UK games industry. There was a 7% increase in the number of games sold, bringing the total figure to 65.1 million titles. All-format sales reach £1.36 billion, a new record according to ELSPA and a rise of 1% over 2005.
The majority of games sold for consoles were for the PlayStation 2, followed by Xbox 360, Xbox, Wii and GameCube. PC games also had a terrific year, with software sales up 7% making it the best year for the platform. Handheld sales also did very well, with titles sold for the PlayStation Portable (PSP) and Nintendo DS just trailing the PS2 figures.
The sales of DS games just slightly finished higher than those for the PSP. "We are thrilled to see the industry growing and software sales continuing to rise," said ELSPA director general Paul Jackson.
"With the new generation consoles and new handhelds there are some amazing titles out there and consumers are continuing to enjoy them. There are new and exciting games available and more and more family orientated and mentally stimulating titles to grasp and hold the interest of all ages. This is also a testament to the industry and it will continue to gain momentum." he added.
Source:
GamesIndustry.biz