UK Videogame Market Expands in 2004

And you can bet on an even better 2005.

Videogames have come a long way since their inauspicious genesis more than two decades ago, to the point where some games now bring in more money than Hollywood films. In the UK, in particular, videogames have been growing at a steady pace and 2004 was another record-setting year.

Games like GTA contributed to £1.3billion revenue in 2004

Helped by the phenomenal sales of the latest entries in the Grand Theft Auto, FIFA and Need For Speed Underground series, videogames brought in over £1.3billion during 2004, smashing 2003's figures by nearly 7%.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was the best-selling game of last year, thanks to 1.75 million gamers feeding their bloodlust since the title's November release. No surprise then that the PlayStation 2 was the top console for 2004.

But Microsoft is making steady ground in the UK, as Xbox continues to do better each year. For Nintendo, however, the situation is a bit more bleak, as not one GameCube- or Game Boy Advance-exclusive title made it into the top 40 games for the year.

While 2005 is still young, it's fair to assume that gamers are in for another good year. Nintendo will be releasing its dual-screen handheld, the Nintendo DS, some time before the end of March, at about the same time as Sony releases its own portable system, the PSP.

And while the successors to the Xbox, PlayStation 2 and GameCube might not hit Europe in 2005, owners of all three consoles can expect a torrent of polished games to while away the months until they do.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games