Videogame sales topped 7.7 million units, a 34 percent increase from 2007. The figures show a clear shift towards the present generation consoles, with the Playstation 3, Wii and Xbox 360 experiencing massive sale increases in 2008. Demand for new full priced titles also contributed to the growth.
“The new games offer an unbeatable experience with many hours of entertainment, which makes them great value for money,” said Johan Mannerhill, chairman for MDTS, which makes up one half of the Swedish Games Industry,
The sharp increase in value can also be attributed to games bundled with accessories. The players invested in games such as: Wii Fit which is sold with a balance board as well as Guitar Hero: World Tour which comes with a full instrument pack.
“Through innovation within new franchises and a steady stream of add-ons and improvements to existing titles, games have been able to appeal to new as well as more established gamers. The potential and belief in what games are capable of as a form of entertainment are factors that drive the industry to supersede itself time and time again,” Martin Lindell, an analyst at the Swedish Games Industry highlighted.
PC games sales have however fallen, which can be attributed to social gaming: i.e. more and more gamers play with their friends in front of their flat screen TVs. Digital distribution, which has increased in notoriety, is also not taken into account. This is because most sales of digital software occur on international servers and through external parties, who in the present climate refuse to divulge their sales figures. However with the local market maturing and more Swedish alternatives popping up, the goal is to include figures of digital distribution in 2009’s statistics.
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