noname2200 on 01 April 2009
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=357200
Straight from NPD:
AUSTRALIAN VIDEO GAMES MARKET INCREASED NEARLY 50 PERCENT IN 2008
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, April 1, 2009 - According to OzToys, one of Australia's leading retail information companies, the Australian interactive games market, which includes PC games, console and portable hardware and software, as well as accessories, grew 47.8 percent in 2008 to nearly AU$2billion (AU$1.96). In terms of unit sales, Australia sold 26.7 million units in 2008, an increase of 43.1 percent over 2007.
Over AU$1 billion was spent on software alone, eclipsing the 2006 total video game market of AU$928 million. In 2008, software dollar sales increased 48.5 percent, with an average price increase of just over AU$3 to AU$52.64.
The numbers show 2008's record-breaking volumes are due primarily to very strong growth in both the software and hardware categories, which saw unit sales increases of 43.1 percent and 36.6 percent, respectively. The software category as a whole – console software, portable game software, and PC games – continued to set new records with sales of $AU1.12 billion, an increase of 48.5 percent over the $AU758million generated in 2007. Wii Fit was the best selling software title in 2008, selling over 373,000 units at an average price of AU$130.
Thanks in large part to titles from Nintendo and Activision Blizzard, Family Entertainment was the fastest growing genre, up 137 percent for the year.
Hardware sales also experienced healthy growth rates in 2008, with a 50 percent increase in unit sales over 2007. Nintendo represented the lion's share of all hardware platforms sold, representing over 66 percent of hardware sales in 2008, thanks to Wii and Nintendo DS.
While other countries continued to see retail sales of PC Games decline in 2008, Australia's PC games market was the most dynamic among the Australia-Europe group, experiencing growth of 4.2 percent. However, this market was in decline until December 2008. December PC game sales alone were $21.1million.
*Includes Collector's Edition
Source: OzToys / Retail Tracking Service
About OzToys Marketing Services Pty Ltd.
Since 1997, OzToys, a joint-venture between Australia's leading market research companies, GfK and The NPD Group, provides reliable and comprehensive weekly retail information for the traditional toy, video game and PC software industries. Today, manufacturers, retailers, and service companies rely on OzToys to deliver the in-depth insight they need to better understand Australia's retail trends in these industries, and to build upon their businesses.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, April 1, 2009 - According to OzToys, one of Australia's leading retail information companies, the Australian interactive games market, which includes PC games, console and portable hardware and software, as well as accessories, grew 47.8 percent in 2008 to nearly AU$2billion (AU$1.96). In terms of unit sales, Australia sold 26.7 million units in 2008, an increase of 43.1 percent over 2007.
Over AU$1 billion was spent on software alone, eclipsing the 2006 total video game market of AU$928 million. In 2008, software dollar sales increased 48.5 percent, with an average price increase of just over AU$3 to AU$52.64.
The numbers show 2008's record-breaking volumes are due primarily to very strong growth in both the software and hardware categories, which saw unit sales increases of 43.1 percent and 36.6 percent, respectively. The software category as a whole – console software, portable game software, and PC games – continued to set new records with sales of $AU1.12 billion, an increase of 48.5 percent over the $AU758million generated in 2007. Wii Fit was the best selling software title in 2008, selling over 373,000 units at an average price of AU$130.
Thanks in large part to titles from Nintendo and Activision Blizzard, Family Entertainment was the fastest growing genre, up 137 percent for the year.
Hardware sales also experienced healthy growth rates in 2008, with a 50 percent increase in unit sales over 2007. Nintendo represented the lion's share of all hardware platforms sold, representing over 66 percent of hardware sales in 2008, thanks to Wii and Nintendo DS.
While other countries continued to see retail sales of PC Games decline in 2008, Australia's PC games market was the most dynamic among the Australia-Europe group, experiencing growth of 4.2 percent. However, this market was in decline until December 2008. December PC game sales alone were $21.1million.
Code:
2008 Top 10 Video Game/PC Games, Sorted By Units
Rank Title Platforms Publisher
1 WII FIT Nintendo Wii Nintendo
2 WII PLAY W/ REMOTE Nintendo Wii Nintendo
3 MARIO KART WII W/ WHEEL Nintendo Wii Nintendo
4 MARIO & SONIC AT THE OLYMPICS Nintendo Wii Sega
5 GRAND THEFT AUTO IV* PlayStation 3 Rockstar
6 GRAND THEFT AUTO IV* Xbox 360 Rockstar
7 DR KAWASHIMA'S BRAIN TRAINING Nintendo DS Nintendo
8 WORLD OF WARCRAFT: WRATH OF THE LICH KING* PC/MAC Activision Blizzard
9 MARIO & SONIC AT THE OLYMPICS Nintendo DS Nintendo
10 SUPER SMASH BROS BRAWL Nintendo Wii Nintendo
Source: OzToys / Retail Tracking Service
About OzToys Marketing Services Pty Ltd.
Since 1997, OzToys, a joint-venture between Australia's leading market research companies, GfK and The NPD Group, provides reliable and comprehensive weekly retail information for the traditional toy, video game and PC software industries. Today, manufacturers, retailers, and service companies rely on OzToys to deliver the in-depth insight they need to better understand Australia's retail trends in these industries, and to build upon their businesses.
