The data trackers at The NPD Group, GfK Chart-Track Limited and Enterbrain have released their "Top Global Markets" report, which reveals that the three largest games markets (U.S., U.K. and Japan) experience 11 percent growth in combined video game software unit sales during 2008. Total software units grew from 367.7 million in 2007 to 409.9 million in 2008.
Nintendo's games dominated the top five, with Mario Kart Wii taking first place, selling almost nine million units. Check out the chart below, arranged by units and broken down by region.
The report noted that Japan's gaming market declined 13 percent largely due to a decline in portable software and the shrinking PS2 marketplace, which experienced a 46 percent units decrease in 2008. The U.S. and U.K., however, grew 15 percent and 26 percent, respectively.
The surge of the video game business in the United Kingdom was impressive; the U.K. experienced the largest aggregate growth as well as category growth, with console software experiencing a 38 percent gain, and portable software increasing six percent. This compares with console software growth of 22 percent and portable software growth of two percent in the U.S.
"There are some incredible statistics within the Top Global Markets Report that highlight the differences between the three major markets in the world," said Dorian Bloch, Business Group Director, GfK Chart-Track Limited. "In fact, UK console videogame software units are more than double what was achieved in 2003, which just shows how fast the UK market has been growing. Because of this amazing growth and coupled with the downtown currently being experienced in Japan, the UK market has for the first time overtaken Japan as the No.2 world market. Although still behind on revenue, the gap has narrowed considerably and it will be interesting to see how things develop during 2009."
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