2018 was a banner year for video game sales in the U.K., as the sector grew to $4.859 billion, which is more than the music and home video sectors combined.
These numbers come courtesy of the Entertainment Retailers Association and it marks the first time that video games have surpassed the other two sectors. A significant reason why is that the gaming industry has more than doubled since 2007, while music and home videos haven’t enjoyed the same growth.
According to the report, the most popular titles of 2018 in the U.K. were FIFA 19, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops, with each title selling over one million physical units. While those three games did sell well physically the report shows that most gamers are moving away from physical copies and into the world of digital downloads. More than 80 per cent of U.K. video games sales in 2018 were digital, and while many AAA titles are still selling quite well physically, it’s clear that a shift is underway.
Other interesting tidbits from the report include Nintendo Switch software sales, which saw a reported 90 per cent increase compared to 2017. The Switch is also the only system that saw its software sales increase from the previous year, although it is worth noting that it is the newest main console on the market.
The other big winner in the U.K. entertainment field last year was streaming, as the sector enjoyed its sixth straight year of growth. Those leading the charge in 2018 include the likes of Netflix, Amazon, Spotify, Steam, Sky, Apple and Google.
As for gaming, there are a number of great games slated for 2019 that could continue this growth, including some promising Xbox One and Nintendo Switch titles.
