Mon, Aug 17, 2009 | 10:55 BST
Germany takes over UK as largest games market in Europe
It’s been announced that Germany has overtaken the UK to become the largest games market in all of Europe on a country-by-country basis.
According to data from Chart Track GfK international, sales in the UK dropped to twenty percent in the first half of 09, while sales went up in Sweden, Holland and Portugal: the latter having the biggest amount of growth with sixteen percent.
Sales in Italy and Belguim remain unchanged, while the markets in France and Spain had decreased.
It was also confirmed that the largest selling game this year so far in Europe is Wii Fit since the start of the year.
More over at GI.
19 
Posted in: Germany, Hot, Retail, Trade, UK
Tags: chart-track, GfK International
19 comments
#1
Blerk
17/08/09, 11:02 am
That’ll soon be reversed when they ban violent games.
#2
G1GAHURTZ
17/08/09, 11:14 am
As long as they don’t clog up XBL!
Germans have some of the most mental, hardcore clans I’ve ever seen.
#3
Cort
17/08/09, 11:31 am
That must be due to that world’s-most-strong-and-robust-British-economy Gordon Brown leeps telling us about…..
#4
rrod360lol
17/08/09, 11:41 am
“Germany takes over UK”
“Germany over takes UK” surely ?
#5
Whizzo
17/08/09, 12:08 pm
“sales in the UK dropped by twenty percent” is what it should say too!
#6
humanfish
17/08/09, 12:10 pm
“sales in the UK dropped by twenty percent”
Maybe it has dropped to a 20% market share, not by 20%
#7
Captain Fruitloop
17/08/09, 12:12 pm
And, today, on Lessons In Basic Journalism…
#8
Psychotext
17/08/09, 12:16 pm
“Maybe it has dropped to a 20% market share, not by 20%”
Possibly, but there’s no way Portugal has 16% market share, so it’s unlikely.
#9
rrod360lol
17/08/09, 12:29 pm
Checked through the link.
It should be ‘dropped *by*’
“According to information from Media Control GfK International, Germany has taken the top spot due to a 20 per cent decline in year-on-year software sales in the UK during the first half of 2009.”
So, just change the headline and the basic facts and we’ll all be happy
#10
Whizzo
17/08/09, 12:31 pm
Click on the link and look at the English PDF, “sales in the UK declined by around 20 percent even though sales figures for the first half of 2009 remained at a high level”.
edit: bah, too slow!
#11
Psychotext
17/08/09, 12:40 pm
I wonder if this is unit sales or cash value. If it’s the latter then the screwed exchange rate comes into play (which explains a lot actually).
#12
Syrok
17/08/09, 12:49 pm
Not too mention that games cost next to nothing in the UK compared to the rest of the EU.
#13
Superfrog
17/08/09, 12:53 pm
“That’ll soon be reversed when they ban violent games.”
They definitely won’t ban violent games across the board, it’s not going to happen. I was surprised when I was listening to the latest VG247 podcast and heard Pat say that eventually he sees a complete ban coming.
Don’t believe any headline related to this topic that finds its way to the international or pan-European press. The politicians that press for a ban are in a minority – the vast majority wouldn’t greenlight such a mindless and completely undefined ban.
#14
blackdreamhunk
17/08/09, 3:53 pm
funny part is germany is all pc gamers.
#15
Johnny Cullen
17/08/09, 5:00 pm
May wanna see the updates on GI.
GfK have made the cock-up of all cock-ups XD
#16
Bulk Slash
17/08/09, 5:08 pm
Good work GfK, Britain uber alles and all that.
#17
Whizzo
17/08/09, 5:12 pm
“May wanna see the updates on GI.”
Doh!
#18
Superfrog
17/08/09, 5:41 pm
lol, EPIC FAIL
I was wondering about the news anyway, but I was assuming that PC & video games combined could have been enough to put Germany’s market in the lead.
I’m curious about the real numbers now.
#19
Psychotext
17/08/09, 6:27 pm
Waves little UK flag.
It’s about time GFK started publishing their data for peer review… because they’re starting to look like clowns.