AUSTRALIA: Market jumps 47.8% in 2008

New data from market research body OzToys has claimed that the Australian video games market grew by an impressive 47.8 per cent year-on-year in 2008, hitting a total value of AUS $1.96bn.

In 2006, by comparison, the total Australian video game market was worth AUS $928m.

Unit sales grew by 43.1 per cent as Aussie gamers spent over AUS $1bn on software alone. The price of the average game in the territory was also up to AUS $52.64 in 2008, compared to AUS $49.64 the year before.

The biggest success of the year was the family entertainment category, which grew by a massive 137 per cent throughout the period.

Wii Fit was the best selling individual game of the year, though it was all about Nintendo in the annual charts, with Wii Play, Mario Kart Wii and Mario & Sonic at the Olympics claiming second, third and fourth spots respectively.

Other strong performers included Grand Theft Auto IV, Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training, World of Warcraft and Super Smash Bros Brawl.