XBLA revenues hit $100m in 09

An annual report from Forecasting and Analysing Digital Entertainment (FADE) claims that Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade download service generated revenues in excess of $100m in 2009 – a new record for the digital outlet.

More precisely, FADE reckons XBLA made $103.4m worldwide in 2009, representing a 34 per cent year-on-year increase.

The average price of XBLA purchases was also up annually. In 2008 the number stood at $8.33 – last year that rose to $9.12.

The top selling game was EA”s Battlefield 1943 with estimated sales of $12.5m. Other top performers included Castle Crashers ($7.3m), Trials HD ($7.1m) and Shadow Complex ($6.1m).

FADE foresees another record year in 2010, driven in part by an influx of new titles designed for Microsoft’s motion-sensing Natal peripheral.

Here are the estimated top titles by revenue for 2009 in full (Average Price):

* Battlefield 1943 (EA Dice) – $12.5 million ($15.00)
* Castle Crashers (The Behemoth) – $7.3 million ($15.00)
* Trials HD (RedLynx, LTD) – $7.1 million ($15.00)
* Shadow Complex (Chair Entertainment / Epic Games) – $6.1 million ($14.38)
* Family Game Night (Hasbro) – $4.2 million ($9.53)
* Marvel vs. Capcom 2 (Capcom) – $4.2 million ($15.00)
* Magic: The Gathering (Stainless Games) – $2.8 million ($10.00)
* Worms 2 (Team 17) – $1.8 million ($10.00)
* Peggle (PopCap Games) – $1.8 million ($8.86)
* Turtles in Time: Reshelled (Ubisoft Singapore) – $1.7 million ($10.00)