UK games market sees value soar

The UK video games market’s weekly sales shot up 54 per cent to 27.8m last week – its highest weekly figure since Easter.

Unit sales also rose 34 per cent to 1,082,362.

The results were driven by this week’s new no.1 and no.2, Halo 3: ODST and Nintendo’s Professor Layton and Pandora’s Box.

Other new entrees this week included Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 at no.7 and NCSoft’s Aion, which landed at no.11.

Halo 3: ODST had an entire week to build up sales having hit shelves on Tuesday, but still sold 64 per cent of its week one sell-through on Day 1.

Last week’s no.1 Need For Speed: Shift also impacted sales with a seven per cent uplift over the previous week.