UK digital game revenue is double that of physical, says IHS

Forget yesterday’s GfK Chart-Track figures, UK game revenue actually grew by 10 per cent last year.

Sales of physical disc-based games dropped 2.2 per cent in revenue year-on-year to 927.6m.

But according to IHS estimates, digital game revenue was up 17.1 per cent last year, rising from 1.622bn to 1.899bn – which means that UK digital game revenue is now more than double that of physical.

These numbers factor in mobile and tablet gaming, too, so microtransactions generated by the likes of Clash of Clans and Candy Crush.

Overall, combining IHS and GfK figures, the UK games market grew by 10 per cent in terms of game sales last year. Note: IHS figures are just estimates, whereas GFK Chart-Track figures are based on transactions from the till.

These figures come courtesy of the Entertainment Retailer’s Association, which says that combined DVD, music and game sales push the entertainment market to over 6bn for the first time.