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Canadian video game sales surge despite market fallout

Sales more than double since 2006; December represents 25 per cent of '08 sales

TORONTO January 30, 2009 – Canadian year-over-year retail sales of video game hardware, software, and accessories grew nearly 33 per cent between 2007 and 2008, and continue to look healthy despite the economic downturn. The video game industry generated $2.1 billion in sales, representing a half-billion-dollar increase over 2007’s $1.6 billion.

The numbers – revealed by leading market research provider The NPD Group — show last year’s record-breaking volumes are due primarily to very strong growth in the console software and accessories categories, which saw sales increases of 53 per cent and 33 per cent, respectively. The software category as a whole – console software and portable game software – continued to set new records with sales of $1.1 billion, an increase of 51 per cent over the $726 million generated in 2007. Also in 2008, console hardware and portable game hardware demonstrated healthy increases of 13 per cent and 14 per cent, respectively.

Canadian video game sales have more than doubled over the last two years. This trend of record-breaking, year-over-year growth can be attributed to an onslaught of unique software launches aimed at new video gamers of all ages; the launches of some of the highest quality and best marketed titles ever produced; and continued drops in price for console and portable game hardware.

“2008 was another banner year for video game sales in Canada,” says Matthew Tattle, account manager, The NPD Group. “Despite the global economic downturn in the latter half of the year, video game sales remained strong with December accounting for nearly 25 per cent of overall 2008 sales.”

Canada's Annual 2008 Top 10 Video Game Titles, Ranked By Units Sold