Britain Overtakes Japan!

KennyBhoy · 10 Feb 2009 at 06:56

Kotaku said:
When it comes to gaming markets, the USA stands above all others. But who stands just below it? For the longest time, it was Japan, but as of January 2009, it's the UK.

Yes, as Japanese consumers grow increasingly weary of purchasing gaming consoles and software - even those made by Nintendo - seems Britons can't get enough of them.

Game sales in Ol' Blighty were up 37% compared to January 2008, while total software sales in 2008 were up 26%, both of those figures enough for GfK-ChartTrack to announce (though they of course won't ever reveal the actual numbers) that the British gaming market was now "the second biggest territory in the world".

There are a number of factors at play here. For starters, while Japanese consumers have already bought their fill of the Nintendo DS and PSP, they're still flying off the shelf in the UK. Secondly, the Wii "phenomenon" shows no signs of abating in Britain, as regular observers of our weekly sales charts are no doubt already familiar with.

Not a bad achievement, all things considered, what with the population of Japan being over twice that of the UK and all.

UK industry off to a flyer in 2009 [MCV]

Quite impressive as the story says, when you compare populations of the two. So when theres a credit crunch, us Brits buy games and consoles!

starfighter · 10 Feb 2009 at 14:00

it's because wii has some good games but many very poor ones. As much as I love the Wii for inceasing gamings audience and some of the games I can't help but feel the standard has slipped. Maybe the Japanese wont buy this junk.

Hyper · 10 Feb 2009 at 14:02

I think people see buying a console as a way of saving money from not going out as much.

Kreeeee · 10 Feb 2009 at 14:13

Surely this isn't a great thing for UK industry as we're importing the consoles from Japan and America?

mcwildcard · 10 Feb 2009 at 14:24

Dear SCEE,
Please can you let THE 2ND BIGGEST GAMING MARKET IN THE WORLD have parity with the also English-speaking US market, and link us up with simultaneous releases on the PS Store.
Much appreciated.

Lightnix · 10 Feb 2009 at 14:32

mcwildcard said:
Dear SCEE,
Please can you let THE 2ND BIGGEST GAMING MARKET IN THE WORLD have parity with the also English-speaking US market, and link us up with simultaneous releases on the PS Store.
Much appreciated.

It's no use. Everyone knows Sony hates Europe. It's just a fact of life.

Tunney · 10 Feb 2009 at 14:42

Kreeeee said:
Surely this isn't a great thing for UK industry as we're importing the consoles from Japan and America?

For hardware, sure. However British gamers tend to like British software (GTA4, LBP, etc.) more than Japanese audiences. Software is where all the money is made anyway.

Nanoman · 10 Feb 2009 at 14:52

Still shafted by Sony. :/

willthepirate · 10 Feb 2009 at 15:01

credit crunch i would think

i bet game companys and home entertainment in general are making an absolute steal

Manlove is my forte · 10 Feb 2009 at 15:10

Kreeeee said:
Surely this isn't a great thing for UK industry as we're importing the consoles from Japan and America?

Yeah but we don't have any consoles of any merit to call out own.

Actually, thinking about the wider economy the only British Brand names I can think of that have recognition on a global scale are:

BP
The various banks
Reebok
GlaxoSmith-Kline
BAE
Cadburys

I think our biggest Software developer is SAGE.

If you look over the pond in the US think about how many Brand names they have, Look at Germany and their Brand Names, Look at Japan...

Everything that was British is now owned by foreign investors. If the British Government does not put together a plan backed by investment in the education system to support that plan, for how to draw up a strong and robust British economy then we will be shrewed.
Oh Tony Blair had a dream of everyone being able to get a degree. But all that meant was noddy fashionable degrees such as media studies and the David Beckham degree have become popular rather than the Maths Chemistry, physics and engineering courses we needed. Further more its devalued the Bachelors Degree. /rant

McManicMan · 10 Feb 2009 at 15:32

starfighter said:
it's because wii has some good games but many very poor ones. As much as I love the Wii for inceasing gamings audience and some of the games I can't help but feel the standard has slipped. Maybe the Japanese wont buy this junk.

agree, My sister who works in an old people's home are getting a wii this week for the patients along with a 50inch HDTV. About sums it up really. Simply because it gets the oldies up of their backside and waving their arms about its used as some sort of exercise machine rather than a console that would normally be used sitting down and twiddling thumbs on controllers - thats making the console so popular world wide!, not saying its a bad thing and kudos to Nintendo for capturing that market but really the days of console for kids (or young adults) has passed to mainstream gamers or any generation

Weebull · 10 Feb 2009 at 16:13

Speaking of the Wii though, Nintendo reckon this recession could lead to more interesting development for their console. At the moment, most of the big ideas go straight to the 360, or the PS3, because of the power behind them, but if the bosses are going to have to start watching their money, the Wii is a lot cheaper to develop for.

I'm not sure if that'll actually happen, mind, but it's an interesting theory.

willthepirate said:
i bet game companys and home entertainment in general are making an absolute steal

If only.

A lot of companies are still suffering, partly because of the publishers (and possibly the whole Woolworths/distributors business), and closing down all over the shop. I know a girl who nearly lost her 4-month old job at Blimey the other week because they almost went under. I can't seem to get an interview for love nor money. :/

peterattheboro · 10 Feb 2009 at 16:20

Hyper said:
I think people see buying a console as a way of saving money from not going out as much.

This. But that's just what I tell the missus

Abooie · 10 Feb 2009 at 16:36

Kreeeee said:
Surely this isn't a great thing for UK industry as we're importing the consoles from Japan and America?

Aye but Sony and MS have invested in 1st party software studios in the UK so it's not all lose.

Rare, Lionhead and SCE Cambridge/Liverpool/London.

Phatjayunoi · 10 Feb 2009 at 22:19

"ALL HAIL BRITANNIA!"

Xinn · 10 Feb 2009 at 22:59

Now if only they Japanese companies will notice this and start bringing out some of their games over here.

Many great games that don't see the light of day in US/Europe that i'm sure would be very successful if they had a chance.

FrankJH · 11 Feb 2009 at 07:18

Manlove is my forte said:
edit

Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea.............

You are still correct though - all have foreign owners, the only fully owned British "label" I can think of is Williams F1 team - still fully owned by Frank Williams & Patrick Head (each F1 race viewed in the 100's of millions supposedly) but by no means is it a household name - but then I guess you could say the same about BP, BAE etc (even Cadbury's isnt well known in every region of the world)