According to ChartTrack, the spell between December 31st and February 10th was the biggest ever in terms of both market value and units sold.

Software is up 26 per cent on units and 17.1 per cent on value in comparison to the same period in 2006 – the previous biggest ever year.

“This is the biggest start to a year in living memory,” ChartTrack director Dorian Bloch told MCV.

“Even without Burning Crusade or Lost Planet, this year would still be up on 2006. And we’ve still got PS3 to come  with the biggest launch line-up of all time.”

Contrary to suggestions that Tuesday’s Britsoft chart success indicated a week of slow sales, week six of 2007 was the strongest ever in terms of units sold. The statistics highlight the sales achievement of Eidos’ Battlestations Midway and Mastertronic’s Little Britain: The Game, which took first and second spots in the charts.

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“We knew we were in a with a better chance of hitting number one if we released Battlestations now, but we couldn’t have predicted the strength of the market for this time of year,” UK marketing manager at Eidos Jon Brooke told MCV. “This goes to prove the industry doesn’t need to be so seasonal. Forward-thinking publishers have released big titles and reaped the rewards."