GFK-ChartTrack has predicted that this year’s Christmas period will push the UK industry to its biggest Q4 ever in terms of both unit sales and value.

The news comes in the week that a report from leading global sales monitor Top Global Markets showed software sales growth has flattened around the world – with just one per cent growth from Q2 to the July to September Q3 period.

Japan in particular showed signs of decline, with software unit sales down 21 per cent from Q2.

However, the GFK-ChartTrack director Dorian Bloch told MCV that the UK’s performance – with unit sales up 15 per cent on Q2 – bodes very well for publishers’ prospects during the festive season.

“We’re confident that this will be the biggest Q4 software sales performance in UK history,” he said. “Just looking at the installed base of the next-gen systems and the amount of heavy-hitting multi-format games coming out, it’s hard to see it going any other way.

“The UK defies the economic pressure because it’s a very, very strong gaming territory.

“We fully expect UK consumers to drive sales for the full year to unprecedented heights, especially considering the line-up of exciting single and multi-format new franchises, not to mention the evergreen portfolio of Nintendo titles which have done a great job of expanding the market.”