According to the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), 2006 was a record year for the video game industry in Europe.
The most popular console in 2006 was the PS2 (the PS3 will not reach Europe until spring), followed by the Xbox 360 on number two, and closing the top 5 the Xbox, Wii and GameCube. 2006 was the year of the handheld too with the Nintendo DS and Sony’s PSP software coming in only behind PS2 software, with the DS slightly outdoing the PSP. However Nintendo’s Wii and DS games consoles topped the must-have gifts chart at Christmas 2006…
Nintendo of Europe announced the total number of Nintendo DS units sold in Europe in December topped 1.7 million, making it not only the best selling console of any kind (with 500,000 sales in the UK alone) this Christmas – but the best selling console of any kind in 2006. Wii became the fastest selling games console in European history after its first weekend/December 8th launch with over 700,000 Wii consoles were sold across Europe in December 2006.
ELSPA reported that sales of video games and consoles in the UK totaled 65.1 million units in 2006, a 7% increase over 2005. These units were worth a collective £1.36 billion (approximately $2.64 billion in sales), during 2006. Although this figure is only about 1% higher than the value of sales in 2005, it still a new sales record.
The best-selling games in the UK were:
1. FIFA 07 by EA Sport;
2. Pro Evolution Soccer 6 by Konami;
3. Need for Speed: Carbon by EA Games;
4. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories by Rockstar;
5. Lego Star Wars 2: The Original Trilogy by Lucas Arts;
6. The Sims 2: Pets by EA Games;
7. Cars by THQ;
8. Tomb Raider Legend by Eidos;
9. The Sims 2 by EA Games;
10. WWE Smack down vs Raw 2007 by THQ.
In December other bigger sellers were: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess with more than 500,000 copies sold, and Wii Play with 320,000 copies sold to date. The latter likely sold so good, not because of its only decent game Duck Hunt 2, but its inclusion of an extra Wii Remote.