Though the UK’s videogame market enjoyed huge growth throughout 2008, GfK Chart Track’s business group director Dorian Bloch tells Edge that such a feat is not likely to be repeated this year.

Data compiled by GfK Chart Track shows that UK consumers spent some £4 billion on videogame goods in 2008 (a figure which combines sales of console hardware, PC and console software, along with accessories and peripherals). The biggest drive in total market value comes from software sales, which accounted for some £1.9 billion, up 23 percent from 2007.

“It’s a fantastic achievement considering the state of the UK economy in 2008,” says Bloch. “The figures say a lot about consumers; people were certainly not put off buying videogames in 2008.”

However, Bloch adds that “in terms of value, I don’t expect to see such huge growth in 2009; I don’t believe sales of game software will reach a growth of 23% this year.”

Many analysts consider 2009 will see hardware sales peak, with software sales climbing too (hitting their highest rates in 2010). It’s an estimation that Bloch largely agrees with, but he adds that a rise in units sold doesn’t strictly equate to growth in market value.

“The average price of an Xbox 360 game in 2006 was nearly £37, in 2007 it was around £32.5, in 2008 it was slightly below £30. So we are seeing a big difference in the average price of a console software product.”

“You might be selling more units,” he says, “but at a lower value. Which is all part of the cycle. At launch PS3 game prices were £40-45, and retailers tended not to discount them, because the launch audience are willing to buy them at that price.”

Soon those launch titles become budget titles (for example as part of Sony’s Platinum Range), usually as a high portion of consumers begin to pour into the market, driving unit growth but also giving consumers the same hours of gameplay at lower prices.