Japan’s game retail industry felt a sharp decline in sales throughout 2008, according to data published by Enterbrain.

While the year ended with the inevitable holiday retail boost, overall the market reached a scale of ¥582.61 billion in 2008, 15% down from the previous year.

Annual hardware fell sharp, with sales dropping 23.5% to ¥250.5 billion, while software declined 7.9% to reach ¥332 billion.

Japan remains a nation in recession, as interest in expensive consumer goods continued to decline throughout 2007. At the same time, a more price-conscious Western market, along with the high Yen, has damaged the nation’s export trade.