Games-mad Brits

When it comes to video games, Brits are lapping them up. We spend more cash on our consoles than we do renting videos or going to the cinema.

Last year nearly £700million was spent at the UK box office — and £500million was handed over renting DVDs and videos - but £2 billion was lavished on computer games and consoles.

Games are now the UK’s biggest entertainment export, with more sold around the world than British films or TV programmes. Britain is now neck and neck with America when it comes to sales in Europe — and well ahead of Japanese titles.

And now British Games are breaking records. Grand Theft Auto 3 is the UK’s first ever million-selling video game according to Games Chart providers ELSPA*. GTA 3 has also taken the world by storm, with the series in total selling more than 12 million copies worldwide.

Follow-up game, Grand Theft Auto Vice City looks set to surpass its predecessor and is already pipping the 250,000 mark in the first two-days of sales. Other all time best sellers already breaking the 900,000 barrier include Tomb Raider 2, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and Harry Potter — The Philosopher’s Stone.

So when you’re out grabbing Christmas goodies for the stockings, bear in mind that this festive season £1.1 billion worth of Games will be bought. And with new releases such as Splinter Cell on Xbox; the Lord Of The Rings: Fellowship for PS2, Mario Party 4 on Nintendo GameCube, Bond 007: Nightfire and super-fast driving game The Getaway on PS2 on sale - not to mention new interactive versions of The Simpsons, Butt Ugly Martians and Disney classics - you’ll be spoilt for choice.