Gaming more lucrative than music or film

Sales of games and gaming hardware will top that of music and video for the first time in 2008.

A report from Verdict Research predicts a 42% rise in spending on games this year to £4.64bn, though this figure does include hardware like consoles and controllers.

Online sales

Aside from the steady rise of sales in the gaming sector, the overall market continues to shift from the high street to the internet – bad news for traditional retailers already facing a bleak Christmas.

Gaming revenues have been boosted by the continued popularity of the Nintendo Wii this year, and price cuts to the Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox consoles.