UK "sure to start buzzing" about 3DS
And Kinect and Move, says ELSPA DG.
ELSPA director general Michael Rawlinson has said that Nintendo 3DS, Xbox 360's Kinect and PlayStation Move will get consumers spending again after lacklustre UK games and hardware sales in the first half of 2010.
According to figures released by ELSPA, total sales of games were down 10 per cent from £592 million in the first half of 2009 to £533m over the same period this year, while hardware declined 32 per cent from £378m to £256m.
"UK consumers are still facing economic uncertainty and everyone is looking to how they can make savings, which has naturally impacted on the entertainment industry as a whole," Rawlinson said.
"I am, however, very encouraged by the innovation announcements from the E3 expo regarding interactive entertainment and videogaming.
"With the introduction of PlayStation Move and Kinect for the Microsoft Xbox 360, in addition to significant plans for 3D gaming on the new Nintendo 3DS and on the Sony PlayStation 3, the market is sure to start buzzing."
Rawlinson also conceded that the ELSPA figures do not account for digital distribution sales on PC or console, including social networking sites like Facebook, or the impact of second-hand sales.