It would appear that the latest estimations from the Electronic Retailers Association (ERA) show that video games trumped music and video formats to become the country's largest entertainment sector, in terms of sales.
The Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) apparently revealed gaming industry sales of £1.93bn in 2011, pulling the industry ahead of other media. Sales of DVDs and other video formats totalled £1.80bn, with music raking in £1.07bn.
"This is a dramatic time for the entertainment market," said Kim Bayley, director general of the ERA.
"It is an historic development for the games sector to have overtaken video last year. Video has long been the biggest entertainment sector. Sales so far this year, however, suggest video is not going down without a fight."
However, it should be noted that this report was issued before the events of the last 48 hours, which has seen the UK's premier specialist high street retailer slip into administration.
The BBC reports that Piers Harding-Rolls, head of games at analysts Screen Digest, suggested "that Game's struggles would see figures across the industry dip", although the impact would most likely only be temporary.
"If Game Group is significantly downsized as a chain, or if its trading continues to be limited in anyway, it is likely that there will be some knock-on impact on the sales potential for the UK market considering its size and reach as a chain," he said.
"Catalogue sales look the most exposed, but I expect the impact to be temporary as the other specialist chains, independents and the numerous other retailers, both high street and online, take up any slack left in the market.
"The UK is the most competitive retail games market in Europe - as such I don't believe gaps in the market will be left unplugged for any length of time."
This rather echoes the sentiments of EA's CEO, John Riccitiello, who suggested that other retailers "would absorb the business" were GAME to go under. With the GAME Group now in administration, we'll have to wait and see.
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