Grand Theft Auto V drives UK games market back into growth

GTA V, which helped the gaming sector achieve

                   Quarterly growth of 29%

The UK games market shot back into growth for the first time in five years last month after the release of the latest version of Grand Theft Auto.

The market increased by 29% in the 12 weeks to 29 September compared with the same period a year before, according to market research firm Kantar Worldpanel, as Rockstar's popular gaming title hit the shelves on 17 September.

Fiona Keenan, strategic insight director at Kantar Worldpanel, said: "The release of GTA V has given the entertainment sector a much-needed boost."

The sector hopes that the release of new consoles, led by Sony's PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One, will help boost retailers in the runup to Christmas. "Game and Amazon are leading the way in pre-orders and we expect specialist gaming retailers to do particularly well in the runup to the launch as consumers look for help and advice," Keenan said.

Supermarkets Tesco and Asda were the main beneficiaries of the Grand Theft Auto sales, grabbing a large share of the market as HMV's performance continues to sag after closing stores in response to its financial difficulties early this year.