Increased console supplies boost Game

Computer games retailer Game Group celebrated an “outstanding” Christmas today after improved supplies of the Sony PSP console sparked a sales rush.

Game warned of possible supply shortages in November, but those fears were averted as the group reported a 26.6% improvement in like-for-like sales for the six weeks to Saturday.

Profits, which had previously been expected to be as low as £3m (€4.4m), are now expected to be in the region of £8m (€11.7m) to £10m (€14.6m), although this is still well down on the £31.9m (€46.1m) reported a year earlier.

Chairman Peter Lewis said: “This outstanding Christmas sales performance has helped an otherwise difficult year as the industry transitions to the next technology cycle.”