Leading video games business publication MCV has revealed that the UK video games market generated £3.944bn of consumer spending in 2014.

Working in conjunction with trade body Ukie (UK interactive entertainment), MCV’s research compiles the amount spent across video games and related products – from downloads to consoles, licensed toys to mobile games.

The £3.944bn includes the spending on new boxed games, pre owned games, hardware and accessories, digital sales on all games formats plus merchandise, events, plus games-related books and magazines.

The number is 13 per cent higher than 2013’s figure, when the UK market reached £3.48bn.

This year’s data includes £1.048bn for digital console and PC content (based on IHS estimates), £915m on console hardware (Chart-Track figures), £106.8m on pre-owned software (Kantar Worldpanel) and £69m on toys (NPD figures). For the full breakdown, check out the attached infographic.

The best-selling video game soundtrack of 2014 was ‘The Music of Grand Theft Auto V’, the most popular video game-based movie was Need for Speed, while the best-selling video game-based book was Minecraft: The Official Construction Book.

“£3.944bn is the second-highest figure in games industry history and just narrowly misses out on eclipsing the £4bn generated in 2008 when Guitar Hero, Wii and DS ruled the charts,” said MCV editor Christopher Dring.

“Almost every sector of the market is in growth, and 2015 is set to be even better, with new blockbusters such as Uncharted, Zelda, Halo and Star Wars; highly anticipated new technologies such as Oculus Rift and Steam Machines, plus new business models around games subscriptions and streaming. It’s a good time to be involved in the video games business.”

Ukie CEO Dr Jo Twist commented on the evaluation “It’s fantastic the see the consumer market thriving and growing. Impressive figures like these help reinforce the importance of our sector to policy makers and the media, strengthening our standing globally as a key market in the digital economy.”

The data was revealed to industry professionals at a behind-closed-doors presentation this morning, and will be the subject of tomorrow’s edition of MCV (Friday, February 13^th).

MCV is a video games industry publication that speaks to publishers, developers, retailers, media and services companies in the UK and across the world and is published by NewBay Media Europe.