Germany has overtaken the UK as the largest market for videogame sales in Europe, and is now the number one sales region on a country-by-country basis.

According to information from Media Control GfK International, Germany has taken the top spot due to a 20 per cent decline in year-on-year software sales in the UK during the first half of 2009.

Portugal recorded the biggest growth in game sales on a country-by-country basis, with the volume of games sold up 16 per cent, and turnover up 11 per cent, in the first half of the year.

Sweden saw a growth in sales of four per cent, and consumers in the Netherlands bought 2.4 per cent more games than during the same period in 2008.

Italian and Belgian markets remain virtually unchanged, said the data specialists, while declines were also recorded for France and Spain.

The biggest release in Europe is Nintendo’s Wii Fit, with the health game the best-selling game in the UK, German and Austria since the beginning of the year, while it also recorded big numbers in Italy, Sweden and Finland.