Australian retail game sales were up 8.3 per cent in the first nine months of 2009 when compared to the same period a year earlier.

Citing data obtained from GfK Retail and Technology Australia, the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (iGEA) said that sales are on track to outstrip last year’s record domestic haul of $2 billion.

The iGEA said that sales of console hardware rose ten per cent during the first nine months of the year, while software sales jumped five per cent to $716 million.

Family console games accounted for 32 per cent of all games sold, followed by action titles at 13.2 per cent. 67 per cent of all sales were generated from G or PG rated titles.

“Christmas will see iGEA members delivering a number of highly anticipated games, along with some surprises, which should see sales surpass the records set in 2008,” said Ron Curry, CEO of the iGES. "Australia’s interactive games industry continues to see healthy growth now that video and computer gaming has become as mainstream in popularity as watching television or surfing the net.”

Earlier today, the NPD Group, GfK Chart-Track and Enterbrain said that year-to-date software unit sales in the US, Europe and Japan had declined by eight per cent, 13 per cent and nine per cent respectively.