GAME Group, the Basingstoke based PC and video game retailer, is set to smash profit expectations after a surge in demand for Nintendo DS and Wii games.

The company announced that sales continued to soar since it last updated the market on 11 December, when it reported a 44 per cent surge in like-for-like sales.

Game said it now expected pre-tax profits before one-off costs to be at least £70 million for the year to the end of January, more than double the £29.5m reported the previous year.

The results will benefit from the recent acquisition of Gamestation. Game Group added 333 new stores to its portfolio in 2007, including 217 acquired through its takeover of Gamestation, bringing its total number of outlets to 1,150.

(ref. Scotsman)