Impact: The Game Group is a leader in the U.K. with over 400 stores, but also has a growing presence in Western Europe and Australia. By the end of 2008, there were 1,161 stores worldwide. However, for a growing company in the growing game market, a sales increase of 9.5% is actually a little disappointing. Through much of 2008, the Game Group was a high flyer with a share increase of as much as 36% versus the start of 2008. This was at a time when share prices of most retailers were declining. However, since September, Game Group share prices have dropped 53% from the mid-year high. This is comparable to the average performance of retailers in general.