Rising computer game prices lift UK inflation

LONDON, Nov 18 (AFP): The rising cost of computer games in the run-up to Christmas helped to push up British inflation during October, official data showed on Tuesday.
The 12-month Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate accelerated to 1.3 per cent in October from a five-year low of 1.2 per cent in September, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in a statement.
"Smaller falls in transport costs than a year ago -- notably for motor fuels and air fares -- and price rises for computer games were the main contributors to the rise in the rate of inflation," the ONS said.
Analyst expectations had been for the annual rate to remain at 1.2 per cent in October, according to a survey by Dow Jones Newswires.
The statistics office added that the October rate would have been 0.3 per centage points higher, had it not been for falling food and petrol prices.
"Consumer price inflation edged up in October primarily because petrol prices fell even more in October 2013 than they did this October," said economist Howard Archer at the IHS Global Insight consultancy.
"There was also a rise in the price for some computer games."
He added: "They were specifically highlighted by the ONS as having some upward impact due to a number of new titles being released in the run-up to Christmas and replacing cheaper titles in the computer games charts."