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Capcom's Resident Evil 5 has outsold the latest album by rock group U2 since its release on March 13.

According to statistics compiled by Verdict, the Africa-set action game sold more copies than every record in the UK singles chart, including digital downloads.

It also shifted more units than U2's latest number one album No Line On The Horizon and generated more sales than the top five movies at the UK box office.

Capcom's UK PR manager Leo Tan said: "This is proof if any were needed that games are the entertainment medium of choice in 2009."

Tan claimed that Resident Evil 5 provides "hundreds of hours of entertainment at a relatively low cost - and it's this value for money that consumers are increasingly responding to".

In total, the Resident Evil franchise has sold in excess of 40 million copies around the world, which is said to equal one unit for every 170 people.

Digital Spy