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Modern Warfare 3 holiday numbers indicate franchise sales decline in UK
While the Call of Duty franchise has enjoyed year-over-year growth in terms of worldwide sales, numbers released this week for the UK tell a different story for that particular region. According to the UK's Entertainment Retailers Association, Modern Warfare 3 moved 2,814,298 units between launch on November 8 and December 31, 2011, while Call of Duty's 2010 entry, Black Ops, sold 3,266,298 across the same holiday sales period in the previous year. That's a decline of 452,000 units from Treyarch-developed Black Ops in 2010 to Infinity Ward/Sledgehammer Games-developed Modern Warfare 3 in 2011, though the latter was the fastest entertainment property in history to reach $1 billion in sales. As MCV points out, FIFA sales were also in decline in the UK, with nearly 200K fewer copies sold during 2011 than in 2010. All that said, let's not lose any sleep over the declines -- both CoD and FIFA's 2011 entries sold in the many millions in just the UK, let alone worldwide.
Zumba Fitness endures ninth week atop UK charts, no sweat
If you came here expecting not to see the Zumba Fitness lady's beautifully shaven armpits for another week ... sorry, buddy. In its ninth consecutive week leading the class on Chart-Track's All Formats chart (with 12 total #1 appearances), Zumba Fitness dropped seven percent in sales. This week's top ten is a shuffle of all the usual suspects. Disney's Lego Pirates of the Caribbean went up one spot into second, thanks to price promotions, and Cars 2 kept the parking break on in third. The big mover last week in the top 40 was Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, up 60 percent from 39th place to 13th, thanks to the recent 3DS hardware drop. It remains the only 3DS exclusive in the Top 40 and, according to Chart-Track, outsold the next biggest 3DS title five to one. Check out the UK Top Ten after the break.
EA grows digital sales in Q4, stems losses for fiscal year
EA enjoyed solid growth in the final quarter of its 2011 fiscal year (ending March 31), thanks in large part to a bump in digital revenue. Digital sales were up $67 million from the same period a year ago to $211 million. Good ol' boxed games weren't slouching though, as packaged goods revenue increased $44 million up to $838 million. In all, EA rebounded from its rough Q3 to record $151 million in profit during the fiscal fourth quarter. The engine for that growth was a surprisingly impressive quarterly lineup for the company. Seven of its titles from fiscal Q4 have surpassed 1 million units shipped, with Crysis 2, Dead Space 2 and Dragon Age 2 all over the 2-million-shipped mark. DLC for those titles (like Dead Space 2's "Severed" add-on) was the cornerstone of digital profits, as well. Over its entire 2011 fiscal year, EA shipped 12 million units of FIFA 11, 7 million copies of Bad Company 2 (released at the tail end of FY10), and five million each of Medal of Honor, Hot Pursuit and Madden 11. But it seems that, in the grand scheme, these titles weren't enough to alter EA's fortunes for the fiscal year, which ended in a $267 million loss for the company. We suppose there's still a bit of a silver lining, however -- those losses would seem to sting considerably less than the $677 million lost by EA just one year prior.
EA's various studios raise over a million dollars in charity for Japan
EA says that thanks to a variety of promotions and initiatives from quite a few of its studios, the company has raised over a million dollars for helping those affected by the recent natural disasters in Japan. There were quite a few different efforts going, from selling FIFA 11 DLC to auctioning off Dead Space 2 gear and even selling a brand new iOS app called Frog Minutes. Employees at the Canada Burnaby campus also assisted by packing 100,000 meals with Kids Against Hunger, which were then sent out to affected areas in Japan. If you'd like to donate to the Red Cross and its efforts in Japan, you can do so right here.
Zumba keeps on dancing atop UK charts
Zumba Fitness, which recently launched on Wii, has been working out in the top spot on the UK sales charts for a second week. With Zumba Fitness on the lips (and working those hips) of the populace, the Xbox 360 version also saw a 14 percent sales increase. Lego Star Wars 3: The Clone Wars and Crysis 2 dueled for second, but ultimately the multiplatform blockheads used The Force to push the billion-dollar nanosuit down into third. Chart-Track notes that the upcoming Easter holiday spurred plenty of retailer sales, which likely contributed to strong sales increases of Call of Duty: Black Ops (+62%, #9), Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 (+112%, #11) and Red Dead Redemption (+458%, #13). Head past the break for the top ten.
Black Ops, FIFA, Just Dance make UK's Top 10 entertainment products
Guess what, film and music industries? You guys got taken to school in the UK's Top 40 entertainment product rankings, as compiled by trade organization Entertainment Retailers Association. According to the chart, the number one entertainment property in the UK was neither a blockbuster film like Avatar, nor a chart-topping album like Take That's Progress, but rather Call of Duty: Black Ops, which sold over 3.2 million units in the territory last year. Booyah. Two other games, FIFA 11 and Just Dance, made it into the Top 10 -- however, only nine spots on the entire Top 40 chart were occupied by games. We're not sure what that says about the country's media consumption habits, but we are sure that Red Dead Redemption got beaten out by Now That's What I Call Music 77, and that fills our heart with a dull, constant ache.
Killzone 3 holds off Bulletstorm for top UK sales spot
Killzone 3 beat out the other high-profile FPS premiere, Bulletstorm, on the UK charts last week, but it didn't out-debut its predecessor, Killzone 2. According to Chart-Track, Killzone 3 is the "14th fastest-selling" Sony title in first-week UK sales -- Killzone 2 is the fifth. More shooting, and some kicking, got it done for third and fourth place in last week's sales ranking, as Call of Duty: Black Ops and FIFA 11 took the spots below the two debut shooters. The previous week's almost top title, Marvel vs. Capcom 3, slipped from second down to seventh. Where's Just Dance 2, you ask? In fifth, of course. Unstoppable beast!
Dead Space 2 holds off FIFA to stay atop UK charts
Dead Space 2 became 2011's first repeat #1 in weekly UK software sales last week, according to Chart-Track, as it beat out a resurgent FIFA 11 (which began the year at #1) to stay atop the charts in its second week at retail. The week's new releases failed to crack the top ten, however, as the latest Mario vs. Donkey Kong (DS) and Mario Sports Mix (Wii) debuted at #11 and #12, respectively. (The only other new entry to make the top 40 was The Sims 3: Outdoor Living Stuff expansion.) Back in the top ten, LittleBigPlanet 2 floated down two spots during the week to #5, while the surprising Art Academy (DS) stayed in attendance, graduating up to #8 (from #9 the previous week). What are the chances Just Dance 2 finally ran out of moves? Check out the complete top ten list after the break.
Dead Space 2 engineers top entry on UK sales chart
Isaac Clarke's Necromorph nightmare is a dream for EA, as Dead Space 2 reached the top spot on the all formats UK sales chart last week. According to Chart-Track, launch sales of the intense sequel were up 70 percent from when Dead Space debuted at sixth in 2008. Sackboy took a 48 percent sales tumble, dropping LittleBigPlanet 2 into second, while FIFA 11 enjoyed the top-seated action in third. The peanut-butter-and-jelly goodness of stabbing and shooting round out the top five with Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and Call of Duty: Black Ops in fourth and fifth, respectively. The week also saw the return of the original Just Dance into the top ten, meaning Ubisoft had the original and its sequel in the top ten just cha-cha-chinging away. Check out the top ten in UK sales after the break.
DC Universe Online logs into UK top ten, Black Ops reacquires top spot
DC Universe Online flew into Chart-Track's UK sales chart this week and nipped a spot in the top ten. The PS3 and PC superhero simulator debuted in tenth place and, according to Chart-Track, is only the fourth retail title on PS3 to be online-only. The other internet-required games are MAG, Warhawk and SOCOM: US Navy Seals Confrontation. The rest of the top ten is composed of the usual suspects playing musical chairs. Call of Duty: Black Ops is back on top, followed by FIFA 11 and the unstoppable Just Dance 2. Speaking of dance games, Harmonix's Dance Central is eyeing a spot in the top ten as it moves from 17 to 12 this week. Check out the top ten after the break.
FIFA 11 kicks off 2011 atop UK charts
For the first full week of 2011, FIFA 11 held onto the top spot in the UK's multiplatform sales ranking, according to Chart-Track. The footie franchise has maintained that center forward position for four consecutive weeks. Oh ... oh, look who's in second place, why if it isn't our good friend Just Dance 2. Ubisoft's unstoppable booty-shaking series keeps on crunkin', with the series' sequel inexplicably moving up two spots into second. Thus, Call of Duty: Black Ops finds itself out of its comfort zone in third place, the first time it hasn't been in the top two since its November launch. It would seem Mass Effect 2's various end of year accolades spurred interest in the game again, as it returned to the top 40 in spot 18. With no new major game releases this past week, the chart is a shifting of the usual suspects. Check out the top ten after the break.
FIFA enters new year atop UK charts, two Kinect titles land in top ten
Call of Duty Black Ops and FIFA 11 have been fighting for that top spot on the UK charts this holiday season, but FIFA 11 took back number one on Chart-Track's All Formats chart for the week ending January 1, 2011. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, (the perennial) Just Dance 2 and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood didn't move a muscle, maintaining their spots in third, fourth and fifth place, respectively. Microsoft's Kinect had two games in the top ten in the twilight of 2010. Kinect Sports has been hanging around since the peripheral launched, but Dance Central is apparently gaining the attention it deserves, storming the dance floor into tenth place, up nine spots from the prior week. There were five Kinect games in the top 40 this past week, the most since the device's launch week. Check out the UK's top ten after the break.
Black Ops tops UK charts this holiday, NFS: Hot Pursuit gets sales boost
For a second year in a row going into Christmas, the Call of Duty franchise is king of the Chart-Track UK All Formats chart, with CoD:Black Ops sales slightly up and occupying the space where CoD: Modern Warfare 2 was last year. FIFA 11 placed second, which is nothing unusual. However, coming out of nowhere, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit sales jumped 48 percent, which boosted the game from seventh to third. Occupying the fourth and fifth spots respectively are Ubisoft's Just Dance 2 and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. Just Dance 2 sales were up fifteen percent this week, which means, unless something very strange happens next week, a member of the Just Dance franchise will have been in the top of the UK charts for all of 2010. The first Just Dance owned much of the early part of the year. Check out the UK's top ten -- keep hanging in there, Donkey Kong Country Returns! -- after the break.
Michael Jackson: The Experience moonwalks up UK sales chart, Black Ops king of the hill
Gran Turismo 5 ran out of gas after its debut week, dropping 61 percent in sales and into fourth place on Chart-Track's UK All Formats chart. The top three titles were Call of Duty: Black Ops, FIFA 11 and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. The big premieres for the week were Donkey Kong Country Returns and Super Mario All-Stars 25th Anniversary at 13 and 22, respectively. So, last week we almost neglected to mention Disney Epic Mickey, because it didn't make the Top 40. We thought its performance might have been an anomaly ... until it missed out again on the Top 40 and maintained its place at #11 on the Wii Chart. Not a good sign. Comparatively, Ubisoft's Michael Jackson: The Experience, which debuted down at #38 last week, had a thriller of a second week, shooting up to sixth place. It's now holding hands with Ubisoft's stalwart Just Dance franchise, which had its numerical sequel in the fifth spot. Find the full UK top ten after the break.
Gran Turismo 5 starts at pole position in UK sales chart
Gran Turismo 5 raced into first place on the UK sales chart last week, becoming the sixth largest PS3 launch ever in the region. In a good sign for the oft-delayed franchise installment, sales were up 6 percent from Gran Turismo 4's launch week numbers in March 2005 on the PS2 (according to Chart-Track). Call of Duty: Black Ops and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood both took one step back this week, grabbing silver and bronze, respectively. CoD:Blops dropped another 42 percent in sales two weeks after its record-setting premiere, while AC:B slipped off a Borgia tower, but caught itself 32 percent of the way down. FIFA 11 took the fourth spot with a sales surge, and fifth belongs to... yup, loyal chart watchers, you got it: Just Dance 2 is unstoppable as it waves its arms in the air, selling copies like it just don't care. As for debuts on the chart that didn't go vroom-vroom, Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare shambled in at 14, while Ubisoft's Michael Jackson: The Experience had the late king of pop make one duke-y of a debut down at 38. Find the full UK top ten after the break. Update: We just noticed that Disney Epic Mickey began its retail quest in the UK last week. It didn't even make the Top 40 in the All Formats chart. It debuted at the 11 spot on the Wii Chart. For comparison's sake, Michael Jackson: The Experience premiered at number five on the Wii chart, which ended up being 38 on the All Formats.
Black Ops maintains top UK sales spot, AC: Brotherhood has strongest debut in franchise
Call of Duty: Black Ops sales may have dropped 85 percent in the UK last week, but even with that massive dip its record-breaking debut ensured that Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood would stop at second place. 63,000 copies separated the two. According to Chart-Track, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood had the well-deserved, largest debut of the franchise to date. The only other top ten premiere this week came from Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, which raced into third place. The remainder of spots in the top five are occupied with games that involve feet. FIFA 11 defends its spot at fourth, as Just Dance continues reaping the benefits of its Faustian deal and its sequel does the Charleston in fifth. Check out the full UK top ten after the break.
October NPD: NBA 2K11 tops charts, Xbox 360 'best selling console in 2010'
Here is the second edition of the revised (and less informative) monthly NPD report. With the market research group no longer sharing specific hardware figures, it's noteworthy to point out that only Microsoft has (as of writing) released concrete sales numbers. Major Nelson tweeted that Microsoft sold 325K Xbox 360s in October. Although the figure represents a 32-percent drop from the previous month, it was enough to secure Microsoft's spot as best-selling console of the month. Major Nelson also added that the Xbox 360 "is the best selling console in 2010 [with] 3.5 million" sold so far. Sony's response doesn't offer console sales numbers, but Patrick Seybold commented on increased momentum for the company's PlayStation Move motion controller. "The PS3 Move Bundle had a 15-percent increase in sales since launch last month, and we're working hard to keep the inventory up across the country to meet strong consumer demand." In addition, Seybold reminded us of the impending launch of Sony's big holiday game: "With next week's launch of the industry's most anticipated title, Gran Turismo 5, we're sure to carry the momentum through the holidays." Nintendo, as of the time of publishing, had not offered comment. Software sales jumped 6 percent year-over-year for the month to $605 million. The multiplatform release of NBA 2K11 helped propel it to the top of the charts, undoubtedly aided by EA Sports' cancellation of NBA Elite 11. Fallout, Medal of Honor and Fable all made strong debuts -- but Rock Band 3's 15th-place position in sales has us concerned. NPD analyst Anita Frazier did make a special note in the report, assuring us that "this game has the potential to perform well over the holidays." The top-ten software breakdown is posted after the break.
Call of Duty: Black Ops breaks UK launch records
We already knew Call of Duty: Black Ops shattered day-one sales records in the UK, but let's just add a full week of intel to that with reports of 2 million units sold in the region over five days. Chart-Track estimates Activision-Blizzard's latest installment of the hit franchise took in a comfortable £81.9 million ($131.5M). For some disturbing perspective, Black Ops grossed more during its launch than the whole UK entertainment software market did over the past couple weeks ... combined. According to Chart-Track, last week became the highest grossing week in UK entertainment software history, with £113.8 million in sales. The last record breaker was £107.6 million, back in week 52 of 2008. (What was the number one game then? Call of Duty: World at War.) The record-breaking week was assisted by the launch of Microsoft's Kinect peripheral. Eight of the 11 UK Kinect launch titles debuted in the Top 40. The top premieres were Kinect Sports, Dance Central and Ubi's Motion Sports, which took fourth, 13th and 15th places, respectively. Check out the full UK top ten after the break.
Football Manager 2011 debuts atop UK charts, Bond finds quantum of solace in teens
Fable 3 lost the UK sales chart crown last week to not one, but two, footie titles. The football revolution sent Lionhead's Albion simulator to third as FIFA 11 maintained its spot in second and ... oh my, the PC-exclusive Football Manager 2011 premiered at the premier spot. According to Chart-Track, it was only the second PC-exclusive title to reach the top spot this year, with the other being StarCraft 2. Ubisoft's Just Dance 2 maintained its fourth place. If the title has the stamina of its older sibling, 2010 might have a Just Dance representative in the top ten throughout the entire year. Professor Layton and The Lost Future rounded out the top five. Other high-profile premieres last week, Goldeneye 007 for Wii and 007: Blood Stone, had licenses to kill the #13 and #18 spots, respectively. Spy with your double-0 eye the UK top ten after the break.
EA announces 100 million lifetime sales for FIFA, free Ultimate Team download
Electronic Arts has announced that its FIFA soccer franchise has reached sales of over 100 million units during its 18-year-long lifetime, and that's a lot of virtual soccer balls. FIFA Soccer 11 helped push the series over the century mark, selling 2.6 million copies in its first five days, making it the fastest selling sports video game of all time. To celebrate, EA is giving this year's version of its tie-in management game, FIFA 11 Ultimate Team, away for free along with the main game. Last year, the DLC was sold for an extra charge, but in FIFA 11, players can download the new mode for free, and it features both an enhanced multiplayer mode where players can pit their teams against each other, as well as a full-featured web app to auction and trade players outside of the console title. That's pretty drop-kickin' awesome if you ask us. If you own FIFA 11 on the Xbox or PS3, you can pick Ultimate Team up for free from the in-game menus right now.
