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UK sales charts, April 3-8: Lara on top
Tomb Raider: Legend marks its UK release by soaring straight to the top of the charts; the other much-touted arrival on European shores, Guitar Hero, has a slightly less impressive debut at 28, just one place ahead of Crazy Frog Racer. The video game adaptation of Narnia is also a new member of the top ten, going straight in at number nine.The ten bestselling games in the UK for the week ending April 8:1. Tomb Raider: Legend2. The Godfather3. Fifa Street 24. Ice Age 2: The Meltdown5. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter6. Animal Crossing: Wild World7. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion8. Buzz! The Big Quiz9. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe10. Championship Manager 2006
EA losing its hold but still UK number one
ELSPA, the UK's Entertainment & Leisure Software Publishers Association, has released an analysis of last year's game sales in the UK which focuses on market share. EA is well ahead of any competitors with an 18.5% market share--the nearest rival is THQ with 7.2%--and EA's dominance is reflected in the fact that four out of the year's ten top-selling titles are theirs. However, the figures are changing, and EA's grip is loosened slightly from 2004, with rivals inching towards the top and EA slowly slipping down, showing there is definitely scope for manoeuvre. It's a disappointing chart for the British games industry, though; UK companies are nowhere to be seen in the top ten. With Eidos (now part of SCi) and Codemasters set to deliver this year, things are looking up for 2006, but the amount of market share commanded by EA is formidable--smaller publishers just can't keep up with the number of titles released and overall sales. Fortunately, percentages aren't everything when it comes to making good games.
