3DS trumps lifetime Wii sales in Japan

by Earnest Cavalli on Sep 25th 2013 5:30PM

The Wii may be Nintendo's highest selling console to date, but at least in Japan, it's been eclipsed by the Nintendo 3DS.

The most recent figures from Japanese sales tracking authority Media Create show that the 3DS has sold 12,752,731 units in the island nation. By contrast, the Wii has sold 12,698,878 units. As GamesIndustry points out, with the 3DS enjoying its golden years and the Wii slowly fading from memory, it seems likely that the handheld will maintain its lead.

There are many reasons for the success of the 3DS, but most notable is the sales juggernaut known as Monster Hunter 4. Japan apparently loves murdering giant beasts, as the game has remained in Media Create's top sales spot since its debut. Buoyed by this hyper-popular game, the 3DS managed to sell 159,388 units in Japan during the week of September 16 alone - an impressive feat, given that total hardware sales for the period were only 187,773.

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Nintendo Download: June 6, 2013 – Animal Crossing, Yoshi, Spelunker, Sengoku, & Sales

Is Nintendo holding back something great for next week’s E3? It seems that way. Other than a big title for Nintendo 3DS coming on Sunday, today’s Nintendo Download only contains two games available today. The others are available early next week.

What is that big 3DS game? You probably do not need me to tell you that Animal Crossing: New Leaf will be available for download on June 9. Want more for your 3DS? Well, you are going to have to wait until next week, perhaps, because that is all this week contains for the handheld.

The Wii U has a bit more growth, but it is not much. Today, you can download Spelunker for the Virtual Console, and you can get Yoshi for the low price of 30 cents on June 12. Other than those two VC games, Nintendo did let us know that Trine 2: Director’s Cut is on sale for $9.99 until June 27, and Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth‘s price has been cut down to $29.99.

However, we do have one other new game today! Sengoku 3 is now on the Wii Virtual Console. That is right. Apparently, Nintendo is still pumping out VC games for Wii, even though the Wii U’s lineup is quite low.

Hopefully next week will bring much much more for you fans of the Nintendo Download. Until then, be sure to check out the full list of all the releases and prices below, along with the official press release, straight from Nintendo of America. And be sure to let us know what game(s) or apps get you excited to play. Let us know in the comments below or in our forums!

Nintendo eShop on Wii U

Yoshi ($.30) *Available June 12, 2013Spelunker ($4.99)

Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS

Animal Crossing: New Leaf ($34.99) *Available June 9, 2013

Virtual Console on Wii Shop

Nintendo eShop Sales on Wii U

Trine 2: Director’s Cut - $9.99 until June 27, 2013Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth - NEW PRICE at $29.99

——————————–

PRESS RELEASE

[PR Email from Nintendo of America]

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Pachter: Wii U sales hit 55,000 in April, 20,000 below Wii

by Jessica Conditt on May 14th 2013 7:00PM

Nintendo's Wii U sold 55,000 units in April, down 19 percent from March, while the Wii sold 75,000 in April, down 16 percent from last year, Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter estimates. To compare, he says Microsoft sold 205,000 Xbox 360 units and Sony snagged 165,000 sales of the PlayStation 3 this April. By these numbers, sales of the Xbox 360 are down 13 percent and PS3 sales are down 5 percent year-over-year.

Nintendo hit 185,000 sales of its 3DS last month, a 46 percent jump in sales from the previous year, Pachter says. Sony's Vita is down 57 percent from 2012, selling just 30,000 units this April. These are of course the standard Pachter estimates, which can only mean one thing – the official numbers are on their way, via the NPD. Those figures are expected on Thursday.

As of March 31, the Wii U has sold 3.45 million units since its launch, below Nintendo's initial forecast of 5.5 million, and even January's adjustment to 4 million. Nintendo expects to have sold 9 million Wii U consoles by next fiscal year, ending March 2014, with sales spurred by the release of "key Nintendo titles."

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Gamestop Q1 sales and profits down, mobile/digital sales up

by Jordan Mallory on May 23rd 2013 7:00PM

Gamestop's financial data for the first quarter of its fiscal 2013 have arrived like a pizza with nearly 25 percent fewer toppings than the pizza you ordered during the same 13-week period last year. Also, cheesy bread sales are way up? This may not be the strongest analogy.

In non-allegorical terms, gross revenue (overall sales) and net income (post-tax profit) were both down year-over-year, at $1.865 billion and $54.6 million, respectively. As far as net income, that's a 24.69 percent decrease from the $72.5 million Gamestop reported at the end of Q1 2012.

Meanwhile, mobile device sales were up 290 percent, though this massive increase was largely due to the fact that Gamestop's mobile trade-in/sales program was just getting started during Q1 of 2012. Digital sales also increased, to the tune of 47.3 percent year-over-year, while new software sales, both physical and digital, fell 3.8 percent.

As was the case during Q1 2012, used hardware and software sales accounted for the majority of Gamestop's pre-tax profit, with new hardware and software sales making up just 29.5 percent of the quarter's overall gross.

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Nintendo Download: May 2, 2013 – PAC-MAN, Mega Man, eShop Sales, & More!

What do you get when you combine three Wii U Virtual Console games, two Wii U eShop titles, three 3DS eShop games, one DSiWare, and a lot of eShop sales? You get the Nintendo Download for May 2, 2013!

The Virtual Console officially launched last week for Wii U, and this week, three games have been added. Many of you probably grabbed Balloon Fight at its discounted price already, but in case you missed it, it is back along with PAC-MAN and Mega Man. You can play all these titles on your TV or directly on your GamePad. Also available on the Wii U eShop are TANK! TANK! TANK! and Kung Fu Rabbit.

Moving over to the handheld side, BearShark makes the move from 3D video to a 3D game. Fans of the Nintendo Video show will be excited to now interact with this crazy world. If you are looking for something more lighthearted, you can get Gummy Bears Magical Medallion. If that is too much for you, maybe download My Riding Stables 3D – Jumping for the Team. Moving over to DSiWare, we get something entirely different with Armageddon Operation Dragon.

If that is not enough for you, there are a ton of sales going on right now on the eShops. Nintendo has discounted many of their games on the 3DS, Shin’en has their games on both 3DS and Wii U for 30% off, and all Marvel tables for Zen Pinball are half-off. If you have been waiting to download a game, now is the time, but act fast before the sales run out!

We have posted the full list of all the releases and prices below (apologies for the lack of prices, as Nintendo did not supply them this week), along with the official press release, straight from Nintendo of America. Be sure to let us know what game(s) or apps get you excited to play. Let us know in the comments below or in our forums!

Nintendo eShop on Wii U

PAC-MAN ($4.99)Mega Man (4.99)Balloon Fight (4.99)TANK! TANK! TANK! ($TBA)Kung Fu Rabbit ($TBA)

Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS

BearShark ($TBD)Gummy Bears Magical Medallion ($TBD)My Riding Stables 3D – Jumping for the Team ($TBD)

DSiWare on Nintendo DSi and Nintendo 3DS eShop

Armageddon Operation Dragon (TBD Points / $TBD)

Nintendo eShop Sales

Nintendo Games (3DS eShop) – Pushmo, 3D Classics: Kirby’s Adventure, Dillon’s Rolling Western, Fluidity: Spin Cycle, and Tokyo Crash Mobs (Sale ends May 9 at 9 a.m. PT.)
Games by Shin’en (3DS & Wii U eShop) – Art of Balance TOUCH!, Fun! Fun! Minigolf TOUCH!, Nano Assault Neo, and Nano Assault EX (All 30% off. Sale ends May 9.)Zen Pinball 2 (Wii U eShop) – All Marvel Pinball tables (50% off. Sale ends at 9 a.m. PT on May 9.)Marvel Pinball 3D (3DS eShop) – Marvel Pinball 3D game (50% off. Sale ends at 9 a.m. PT on May 9.)

——————————–

PRESS RELEASE

[PR Email from Nintendo of America]

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Ubisoft sales crest $1 billion during Q3

by Jordan Mallory on Feb 7th 2013 12:15PM

Ubisoft's performance figures for the three month period ending December 31, 2012 have been released, and while we don't have specific net/operating/sticky/whatever income figures on account of the company's Frenchness, we do have an overall indication of how it performed in Q3. Which is to say, pretty good.

Sales for the period totaled €802 million ($1.07 billion), which is a 23 percent increase over the €652 million reported for the same quarter last year. Ubisoft's nine month year-to-date figures are also outperforming last year's: €1.08 billion ($1.45 billion) versus €900 million by this time last year, an increase of 21 percent.

Ubisoft attributes a large amount of this income with Assassin's Creed 3's 12 million shipped units and Far Cry 3's critical success, in addition to a 143 percent year-over-year increase in digital sales, totaling €55.2 million ($74.3 million).

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Nintendo cuts hardware sales targets after shipping 3M Wii U consoles in 2012

by Sinan Kubba on Jan 30th 2013 4:30AM

Nintendo adjusted its annual net profit outlook from ¥6 billion to ¥14 billion (around $154 million) on the back of a weakening yen, with the company posting a nine-month operating loss of ¥5.8 billion ($63.7 million) compared to the corresponding figure of ¥48.4 billion for the last fiscal year. However, Nintendo's end-of-fiscal-year hardware targets took a big hit on the back of shipping 3.06 million Wii U consoles in 2012.

Nintendo now projects a figure of 4 million for Wii U by the end of its fiscal year on March 31, down from the 5.5 million the company predicted in October 2012. 3DS shipments are now expected to hit 15 million for the year, down from initial projections of 18.5 million.

Nintendo has now shifted 29.84 million units of its handheld since launch. Meanwhile, the Wii's life-to-date figures are up to 99.38 million, with 3.53 million units shipped across the nine month period.

Regards software, Nintendo shifted 11.69 million Wii U games since the console's launch on November 18, The best-performing games were the bundled-in Nintendo Land and New Super Mario Bros. U, coming in at 2.33 million and 2.01 million respectively.

On the 3DS front, Nintendo shipped 39.56 million units of the handheld across the nine months. Pokémon Black/White 2 soared to a total of 7.63 million on the back of almost 3 million sales in Japan alone, while New Super Mario Bros. 2 is at 5.96 million. Animal Crossing: New Leaf sits at 2.73 million, largely thanks to its popularity with Japan's female demographic. All figures are as of December 31, 2012.

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Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two life-to-date sales 529K in US

by Alexander Sliwinski on Jan 29th 2013 4:30PM

Disney's multiplatform Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two sold 529,000 units over November and December of 2012 in the United States, according to new data provided by the NPD group. Joystiq was also informed that sales of Epic Mickey 2, plus Nintendo 3DS title Disney Epic Mickey: The Power of Illusion, across North America reached 695,000 units over the same period. An unconfirmed report previously pegged Epic Mickey 2's sales at 270,000 copies.

Disney Epic Mickey developer Junction Point Studios was closed today, with the House of Mouse noting it was due to an ongoing effort to address fast-evolving gaming platforms and the marketplace.

Junction Point was the last studio standing of Disney's previous attempt to break into the triple-A "core" market, with many studios lost along the way, including the critically acclaimed Pure and Split/Second developer Black Rock Studios. Disney has readjusted its sights and is now developing Disney Infinity.

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Skylanders franchise up to $500 million retail sales in the US alone

Skylanders FRANCHISE REACHES MORE THAN $500 MILLION IN U.S. RETAIL SALES

Skylanders Giants U.S. Sales Surpass Domestic Holiday Box Office for Top Kids' Films

Santa Monica, CA – 11th January, 2013 – Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI), announced today that, according to data from the NPD Group, the Skylanders franchise crossed $500 million in retail sales in the U.S., inclusive of accessory packs and figures, and reached this milestone faster than any other kids' gaming property. Additionally, together Skylanders Giants and Skylanders Spyro's Adventure figures have outsold the top action figure lines in the toy category in the U.S., outselling such popular toy lines as Beyblades, WWE and Star Wars.¹

Skylanders Giants, the sequel to Skylanders Spyro's Adventure – the #1 best-selling kids' game of 20112 – generated more than $195 million in U.S. sales, inclusive of accessory packs and figures, in 2012.3 Additionally, Skylanders Giants eclipsed domestic box office sales for each of the top holiday kids feature films including "Wreck-It Ralph" and "Rise of the Guardians" in 2012.4

¹ According to The NPD Group Data from January through November 2012
² According to The NPD Group, Gfk Charttrack, and internal estimates.
3 According to The NPD Group
4 According to boxofficemojo.com

"Just a year ago, the concept of bringing toys to life in a virtual world was an untested play pattern that Activision and Toys For Bob believed in. Now the category has been established in the market and embraced by parents and kids everywhere," said John Coyne, Vice President of Consumer Marketing, Activision Publishing. "We're humbled by the continued support and acclaim from parents, kids and critics alike, but more importantly, it's gratifying to see kids excited about the adventures that await them both in the digital and physical worlds."

In addition to achieving critical acclaim , Skylanders Giants was awarded the National Parenting Center's Seal of Approval, the National Parenting Publications Awards and the Parent Tested Parent Approved Seal of Approval, among others. The game was also featured in coveted "hot holiday gift" lists including the 2012 Toys"R"Us Holiday Hot Toy List, the Toy Insider's "Hot 20 Toys for the Holidays", and Time to Play's "Holiday 2012 Most Wanted List". Skylanders Giants is also nominated in four categories for the coveted Toy Industry Association "2013 Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards" to be announced on 9th February in New York City, including "E-connected Toy of the Year", "Boy Toy of the Year", "Property of the Year", "Game of The Year".

The franchise is supported by a robust licensing program that includes more than 120 licensees worldwide in categories including Plush, Apparel, Home Décor, Bed and Bath, Party Goods, Board Games and Back to School, among others.

"Even before the concept was fully formed, we were immediately taken with the charm and magic behind the Skylanders property and following the highly successful introduction of Skylanders Spyro's Adventures, we knew that Skylanders Giants would be a top-seller in 2012," said Richard Barry, Executive Vice President, Chief Merchandising Officer, Toys"R"Us, Inc. "We believe that Skylanders is one of the most innovative and exciting toy properties to hit the market and are thrilled to continue our strong support of the brand."

Skylanders Giants is developed by Toys For Bob, an Activision studio located in Novato, California. Skylanders Giants is rated PEGI 7. For more information, visit www.skylanders.com

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea, mainland China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's website, www.activision.com.

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[PS3, Vita] Sony reveals strong sales for Black Friday week

[PS3, Vita] Sony reveals strong sales for Black Friday week

Following Nintendo and Microsoft's announcements of impressive hardware sales for the week including Black Friday, Sony shared some fairly remarkable figures of its own for its two current consoles.

More than 525,000 PlayStation 3 consoles were sold last week in the US, beating both the Wii (300,000) and the Wii U (400,000), but still falling short of the Xbox 360's hefty 750,000 units for the week. The Vita, which was featured in numerous Black Friday deals, moved a respectable 160,000 units of its own, trailing behind Nintendo handhelds the DS (275,000) and 3DS (250,000). Sony did not include sales for the aging PSP in the report.

Written by: Mike Glubish

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Nintendo counterfeiter makes $962,000 in illegal sales, faces jail time

by Richard Mitchell on Oct 19th 2012 12:30PM

Nintendo's ever-vigilant quest against piracy continues, as Justin Success Brooks of the United Kingdom has been charged with the fraudulent sale of counterfeit Nintendo games, according to the Croydon Guardian. The 41-year-old man was caught in an investigation conducted by Nintendo and the UK Interactive Entertainment association. The two groups purchased games from suspect outlets, eventually finding their way to Brooks.

Operating between 2009 and 2011, Brooks allegedly made an estimated £600,000 (over $962,000) selling "thousands" of counterfeit Wii, DS and DSi games. All told, Brooks has been charged with seven counts of fraud, including "two counts of fraudulent trading, two counts of supplying an article to use in fraud, two counts of unauthorised possession of goods bearing a trademark and one count of unauthorised use of a trademark."

Brooks has pled guilty to all counts. He has been granted bail and awaits sentencing, which will take place on November 9. Always remember, Mario is watching.

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Namco Bandai profits grow, Tekken Tag Tournament 2 sales strong

by JC Fletcher on Nov 2nd 2012 10:30AM

Namco Bandai showed almost universal growth in the first half of its fiscal 2013 (ending in September), with operating income for the full company at ¥27.75 billion ($345.88 million), up 176 percent from last year. Specifically for the Content Business, which includes game software, operating income rocketed up 375 percent to ¥20.136 billion.

The best-selling titles of the year included Tekken Tag Tournament 2 at 840,000 units in Japan and Europe (it was not yet out in North America as of the end of the period), Soulcalibur 5 at 680,000 – it's sold 1.38 million overall, Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations at 550,000, Taiko Drum Master 3DS at 270,000 in Japan only – it would be more if you released it worldwide, Namco, just saying – and SD Gundam G Generation Over World on PSP at 260,000.

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August NPD: Software sales stabilize somewhat, Darksiders 2 takes first place [Update: Nintendo chimes in]

by Jordan Mallory on Sep 6th 2012 7:06PM

Despite the fact that hardware and software sales in the physical channel are still down when compared to August in 2011, market stabilization in the software sector (along with promising signs from the first week of 3DS XL sales) helps to reassure that 2012's ever-downward spiral may not be eternal.

Hardware sales for August 2012 were down 39 percent, bringing in $150.6 million versus the $248.8 million accrued during the same period in 2011. The Xbox 360 sold 190,000 units and was again the top selling platform of the month, according to Major Nelson, though the 3DS and PS3 both showed increases over July 2011, despite the month being down as a whole. Only one week of 3DS XL sales were recorded, but in that week enough units were sold to account for 44 percent of all 3DS sales in August.

The accessories segment continued its trend of having the smallest percentage amount of year-over-year loss at $127.3 million for the period, which is down seven percent from August 2011's $137 million. Points cards and other physical means of buying online currency continue to drive this segment, according to NPD Group industry analyst Anita Frazier.

As far as software is concerned, August 2012's performance was down nine percent – $237.7 million as compared to $261.8 million during the same period last year. When only looking at software for "high definition platforms," however, the year-over-year difference is only one percent. This signifies market stabilization, says Frazier, but August's sales were worse than they could have been had the months prior not been so devoid of new releases.

Darksiders 2 was the best-selling game during the period, followed by New Super Mario Bros. 2 and Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. As always, August's complete list of the top 10 games can be found after the break.

Nintendo Update: 3DS hardware sales were up 36 percent over July, while 3DS software sales were up 68 percent, Nintendo has said. New Super Mario Bros. 2 sold more than 240,000 copies, making it the best-selling individual SKU for the month of August. Meanwhile, Kingdom Hearts 3D sold over 180,000 copies.
Darksiders 2 (360, PS3, PC)New Super Mario Bros 2 (3DS)Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance (3DS)NCAA Football 13 (360, PS3)Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes (Wii, 360, NDS, PS3, 3DS, PSV, PC)Sleeping Dogs (360, PS3)Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (360, PS3)Batman: Arkham City (360, PS3, PC)Call of Duty: Black Ops (360, PS3, NDS, Wii, PC)The Amazing Spider-Man (360, PS3, NDS, 3DS, Wii)Sept. 6, 2012

Nintendo News

New Super Mario Bros. 2 Emerges as the Best-Selling Video Game of August

Even with only five days of reported data, Nintendo 3DS XL and New Super Mario Bros. 2 still had major impacts on the August video game market. The new hardware, which features 90 percent larger screens than the original Nintendo 3DS, and the new side-scrolling Mario adventure both launched on Aug. 19 and helped Nintendo achieve the following:

Nintendo 3DS software sales increased by more than 68 percent over sales in July.
Nintendo 3DS hardware sales increased by more than 36 percent over sales in July.
The No. 1 and No. 2 top-selling software SKUs for the month are both exclusive to Nintendo 3DS. New Super Mario Bros. 2 sold more than 240,000 units to finish No. 1, and KINGDOM HEARTS 3D [Dream Drop Distance] from Square Enix sold more than 180,000 copies to finish No. 2.
"Software sells hardware, and no one sells either quite like Mario," said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "In addition to helping New Super Mario Bros. 2 get off to a great start, Nintendo 3DS XL is driving increased interest in titles such as Kid Icarus: Uprising, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D and Mario Kart 7. These games have been on the market for more than six months but provide a completely new experience on the larger screens. Combine these titles with the upcoming Paper Mario: Sticker Star and a robust list of third-party games, and Nintendo 3DS is poised to be high on holiday wish lists this year."

For more information about Nintendo, visit http://www.nintendo.com.

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NPD estimates $3.40B in game sales in Q1 2012

RESEARCH SHOWS $3.40 BILLION SPENT ON

VIDEO GAME CONTENT IN THE U.S. FOR FIRST QUARTER 2012

PORT WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, July 2, 2012 – According to the Q1 2012 Games Market Dynamics: U.S.* report from leading market research company, The NPD Group, in addition to the $1.5 billion spent in the U.S. by consumers on new physical video and PC game software in the first quarter of 2012, the total consumer spend on other physical forms of content (used and rental) reached $525 million, and content in digital format (full game and add-on content downloads, subscriptions, mobile games and social network games) generated $1.38 billion.

"The declines in the physical market for new physical software are well documented," said Anita Frazier, industry analyst, The NPD Group. "But, a broader view of the games industry shows that other physical content sales (the combination of used and rental) declined by just five percent and digital format content sales grew by 10 percent as compared to Q1 2011. While the growth in digital format sales does not yet offset the declines in physical format sales, clearly the changes occurring within the industry are reflected in the trends we are seeing in the research."

Comparison to Europe

Similar research in the UK, France and Germany shows that the consumer spend on other forms of physical games content outside of new physical retail sales totaled $300 million (used and rental) while digital format sales in those three countries (full game and add-on content downloads, subscriptions, mobile games and social network games) generated an additional $959 million in sales during Q1 2012.

"Relative to the spend in the U.S., we find that the consumer spend on mobile games is still developing in the three European countries we are covering, while the spend on full game and add-on content digital downloads and subscriptions is more highly developed," said Frazier.

Methodology

The estimates are published in NPD's report, Games Market Dynamics: U.S. (formerly known as the Games Industry: Total Consumer Spend) –released by The NPD Group in June 2012 - and are derived leveraging NPD's portfolio of physical POS tracking (Retail Tracking Service) and consumer research including the Games Acquisition Monitor, Video Game and PC Game Subscriptions Report and Consumer Tracking Service. It also incorporates consumer spend estimation provided by NPD retail and publisher partners, and calibration with third-party sources. Estimates for the three European countries are published in NPD's report, Games Market Dynamics: Europe, which utilizes like methodology to the U.S. service across the areas of consumer spend that are outside of new physical retail sales.

*The NPD Group has enhanced its Games Market Dynamics information in conjunction with retail and publishing partners, and third-party sources to allow for improved visibility into alternative channels. Due to these periodic updates, care should be taken when comparing any data in this press release to prior Games Market Dynamics press releases.

About The NPD Group, Inc.
The NPD Group is the leading provider of reliable and comprehensive consumer and retail information for a wide range of industries. Today, more than 2,000 manufacturers, retailers, and service companies rely on NPD to help them drive critical business decisions at the global, national, and local market levels. NPD helps our clients to identify new business opportunities and guide product development, marketing, sales, merchandising, and other functions. Information is available for the following industry sectors: automotive, beauty, entertainment, fashion, food, home and office, sports, technology, toys, video games, and wireless. For more information, contact us, visit http://www.npd.com/, or follow us Twitter at https://twitter.com/npdgroup.

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June NPD: Lego Batman 2 on top, hardware and software sales still down year over year

by Jordan Mallory on Jul 12th 2012 6:31PM

This year's overall downward trend in software and hardware sales continued through June, according to the latest set of data released by the NPD Group. The whole industry (hardware, physical software and accessories sales) brought in $699.8 million, 29 percent less dough than the $989.5 million earned in June of 2011.

Year over year, hardware sales were down a staggering 45 percent -- $201.3 million in 2012 versus $364.9 million in 2011. That being said, all platforms (except the PS2 and PSP) saw increased sales over May due to Father's Day and high-school/college graduation gift shopping, although the "Dads and Grads" effect was less potent than it was in 2011, according to the NPD Group's Anita Frazier.

Conversely, accessories were up year over year, if just barely, due mostly to sales of points cards (XBLA points, Steam Wallet cards, etc), which is indicative of a trend towards digital gaming spurred on by a lack of new titles at retail, says Frazier. The segment pulled down four percent more in 2012 ($169.8 million) than in 2011 ($163.00 million). Physical software sales, totaling up at $328.7 million for the month, contributed 29 percent fewer funds to June's totals than they did last year, when software equaled $461.6 million.

As far as specific software is concerned, a list of the 10 best-selling games in June is tucked away after the break, as per usual. List topper Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes sold 450,000 units across all consoles in June, which the NPD Group attributes to an increased amount of Batman mind-share in the public consciousness due to the impending release of The Dark Knight Rises. Ghost Recon: Future Soldier and Diablo 3 came in second and third for the month, with the rest of the list being a mish-mash of the surprising (Pokemon Conquest? Batman: Arkham City?!) and predictable mainstay entries like Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3.

Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes (360, Wii, PS3, NDS, 3DS, PSV, PC)Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (360, PS3, PC)Diablo 3 (PC)Max Payne 3 (360, PS3, PC)NBA 2K12 (360, PS3, Wii, PSP, PS2, PC)Batman: Arkham City (360, PS3, PC)Pokemon Conquest (NDS)Modern Warfare 3 (360, PS3, Wii, PC)Battlefield 3 (360, PS3, PC)The Amazing Spider-Man (360, PS3, 3DS, NDS, Wii)

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Ghost Recon: Future Soldier maintains top UK sales spot

by Alexander Sliwinski on Jun 6th 2012 10:45AM

Ubisoft's Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier and Rockstar's Max Payne 3 remained bosom buddies atop Chart-Track's UK sales chart for another week. The team of Ghost Recon kept their advantages position on the high ground for a second week, with Payne providing back-up in second.

Capcom's love or hate RPG Dragon's Dogma slipped one spot into fourth, with FIFA 12 running up the field from fifth into third.

Nihilistic's Resistance: Burning Skies for Vita debuted at the 12 spot. Chart-Track notes the previous handheld Resistance title was Resistance: Retribution for PSP, which failed to crack the top 40. The UK top ten invade after the break.

Top 10 UK Software Sales (All Formats); week ending June 2:
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future SoldierMax Payne 3FIFA 12Dragon's DogmaCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3Sniper Elite V2Dirt ShowdownBattlefield 3FIFA StreetPrototype 2

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[Multi] Weekly Sales Charts, June 3-9: Too Busy Watching E3

GlueGun18
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Reputation: 72 [Multi] Weekly Sales Charts, June 3-9: Too Busy Watching E3

WORLDWIDE HARDWARE
Nintendo 3DS - 135,913 (17,553,426)
PlayStation 3 - 121,073 (64,778,584)
Xbox 360 - 87,874 (66,895,288)
Nintendo Wii - 52,839 (95,839,021)
PlayStation Vita - 50,091 (2,199,359)
Sony PSP - 45,484 (74,586,641)
Nintendo DS - 39,576 (151,485,344)WORLDWIDE SOFTWARE TOP 20
1) Tokyo Jungle (PS3) - 107,456 (107,456)
2) Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (X360) - 97,896 (810,429)
3) Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry's Wonderland 3D (3DS) - 94,279 (609,455)
4) Diablo III (PC) - 93,002 (2,140,893)
5) Max Payne 3 (X360) - 73,179 (813,936)
6) Max Payne 3 (PS3) - 58,077 (645,868)
7) Dragon's Dogma (PS3) - 56,887 (598,131)
8) Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (PS3) - 55,383 (342,494)
9) Mario Tennis (3DS) - 49,155 (267,928)
10) Mario Party 9 (Wii) - 46,372 (1,307,616)
11) Kidou Senshi Gundam Seed Battle Destiny (Vita) - 41,306 (41,306)
12) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (PS3) - 37,638 (11,965,112)
13) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (X360) - 37,216 (14,142,134)
14) Zumba Fitness 2 (Wii) - 37,005 (1,716,365)
15) FIFA Soccer 12 (PS3) - 35,184 (5,858,526)
16) Super Mario 3D Land (3DS) - 34,971 (6,172,673)
17) Battlefield 3 (X360) - 31,875 (5,984,600)
18) Mario Kart 7 (3DS) - 31,662 (5,701,632)
19) FIFA Soccer 12 (X360) - 30,734 (3,806,623)
20) Battlefield 3 (PS3) - 28,704 (5,420,980) USA HARDWARE
Xbox 360 - 44,157 (34,460,669)
PlayStation 3 - 35,427 (21,392,364)
Nintendo 3DS - 30,321 (5,108,596)
Nintendo DS - 20,446 (50,851,789)
Nintendo Wii - 17,047 (39,360,578)
PlayStation Vita - 13,222 (596,851)
Sony PSP - 3,417 (19,535,467)USA SOFTWARE TOP 10
1) Diablo III (PC) - 50,931 (1,091,073)
2) Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (X360) - 49,809 (470,224)
3) Max Payne 3 (X360) - 36,483 (437,450)
4) Zumba Fitness 2 (Wii) - 23,330 (869,893)
5) Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (PS3) - 21,480 (152,706)
6) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (X360) - 19,587 (8,070,927)
7) Max Payne 3 (PS3) - 18,515 (232,375)
8) MLB 12: The Show (PS3) - 18,099 (415,965)
9) Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure (Wii) - 17,363 (746,659)
10) NBA 2K12 (X360) - 15,579 (1,818,326) EUROPE HARDWARE
PlayStation 3 - 48,997 (25,169,327)
Xbox 360 - 31,286 (21,026,496)
Nintendo 3DS - 31,171 (4,608,029)
Nintendo Wii - 21,987 (31,632,054)
Sony PSP - 20,276 (21,443,045)
PlayStation Vita - 17,761 (670,473)
Nintendo DS - 13,063 (51,382,294)EUROPE SOFTWARE TOP 10
1) Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (X360) - 33,795 (221,213)
2) Max Payne 3 (PS3) - 27,221 (279,364)
3) Diablo III (PC) - 26,466 (685,821)
4) Max Payne 3 (X360) - 26,022 (257,389)
5) Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (PS3) - 22,584 (122,130)
6) FIFA Soccer 12 (X360) - 22,196 (2,568,011)
7) FIFA Soccer 12 (PS3) - 22,151 (3,756,570)
8) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (PS3) - 14,691 (4,469,986)
9) Mario Tennis (3DS) - 14,373 (45,463)
10) Battlefield 3 (PS3) - 14,259 (2,155,394) JAPAN HARDWARE
Nintendo 3DS - 63,004 (6,243,643)
PlayStation 3 - 15,928 (8,241,987)
PlayStation Vita - 13,542 (722,885)
Sony PSP - 10,496 (19,012,594)
Nintendo Wii - 5,755 (12,441,874
Nintendo DS - 998 (32,954,724)
Xbox 360 - 978 (1,591,341)JAPAN SOFTWARE TOP 10
1) Tokyo Jungle (PS3) - 107,456 (107,456)
2) Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry's Wonderland 3D (3DS) - 94,279 (609,455)
3) Kidou Senshi Gundam Seed Battle Destiny (Vita) - 41,306 (41,306)
4) Dragon's Dogma (PS3) - 34,517 (415,265)
5) Mario Tennis (3DS) - 24,379 (168,482)
6) Mario Party 9 (Wii) - 18,540 (424,179)
7) Super Mario 3D Land (3DS) - 9,031 (1,625,230)
8) Storm Lover Kai!! (PSP) - 7,583 (7,583)
9) Monster Hunter 3G (3DS) - 6,645 (1,481,387)
10) Mario Kart 7 (3DS) - 6,443 (1,773,233)

USA TOP 10 PREORDERS
1) Halo 4 (X360) - 44,762 (335,765)
2) Call of Duty: Black Ops II (X360) - 25,429 (134,854)
3) Call of Duty: Black Ops II (PS3) - 14,491 (92,795)
4) Guild Wars 2 (PC) - 12,115 (159,217)
5) Borderlands 2 (X360) - 10,541 (174,664)
6) Assassin's Creed III (X360) - 9,342 (222,327)
7) Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance (3DS) - 9,129 (62,509)
8) Assassin's Creed III (PS3) - 6,965 (140,751)
9) Darksiders II (X360) - 5,422 (74,317)
10) Hitman: Absolution (X360) - 4,854 (67,803)

Written by: Mike Glubish

View the original article here

Ubisoft profits in 2012, 'core gamers' drive rise in sales

by Jessica Conditt on May 15th 2012 2:00PM

Ubisoft ended the 2012 financial year on the up, reporting a gross profit of €718 million ($917 million) and sales up 2.1 percent to €1 billion ($1.4 billion) year-over-year, according to its financial results for 2011-2012.

Ubisoft ended fiscal 2011-12 with net income of €37.3 million ($47.6 million), up from a net loss of €52.1 million ($66.5 million) in the 2011 fiscal year.

Sales from "core gamers" in Assassin's Creed Revelations, Rayman Origins, Driver San Francisco and free-to-play title The Settlers Online generated €578 million ($738.1 million) in revenue, Ubisoft reported. Casual games brought in €483 million ($616.8 million) in revenue, mainly from Just Dance, Rocksmith and free-to-play title Howrse.

Core and casual titles contributed to a 110.8 percent jump in online and digital sales, bringing that figure to €80 million ($102.1 million), Ubisoft reported.

Ubisoft's net cash position is down from €99.2 million ($126.6 million) in 2011 to €84.6 million ($108 million) in 2012, while current operating income rose 90 percent to €56 million ($71.5 million) year-over-year.

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[Multi] Weekly Sales Charts, May 20-26: Chasing Ghosts

GlueGun18
Worse with Kinect


Posts: 2,881
Joined: Jan 2007
Reputation: 72 [Multi] Weekly Sales Charts, May 20-26: Chasing Ghosts

WORLDWIDE HARDWARE
Nintendo 3DS - 143,017 (17,454,038)
PlayStation 3 - 142,839 (64,671,841)
Xbox 360 - 122,523 (66,911,223)
Nintendo Wii - 64,415 (95,843,713)
PlayStation Vita - 50,842 (2,127,070)
Sony PSP - 50,825 (74,518,254)
Nintendo DS - 35,944 (151,361,988)WORLDWIDE SOFTWARE TOP 20
1) Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (X360) - 670,866 (670,866)
2) Dragon's Dogma (PS3) - 437,742 (437,742)
3) Diablo III (PC) - 311,431 (2,090,193)
4) Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (PS3) - 234,932 (234,932)
5) Max Payne 3 (X360) - 210,809 (773,284)
6) Max Payne 3 (PS3) - 176,436 (574,224)
7) Dragon's Dogma (X360) - 161,830 (161,830)
8) Mario Tennis (3DS) - 143,634 (143,634)
9) Uta no Prince-Sama: Debut (PSP) - 65,332 (65,332)
10) Mario Party 9 (Wii) - 60,964 (1,212,952)
11) Sorcery (PS3) - 44,126 (44,126)
12) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (PS3) - 38,590 (11,892,552)
13) Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure (Wii) - 35,053 (1,728,070)
14) Super Mario 3D Land (3DS) - 34,634 (6,102,067)
15) Mario Kart 7 (3DS) - 33,308 (5,636,223)
16) Battlefield 3 (PS3) - 32,919 (5,365,668)
17) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (X360) - 31,890 (14,073,522)
18) Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (PS3) - 31,174 (4,317,673)
19) Zumba Fitness 2 (Wii) - 30,637 (1,647,070)
20) Kinect Adventures! (X360) - 29,286 (16,579,423) USA HARDWARE
Xbox 360 - 62,564 (34,505,465)
PlayStation 3 - 46,554 (21,410,648)
Nintendo 3DS - 38,117 (5,205,031)
Nintendo Wii - 23,740 (39,400,113)
PlayStation Vita - 17,581 (603,276)
Nintendo DS - 13,509 (50,762,186)
Sony PSP - 4,149 (19,537,752)USA SOFTWARE TOP 10
1) Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (X360) - 447,252 (447,252)
2) Diablo III (PC) - 176,658 (1,083,647)
3) Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (PS3) - 132,698 (132,698)
4) Max Payne 3 (X360) - 118,911 (467,535)
5) Dragon's Dogma (X360) - 80,419 (80,419)
6) Dragon's Dogma (PS3) - 77,515 (77,515)
7) Max Payne 3 (PS3) - 73,808 (251,121)
8) Sorcery (PS3) - 36,174 (36,174)
9) Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure (Wii) - 22,859 (705,888)
10) Mario Tennis (3DS) - 22,065 (22,065) EUROPE HARDWARE
PlayStation 3 - 58,163 (25,095,560)
Xbox 360 - 40,387 (20,998,705)
Nintendo 3DS - 36,048 (4,567,003)
Nintendo Wii - 24,610 (31,608,800)
Sony PSP - 23,658 (21,411,174)
PlayStation Vita - 21,269 (619,038)
Nintendo DS - 16,477 (51,364,875)EUROPE SOFTWARE TOP 10
1) Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (X360) - 124,431 (124,431)
2) Diablo III (PC) - 82,878 (652,251)
3) Max Payne 3 (PS3) - 67,202 (209,090)
4) Max Payne 3 (X360) - 60,986 (191,989)
5) Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (PS3) - 59,113 (59,113)
6) Dragon's Dogma (PS3) - 36,640 (36,640)
7) Dragon's Dogma (X360) - 35,501 (35,501)
8) FIFA Soccer 12 (PS3) - 17,289 (3,714,462)
9) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (PS3) - 16,663 (4,441,212)
10) FIFA Soccer 12 (X360) - 16,544 (2,529,207) JAPAN HARDWARE
Nintendo 3DS - 55,613 (6,080,690)
PlayStation 3 - 14,058 (8,211,113)
Sony PSP - 10,722 (18,991,126)
PlayStation Vita - 6,931 (701,784)
Nintendo Wii - 6,193 (12,430,452)
Xbox 360 - 3,174 (1,587,551)
Nintendo DS - 1,072 (32,952,690)JAPAN SOFTWARE TOP 10
1) Dragon's Dogma (PS3) - 297,695 (297,695)
2) Mario Tennis (3DS) - 102,628 (102,628)
3) Uta no Prince-Sama: Debut (PSP) - 65,332 (65,332)
4) Dragon's Dogma (X360) - 25,939 (25,939)
5) Mario Party 9 (Wii) - 21,305 (385,975)
6) The Idolmaster: Gravure For You! Vol. 8 (PS3) - 14,778 (14,778)
7) SteinsGate: Hiyoku Renri no Darling (PS3) - 13,569 (13,569)
8) Fire Emblem: Kakusei (3DS) - 12,680 (393,901)
9) SteinsGate (PS3) - 12,415 (12,415)
10) Jyuzaengi: Engetsu Sangokuden (PSP) - 11,720 (11,720)

USA TOP 10 PREORDERS
1) Call of Duty: Black Ops II (X360) - 30,215 (86,346)
2) Call of Duty: Black Ops II (PS3) - 23,295 (61,001)
3) Halo 4 (X360) - 19,651 (254,170)
4) Assassin's Creed III (X360) - 9,080 (204,737)
5) Borderlands 2 (X360) - 8,097 (152,881)
6) Hitman: Absolution (X360) - 7,327 (55,853)
7) Guild Wars 2 (PC) - 5,923 (141,636)
8) Borderlands 2 (PS3) - 5,441 (81,436)
9) Lollipop Chainsaw (PS3) - 5,041 (52,689)
10) Assassin's Creed III (PS3) - 5,016 (128,633)

Written by: Mike Glubish

View the original article here

[Multi] Weekly Sales Charts, Apr. 15-21: East vs West, Fire Emblem vs Witcher

GlueGun18
Worse with Kinect


Posts: 2,705
Joined: Jan 2007
Reputation: 72 [Multi] Weekly Sales Charts, Apr. 15-21: East vs West, Fire Emblem vs Witcher

WORLDWIDE HARDWARE
Nintendo 3DS - 193,516 (17,492,498)
PlayStation 3 - 162,971 (63,818,467)
Xbox 360 - 133,847 (65,751,064)
Nintendo Wii - 73,585 (95,718,275)
PlayStation Vita - 66,677 (1,995,449)
Sony PSP - 28,622 (73,717,540)
Nintendo DS - 22,921 (151,833,398)WORLDWIDE SOFTWARE TOP 20
1) Fire Emblem: Kakusei (3DS) - 245,402 (245,402)
2) The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (X360) - 224,800 (224,800)
3) Kinect Star Wars (X360) - 75,202 (617,927)
4) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (PS3) - 59,953 (11,664,866)
5) Mass Effect 3 (X360) - 55,967 (2,101,675)
6) Kinect Adventures! (X360) - 55,588 (16,389,431)
7) Just Dance 3 (Wii) - 54,988 (8,914,421)
8) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (X360) - 54,259 (13,905,935)
9) Mario Kart 7 (3DS) - 48,105 (5,433,600)
10) Super Mario 3D Land (3DS) - 47,420 (5,889,053)
11) Zumba Fitness 2 (Wii) - 45,183 (1,473,655)
12) Mario Party 9 (Wii) - 43,907 (652,389)
13) Kid Icarus: Uprising (3DS) - 41,056 (590,723)
14) Assassin's Creed: Revelations (X360) - 40,964 (3,418,190)
15) FIFA Soccer 12 (PS3) - 39,954 (5,628,500)
16) FIFA Street (PS3) - 38,590 (575,994)
17) Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (PS3) - 36,576 (4,172,512)
18) Assassin's Creed: Revelations (PS3) - 35,370 (3,305,721)
19) NBA 2K12 (X360) - 34,355 (2,110,853)
20) Zumba Fitness (Wii) - 34,135 (5,338,746) USA HARDWARE
Xbox 360 - 67,468 (33,894,634)
PlayStation 3 - 54,403 (21,188,810))
Nintendo 3DS - 45,897 (5,050,623)
Nintendo Wii - 32,346 (39,282,313)
PlayStation Vita - 26,182 (508,439)
Nintendo DS - 9,333 (50,650,282)
Sony PSP - 3,161 (19,504,315)USA SOFTWARE TOP 10
1) The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (X360) - 110,255 (110,255)
2) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (X360) - 35,231 (7,954,642)
3) Just Dance 3 (Wii) - 34,197 (4,659,404)
4) Kinect Star Wars (X360) - 33,038 (360,206)
5) Mass Effect 3 (X360) - 31,491 (1,221,971)
6) Assassin's Creed: Revelations (X360) - 29,681 (1,687,000)
7) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (PS3) - 28,184 (4,655,787)
8) NBA 2K12 (X360) - 27,805 (1,709,449)
9) Kinect Adventures! (X360) - 26,994 (10,050,557)
10) Zumba Fitness 2 (Wii) - 24,334 (732,626) EUROPE HARDWARE
PlayStation 3 - 62,921 (24,707,264)
Xbox 360 - 47,933 (20,584,900)
Nintendo 3DS - 43,840 (4,831,567)
PlayStation Vita - 25,397 (644,343)
Nintendo Wii - 23,240 (31,369,669)
Nintendo DS - 8,734 (51,235,265)
Sony PSP - 4,928 (20,868,693)EUROPE SOFTWARE TOP 10
1) The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (X360) - 81,776 (81,776)
2) Kinect Star Wars (X360) - 30,332 (159,889)
3) FIFA Street (PS3) - 26,467 (419,406)
4) FIFA Soccer 12 (PS3) - 23,812 (3,617,322)
5) FIFA Street (X360) - 20,835 (356,203)
6) Mario Party 9 (Wii) - 20,386 (299,563)
7) Kinect Adventures! (X360) - 19,775 (3,736,707)
8) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (PS3) - 18,577 (4,355,417)
9) Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (PS3) - 18,259 (1,714,201)
10) Mario Kart 7 (3DS) - 16,750 (1,416,290) JAPAN HARDWARE
Nintendo 3DS - 85,298 (5,766,679)
PlayStation 3 - 16,475 (8,127,643)
Sony PSP - 11,839 (18,916,467)
PlayStation Vita - 8,160 (659,516)
Nintendo Wii - 6,992 (12,387,681)
Nintendo DS - 1,287 (33,012,534)
Xbox 360 - 1,207 (1,579,841)JAPAN SOFTWARE TOP 10
1) Fire Emblem: Kakusei (3DS) - 245,402 (245,402)
2) Code of Princess (3DS) - 18,476 (18,476)
3) Super Mario 3D Land (3DS) - 14,675 (1,531,465)
4) Monster Hunter 3G (3DS) - 13,424 (1,410,886)
5) Dai-2-Ji Super Robot Taisen Z Saisei-hen (PSP) - 13,084 (310,465)
6) Kid Icarus: Uprising (3DS) - 11,865 (236,863)
7) Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance (3DS) - 11,681 (285,142)
8) Mario Kart 7 (3DS) - 10,721 (1,700,044)
9) Choricchi! Tamagotchi no Puchi Puchi Omisecchi (3DS) - 8,583 (8,583)
10) Detective Conan: Prelude from the Past (DS) - 8,291 (8,291)

USA TOP 10 PREORDERS
1) Diablo III (PC) - 40,924 (656,069)
2) Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (X360) - 27,047 (302,671)
3) Assassin's Creed III (X360) - 17,389 (176,163)
4) Prototype 2 (X360) - 12,974 (65,742)
5) Max Payne 3 (X360) - 8,746 (122,755)
6) Prototype 2 (PS3) - 7,982 (78,720)
7) Assassin's Creed III (PS3) - 5,979 (112,135)
8) Borderlands 2 (X360) - 5,736 (127,740)
9) Max Payne 3 (PS3) - 5,044 (100,972)
10) Halo 4 (X360) - 4,854 (216,123)

Written by: Mike Glubish

View the original article here