As per usual, the NPD Group kept its giant, cyclopian eye glued to videogame sales for the month of September*. However, as per never before, the Group also decided to compile its weekly retail PC game sales into a colossal monthly communion, full of surprises and intrigue.

Hot Wheels: Beat That set the standard for September, issuing forth a challenge to all other games. 17 games did, in fact, beat that, with at least two unquestionably better games also beating it, but in reverse.

Spore and Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning took top honors, selling 406,000 and 274,000 units respectively. NPD, sadly, did not divulge digits for any more of the 20 games listed.

It should also be noted that NPD only covers retail sales, so any sales generated by Steam, Direct 2 Drive, or other such outlets do not count.

PC Game Sales (September)

   1. Spore / EA Maxis / $50 (Average)
   2. Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning / EA Mythic / $49 (Average)
   3. The Sims 2 Apartment Life Expansion Pack / EA Maxis / $30 (Average)
   4. Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Collector's Edition / EA Mythic / $80 (Average)
   5. Spore Galactic Edition / EA Maxis / $79 (Average)
   6. World Of Warcraft: Battle Chest / Blizzard / $37 (Average)
   7. Crysis Warhead / Crytek (Publisher: EA) / $29 (Average)
   8. The Sims 2 Double Deluxe / EA Maxis / $30 (Average)
   9. World Of Warcraft / Blizzard / $20 (Average)
  10. Spore Creature Creator / EA Maxis / $10 (Average)
  11. World Of Warcraft: Burning Crusade / Blizzard / $28 (Average)
  12. Civilization IV: Colonization / Firaxis / $29 (Average)
  13. Warcraft III Battle Chest / Blizzard / $39 (Average)
  14. Civilization IV / Firaxis / $27 (Average)
  15. The Sims 2 IKEA Home Stuff Expansion / EA Maxis / $20 (Average)
  16. Diablo Battle Chest / Blizzard / $39 (Average)
  17. StarCraft Battle Chest / Blizzard / $20 (Average)
  18. Hot Wheels: Beat That / Activision / $15 (Average)
  19. Crysis / Crytek (Publisher: EA) / $38 (Average)
  20. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky / GSC Game World / $39 (Average)

Jump past the break for overall software sales, with games included. (Exciting preview: Apple fails.)