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NewsNPD: Top 20 Best-Selling PC Games of October

Posted 11/17/08 at 11:24:42 PM by Nathan Grayson

Fallout 3 -- looks about right. Next up, Spore -- no Nancy Drews here. And then we have... Nancy Drew: The Haunting of Castle Malloy? In third place? We're double face-palming (separately, and with disappointment -- not like Macaulay Culkin), especially considering who crossed the finish line huffing-and-puffing behind Ms. Killjoy.

Just take a look at the full list of NPD Group's top 20 best-selling games of October.

   1. Fallout 3 / Bethesda Softworks / $49 (Average)
   2. Spore / EA Maxis / $49 (Average)
   3. Nancy Drew: The Haunting of Castle Malloy / Her Interactive / $18 (Average)
   4. Far Cry 2 / Ubisoft Montreal / $50 (Average)
   5. Warhammer Online: Age Of Reckoning / EA Mythic / $49 (Average)
   6. World Of Warcraft: Battle Chest / Blizzard Entertainment / $38 (Average)
   7. The Sims 2 Apartment Life Expansion Pack / EA Maxis / $26 (Average)
   8. Fallout 3 Collectors Ed / Bethesda Softworks / $79 (Average)
   9. The Sims 2 Double Deluxe / EA Maxis / $25 (Average)
10. Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 / EA Los Angeles / $48 (Average)
11. World Of Warcraft / Blizzard Entertainment / $20 (Average)
12. Civilization IV: Colonization / Firaxis / $29 (Average)
13. World Of Warcraft: Burning Crusade / Blizzard Entertainment / $29 (Average)
14. Crysis: Warhead / Crytek / $30 (Average)
15. Brothers In Arms: Hell's Highway / Gearbox Software / $49 (Average)
16. Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 Premier Ed / EA Los Angeles / $65 (Average)
17. Dead Space / EA Redwood Shores / $49 (Average)
18. Spore Creature Creator / Spore Creature Creator / $10 (Average)
19. Civilization IV / Firaxis / $24 (Average)
20. The Sims 2 FreeTime Expansion Pack / EA Maxis / $25 (Average)

As per usual, this data is retail only, but we're still not too happy with you, Far Cry 2. Really, Ubisoft! At least Red Alert 3 has an excuse.

Comments: 14
TAGS: gaming, Software, news, sales, npd

NewsTop-Selling PC Games of September: Spore, WAR, and More

Posted 10/17/08 at 10:20:19 PM by Nathan Grayson

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.)

Comments: 4
TAGS: gaming, Software, news, EA, spore, npd, Mythic, Warhammer Online, Other Games, Maxis

NewsWii Wrests US Crown from Xbox 360

Posted 07/19/08 at 02:09:13 AM by Pulkit Chandna

It was more a question of when than if: Wii sales leaping past Xbox 360’s in the U.S. The Wii has formally breached Xbox 360’s bastion by going past its US sales tally, according to the latest data from NPD. Wii is now the best-selling console in the U.S also. The month of June proved to be quite fecund for the Wii, as the headcount of US Wii owners rose by 666,000 in this month. Nintendo has sold 10.9 million units of its popular 7th generation console in the States. The month of June was great for the US videogame industry as a whole. The PS3 saw a massive increase of 94% in sales compared to the preceding month and also trounced the Xbox 360 to finish second.