05/Oct/2009

‘FIFA 10’ scores the biggest All Formats No1 launch since GTA: IV, generating 48% more sales than its predecessor ‘FIFA 09’ managed when it was launched exactly a year ago.

It goes without saying that it is the biggest ever launch of a FIFA game, becoming the 2nd biggest all formats launch ever in the UK behind GTA IV, edging past GTA: San Andreas (which admittedly was launched only on PS2, while ‘FIFA 10’ is on XB360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii and PC). As with last year’s FIFA, Xbox 360’s share is 2 percentage points more than PS3 as Microsoft’s format generates 48% of sales, PS3 46% with 6% on the remaining formats). ‘FIFA 09’ sold 42% on Xbox 360 and 40% on PS3 in its launch week, with the remaining formats securing a much larger 18% share. The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions are now respectively the 5th and 6th fastest selling single format releases.

Nintendo’s ‘Professor Layton and Pandora’s Box’ holds on to 2nd place as sales of last week’s No1 ‘Halo 3: ODST’ slip 75% to No3, only 300 sales behind. ‘Need for Speed: Shift’ moves down one place to No4 ahead of ‘Wii Sports Resort’ which enjoys a 33% jump in sales thanks in part to the new £179.99 Wii Sports Resort hardware bundle. ‘Guitar Hero 5’ remains a Top 10 contender, dropping down 2 places to No6, while EA’s ‘MySims Agents’ sneaks into the Top 10 in its second week of launch, up from No16 to No7. ‘Gran Turismo’ on PSP’s UMD format is off the mark at No12. Coinciding with the launch of Sony’s new media-less PSPGo console, the Playstation Network download version of ‘Gran Turismo’ was offered free to early adopters. There are new entries for Tecmo Koei’s ‘Ninja Gaiden: Sigma 2’ on PS3 at No26 and Deep Silver’s Oblivion-style RPG ‘Risen’ at No29.