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Saling The World: Wrath of the Lich King Leads U.S. Preorders
by Danny Cowan
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September 19, 2008
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Gamasutra's weekly column, "Saling The World", covers the top five sellers for every available platform in the United States, Japan, and Europe, providing an important update of sales patterns worldwide.
This week's charts, with data taken from September 18th, 2008, find the World of Warcraft expansion pack Wrath of the Lich King leading sales among all available and upcoming titles in North America, while Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and Rock Band 2 top first-week sales on consoles. Data for "Saling The World" comes courtesy of the public sales information on Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, and Amazon.co.jp, with sales split out for each platform and territory, and pre-orders disregarded.
This results in a true sense of what games are selling worldwide on the real-time updated service, as follows:
Nintendo Wii
North America: 1. Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo), 2. Wii Fit (Nintendo), 3. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (LucasArts), 4. Rock Band (EA Games), 5. Wii Play (Nintendo).
Japan: 1. Wii Fit (Nintendo), 2. One Piece Unlimited Cruise: Episode 1 - Nami ni Yureru Hihou (Bandai), 3. Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo), 4. Wii Sports (Nintendo), 5. BioHazard: Umbrella Chronicles -- Best Price! (Capcom).
UK: 1. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (LucasArts), 2. Wii Fit (Nintendo), 3. Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo), 4. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Bundle (Activision), 5. Wii Play (Nintendo).
Mario Kart Wii takes first place in North American Wii software sales for the second week in a row, narrowly edging out Wii Fit. Retailer supplies of Mario Kart Wii appear to have finally stabilized after months of shortages, as Amazon reports that the sought-after title is currently in stock and available for purchase. Wii Fit remains sold out at Amazon, though third-party prices are quickly falling as new shipments become available nationwide.
Wii Fit is back on top in Japan after last week's top-selling debut of One Piece Unlimited Cruise: Episode 1, meanwhile, as Star Wars: The Force Unleashed claims victory in the UK.
Xbox 360
North America: 1. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (LucasArts), 2. Rock Band 2 (MTV Games), 3. Madden NFL 09 (EA Sports), 4. Halo 3 (Microsoft), 5. Grand Theft Auto IV (Rockstar).
Japan: 1. Tales of Vesperia (Namco), 2. Unreal Tournament 3 (EA Games), 3. Infinite Undiscovery (Square Enix), 4. Infinite Undiscovery -- Limited Edition (Namco), 5. Dead Rising -- Xbox 360 Platinum Collection (Capcom).
UK: 1. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (LucasArts), 2. Halo 3 (Microsoft), 3. Grand Theft Auto IV (Rockstar), 4. Mercenaries 2: World in Flames (EA Games), 5. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare -- Game of the Year Edition (Activision).
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and Rock Band 2 debut to fast sales in North America this week, pushing past Madden NFL 09 as the week's overall top sellers. Halo 3 and Grand Theft Auto IV still boast a significant amount of chart staying power, meanwhile, finishing at fourth and fifth.
In Japan, Tales of Vesperia reclaims the top Xbox 360 sales spot after being beaten by Infinite Undiscovery last week, while the just-released Unreal Tournament 3 debuts at second place.
PlayStation 3
North America: 1. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (LucasArts), 2. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (Konami), 3. Grand Theft Auto IV (Rockstar), 4. Resistance: Fall of Man (SCEA), 5. Gran Turismo 5: Prologue (SCEA).
Japan: 1. Afrika (SCEI), 2. Trusty Bell: Chopin no Yume (Namco), 3. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots -- Special Edition (Konami), 4. Battlefield: Bad Company (EA Games), 5. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion -- PlayStation 3 the Best (Bethesda).
UK: 1. Grand Theft Auto IV (Rockstar), 2. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (SCEA), 3. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (Konami), 4. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 (EA Sports), 5. Assassin's Creed (Ubisoft).
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed also leads on the PlayStation 3 in North American sales, though this week's other top console seller Rock Band 2 is not expected to see release on the platform until next month. Metal Gear Solid 4 continues to do brisk business in the meantime, while Resistance: Fall of Man sees another successful week after a recent drop in price.
The awaited PlayStation 3 port of Trusty Bell: Chopin no Yume (released in other regions on the Xbox 360 as Eternal Sonata) takes second place in Japanese sales in its first week of release, as Sony's Afrika continues to dominate regional results.
PlayStation 2
North America: 1. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (LucasArts), 2. God of War II (SCEA), 3. Madden NFL 09 (EA Sports), 4. Rock Band Special Edition (EA Games), 5. Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s (Activision).
Japan: 1. Hokuouki (Idea Factory), 2. Hokuouki -- Limited Edition (Idea Factory), 3. Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol. 33: Fantasy Zone Complete Collection (Sega), 4. Heart no Kuni no Alice (Prototype), 5. Sengoku Basara X (Capcom).
UK: 1. Lego Indiana Jones (LucasArts), 2. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Bundle (Activision), 3. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (Rockstar), 4. FIFA 08 (EA Sports), 5. Mercenaries 2: World in Flames (EA Games).
Demand for Yakuza 2 falls sharply this week, with the title failing to make an appearance in North America's top five following a first-place debut last week. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed takes top honors in its place, while a price-dropped Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s rejoins the chart at fifth place.
Idea Factory's recently released adventure title Hokuouki tops PS2 sales numbers in Japan this week, while Persona 4 and Fantasy Zone Complete Collection trail close behind at second and third place.
PC
North America: 1. Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (EA Games), 2. Spore (EA Games), 3. Crysis: Warhead (EA Games), 4. World of Warcraft Battle Chest (Blizzard), 5. The Witcher: Enhanced Edition (Atari).
Japan: 1. Spore (EA Games), 2. Final Fantasy XI: The Vana'diel Collection (Square Enix), 3. Ayashi no Miya (Kogado Studio), 4. Monster Hunter Frontier Online Season 3.0 Premium (E-Frontier), 5. Ragnarok Online Beginner's Package 2008 (E Frontier).
UK: 1. Spore (EA Games), 2. Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (EA Games), 3. The Sims 2: Apartment Life (EA Games), 4. Spore Creature Creator (EA Games), 5. Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Deluxe Edition (Microsoft).
Presales for the upcoming World of Warcraft expansion pack Wrath of the Lich King have spiked in the past week at Amazon in the U.S. and the UK. The Collector's Edition of Wrath of the Lich King finishes as this week's single best-selling software title across all platforms in the United States, with customer orders reaching a fever pitch following Blizzard's announcement that presales for the item would soon be closed.
Among currently available software, the just-released MMORPG Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning ranks as North America's biggest-selling PC title for the week, while last week's chart champion Spore drops to second place.
Nintendo DS
North America: 1. Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir (Nintendo), 2. Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen (Square Enix), 3. New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo), 4. Mario Kart DS (Nintendo), 5. GRID (Codemasters).
Japan: 1. Pocket Monsters Platinum (Nintendo), 2. Rhythm Tengoku Gold (Nintendo), 3. Quiz Magic Academy DS (Konami), 4. Dragon Ball DS (Bandai), 5. KORG DS-10 (AQ Interactive).
UK: 1. Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training (Nintendo), 2. More Brain Training (Nintendo), 3. Mario Kart DS (Nintendo), 4. 42 All-Time Classics (Nintendo), 5. Puzzler Collection (Ubisoft).
After a slow sales start in its debut week, Nintendo's Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir climbs to the top of this week's North American Nintendo DS sales results. Square Enix's DS remake of Dragon Quest IV also sees strong sales this week, while New Super Mario Bros. and Mario Kart DS follow at third and fourth place.
The multi-week chart reign of Rhythm Tengoku Gold comes to an end in Japan, where Pocket Monsters Platinum premieres as the week's best-selling DS title. Konami's Quiz Magic Academy DS and Dragon Ball DS also see a successful debut week, while KORG DS-10 falls to fifth place.
PlayStation Portable
North America: 1. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (LucasArts), 2. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (Square Enix), 3. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (Rockstar), 4. God of War: Chains of Olympus (SCEA), 5. Patapon (SCEA).
Japan: 1. Katekyoo Hitman Reborn! Battle Arena (Marvelous), 2. Samurai Dou Portable (Spike), 3. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (Capcom), 4. Phantasy Star Portable (Sega), 5. Clannad (Prototype).
UK: 1. Lego Indiana Jones (LucasArts), 2. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (Square Enix), 3. FIFA 08 (EA Sports), 4. Tekken: Dark Resurrection (Namco Bandai), 5. Sega Mega Drive Collection (Sega).
The Force Unleashed manages to upset the PSP charts this week, pushing long-time North American chart leader Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII to second place. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories sees an increase in popularity this week, while Patapon returns at fifth place after a long chart absence.
Japan also finds a new sales leader this week in Katekyoo Hitman Reborn! Battle Arena, while the just-released Samurai Dou Portable premieres at second place. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G drops out of the top spot to third place, as Phantasy Star Portable finishes fourth.
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