UK Charts: Dead Space 2 takes top spot

Dead Space 2 Train2Game blog image

Dead Space 2 has entered the UKIE GFK Chart-Track All Formats chart at Number 1, becoming the second sequel to take top spot in as many weeks.

The dethroning of LittleBigPlanet 2 means there’s been a different Number One for every week in 2011 so far.  It mark also marks a much more successful debut week for Dead Space 2, with a 70% increase in launch sales compared to the original games launch week in 2008.

Last weeks No. 1 LittleBigPlanet 2 drops to second place while former chart topper FIFA 11 rises one spot to No. 3. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood also moves up one to No.4 as Call of Duty: Black Ops drops down to No. 5.  It’s been two weeks since Activision’s highly successful shooter last took top spot.

Just Dance 2 still remains in the top ten despite falling three places to No. 6 with Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit spending week 4 one place behind it after moving up three places from No. 10.

Wii Fit plus drops to No. 8 while Art Academy and Just Dance both re-enter the topt en.

Mass Effect 2 and Gran Turismo 5 both leave the UKIE GFK Chart-Track All Formats topten, dropping to No. 11 and No. 14 respectively.

The full UKIE GfK Chart-Track All Formats top ten for the week ending January 29th 2011 is as follows:

1. Dead Space 2 (EA)
2. LittleBigPlanet 2 (Sony)
3. FIFA 11 (EA)
4. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (Ubisoft)
5. Call of Duty: Black Ops (Activision)
6. Just Dance 2 (Ubisoft)
7. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (EA)
8. Wii Fit Plus (Nintendo)
9. Art Academy (Nintendo)
10. Just Dance (Ubisoft)

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on this weeks’ UKIE GfK Chart-Track All Formats chart? Is it well deserved by Dead Space 2? With no major releases in the coming week, will Dead Space 2 hold on? And has the momentum of Call of Duty: Black Ops finally slowed down?

As usual, you can leave your thoughts here on the Train2Game blog or on the Train2Game forum. You can also let us know what you think on Twitter.

Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (C)2010 UKIE Ltd

Train2Game, in association with DR Studios and the University of Bedfordshire, will be holding a Game Jam at the end of March. For more information, see this Train2Game blog post or the Train2Game Game Jam Facebook page. Alternatively, keep an eye on the Train2Game Game Jam Twitter account.

UK Charts: Black Ops back on top

Call of Duty: Black Ops is once again top of the UKIE GfK Chart-Track All Formats Top 40. It’s Black Ops’ seventh number one and now the game only needs one more to match Modern Warfare 2’s total of eight weeks at the top.

It marks something of a revival for Call of Duty: Black Ops, which had slipped to third last week. The change at the top pushes FIFA 11 – which had held top spot for the previous two weeks – back down to second, while Just Dance 2 drops one place to third.

The top five completed by two motion controller based games with Wii Fit plus up one place in fourth while Kinect Sports has jumped from fifth to tenth spot.

The rise of these two pushes Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit down two places to sixth while Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood and former Number 1 Gran Turismo 5 drop a spot each to seventh and eighth respectively.

Another former chart topper in the form of Fallout: New Vegas remains in the top ten but slips to ninth while Sony’s PC and PS3 MMO DC Universe Online claims 10th spot in its first week on sale.

The UKIE GfK Chart-Track All Formats Top Ten for the week ending January 15th 2011 is as follows:

1. Call of Duty : Black Ops (Activision)
2. FIFA 11 (EA)
3. Just Dance 2(Ubisoft)
4. Wii Fit Plus (Nintendo)
5. Kinect Sports (Microsoft)
6. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (EA)
7. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (Ubisoft)
8. Gran Turismo 5 (Sony)
9. Fallout: New Vegas (Bethesda)
10. DC Universe Online (SOE)

The coming week sees a couple of big releases in the form of the long awaited Mass Effect 2 release for PlayStation 3, and LittleBigPlanet 2.  The latter has been getting some great review scores which you can see here on the Train2Game blog.

So Train2Game, are you surprised to see Black Ops back on top? What do you think about DC Universe Online making the top ten? And will one of the big new entries this week be Number 1 come next Monday?

As usual, you can leave your thoughts here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm sells 4.7 million copies in one month

World of Warcraft Cataclysm Train2Game Blog Image

Train2Game students certainly weren’t the only people hyped for the release of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm last month, with Activision Blizzard revealing that 4.7 million copies of the expansion have been sold worldwide.

The huge success of Cataclysm – a game which has more than likely stolen the lives of many Train2Game students – means that it has set a new record for monthly PC game sales.   The previous record holder was another World of Warcraft expansion in the form of  Wrath of the Lich King.

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm was released on December 7th and sold 3.3 million copies worldwide in its first 24 hours.  Here in the UK, it managed to reach third in the All Formats chart.

“We created thousands of new quests, introduced new lands to explore, and extensively revamped the game world for World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, making it our biggest and most ambitious expansion yet,” said CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment Mike Morhaime.

“We’ve been floored by the community’s response so far, and we’d like to thank them for their continued passion and support for World of Warcraft, and for helping Cataclysm reach this incredible milestone.”

Prior to the launch of Cataclysm 12 million players – including many Train2Game students – held monthly subscriptions for World of Warcraft.

2010 was a good year Activision Blizzard’s PC releases, with Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty selling over three million copies during its first month on sale.

Today UKIE revealed the top selling games of 2010. In the PC Chart, World of Warcraft: Cataclysm was fourth.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the success of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm? Are you impressed by the sales numbers? If you’re still playing, how are you finding it?

As usual, you can leave your thoughts here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: Activision Blizzard]

UK Charts: FIFA 11 stays top as Black Op slips

FIFA 11 remains top of the All-Formats chart, while Train2Game students may be surprised to see Call of Duty: Black Ops has slipped to third.

EA’s FIFA 11 is this years top selling game,  having taken first from Call of Duty: Black Ops last week. It’s the fourth week the football giant has held the top spot, having originally claimed Number One after its release at the very end of September.

Call of Duty: Black Ops once again slips down a position to third, after previously holding number one for a total of eight weeks including at Christmas. Could Train2Game students see Call of Duty: Black Ops slipping further down the charts in the coming weeks? FIFA 11 and Black Ops are separated by Just Dance 2 which climbs from fourth up to second.

The top five is rounded out by Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit which drops once place to fourth, while Wii Fit Plus re-enters the top ten and takes fifth after jumping eight spots up the charts.

The success of Wii Fit Plus causes Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood – which the Train2Game blog reported as one of the biggest surprises of last year – to drop one place to sixth. Former Number One Gran Turismo 5 remains in seventh place.

Another former chart topper in the form of Fallout: New Vegas continues its steady climb up the chart moving up one position to eighth place. It takes the place of The Sims 3 which drops to ninth, while the top ten is completed by Kinect Sports.

Mass Effect 2 has re-entered the charts ahead of its PlayStation 3 release and takes 18th spot.

The UKIE GfK Chart-Track All Formats Top Ten for the week ending January 8th 2011 is as follows:

1. FIFA 11 (Electronic Arts)
2. Just Dance 2 (Ubisoft)
3. Call of Duty: Black Ops (Activision)
4. Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit (Electronic Arts)
5. Wii Fit Plus (Nintendo)
6. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (Ubisoft)
7. Gran Turismo 5 (Sony)
8. Fallout: New Vegas (Bethesda)
9. The Sims 3 (Electronic Arts)
10. Kinect Sports (Microsoft)

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on this weeks chart? Do you think Call of Duty: Black Ops will continue to slip, or will it reclaim Number One in the future? Could Just Dance 2 take the top spot next week?

And with Square Enix releasing Kingdom Hearts: Re: coded for the Nintendo DS – which you can read about here on the Thoughts of Train2Game blog –  this week, do you think it’ll feature in the top ten come Monday?

As usual, Train2Game blog readers can leave their thoughts here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

UK Charts: FIFA 11 takes top spot from Black Ops

FIFA 11 logo

FIFA 11 is the first chart topper of 2011, knocking  Call of Duty: Black Ops from the top of the GFK Chart-Track All formats chart in the process.

Train2Game students may recall that it isn’t the first time Call of Duty: Black Ops has been dethroned since it was released in November. Gran Turismo 5 took Number 1 when it was released later that month, but Call of Duty: Black Ops was back on top the following week.

Activision’s behemoth was the biggest selling game in the UK every week all the way through to Christmas when it took the much sought after title of Christmas Number 1. However, FIFA 11 denies Black Ops a seventh Number 1 position thanks to strong post Christmas sales which could be in part due to heavy discounting at a number of retailers.

Whatever the reason may be, FIFA 11 now holds Number 1 position in the UK Charts for the third time since its record breaking release at the very start of October.

Elsewhere in the top ten not much has changed with Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, Just Dance 2 and Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood once again staying in third, fourth and fifth spots respectively.

Kinect Sports moves up two places to sixth in what is the second best ever week in the charts for Kinect Games. There are five Kinect titles in the Top 40, the highest amount since eight Kinect games charted in the week the hands free motion controller was launched.

Both Gran Turismo 5 and The Sims 3 drop once place each to occupy seventh and eigth spots while former Number 1 Fallout: New Vegas once again re-enters the top ten.  Dance central takes tenth spot having risen nine places from nineteenth.

Outside the top ten, both WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 and yet another former number one in the form of Fable III make significant moves, jumping from 27th to 14th and 32nd to 15th respectively.

You can check out the Train2Game review of WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 here on the Train2Game blog.

The UKIE GfK Chart-Track All Formats Top Ten for the week ending January 1st in full is as follows:

1. FIFA 11 (EA)
2. Call of Duty: Black Ops (Activision)
3. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (EA)
4. Just Dance 2 (Ubisoft)
5. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (Ubisoft)
6. Kinect Sports (Microsoft)
7. Gran Turismo 5 (Sony)
8. The Sims 3 (EA)
9. Fallout: New Vegas (Bethesda)
10. Dance Central (Microsoft)

So Train2Game, are you surprised to see FIFA 11 back on top? Will Call of Duty: Black Ops just regain top spot next week? And what do you think will happen in the charts given that there aren’t any major releases until the middle of January?

As usual, you can leave your thoughts here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Call of Duty: Black Ops takes Christmas Number 1

Call of Duty: Black Ops

Call of Duty: Black Ops is this years’ Christmas Number 1, having held onto top spot in the GFK Chart-Track All-Formats Top 40.

Activision’s first person shooter has now sold over 3 million copies in the UK – with almost half of those sales coming on the first 24 hours on sale. The success of Call of Duty: Black Ops means that it’s now one of only three games to top £100 in revenue here in the UK. (The other games that have are Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Wii Fit)

The Call of Duty Black Ops Christmas Number 1 means that the game once again holds off FIFA 11 which remains in second place.  Another EA published title in the form of Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit is the third biggest seller this week, and has jumped up four places from seventh in last weeks charts.

Just Dance 2 moves up two places into fourth place, and it’s followed by another Ubisoft title, Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood which drops one spot to fifth. Former chart topper Gran Turismo 5 has also dropped one place down to sixth.

Nintendo Wii exclusive Donkey Kong Country Returns rises one place to seventh, while Medal of Honor re-enters the top ten and takes 8th place. EA’s shooter achieved top spot back in October. Wii Fit Plus and Professor Layton and the Lost Future switch positions once again, taking ninth and tenth for Nintendo respectively.

The biggest loser this week is World of Warcraft: Cataclysm which despite debuting in third only last week, is no longer even in the top 40.

“With over 11 million videogames sold in the last four weeks in the UK, generating over £290 million, they are clearly the gift of choice this Christmas, showing once again that the interactive entertainment industry is the UK’s leading creative industry,” said UKIE Director General Michael Rawlinson .

“The Christmas chart also demonstrates the variety of choice on offer for consumers; there really is something for everyone.”

The full UKIE GfK Chart-Track All Formats Top Ten for the week ending December 18th is as follows:

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops (Activision)
2. FIFA 11 (EA)
3. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (EA)
4. Just Dance 2 (Ubisoft)
5. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (Ubisoft)
6. Gran Turismo 5 (Sony)
7. Donkey Kong Country Returns (Nintendo)
8. Medal of Honor (EA)
9. Wii Fit Plus (Nintendo)
10. Professor Layton and the Lost Future (Nintendo)

So Train2Game, is it a well deserved Christmas Number 1 for Call of Duty: Black Ops? Do you think Activision’s behemoth will be unseated from its throne anytime soon? Are you surprised to see World of Warcraft: Cataclysm completely drop from the Top 40? And do you think the top ten does indeed show there is something for everyone?

As usual, you can leave your thoughts here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Uk Charts: Call of Duty: Black Ops regains Number 1

Call of Duty: Black Ops

Call of Duty: Black Ops has returned to the top of the UKIE GfK Chart-Track All Formats Top 40, knocking last weeks Number 1 Gran Turismo 5 down to fourth in the process.

It’s the Activision published shooters third week at Number 1 since it was released a month ago. Call of Duty: Black Ops is still being keenly played by Train2Game students now.

EA’s FIFA 11 is still selling strongly and moves up two places to second place, while Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood holds onto third spot. Gran Turismo 5 drops to fourth place after taking pole position after its long waited release on November 23rd.

With the top four titles likely to be on some Train2Game students Christmas wish lists, will one of them take the all important Christmas number one?

Just Dance 2 is a non mover in fifth place and is tailed by the biggest mover in this weeks chart. Michael Jackson: The Experience has jumped from 38th to 6th place. That’s a rise of 32 places for the dancing game.

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit drops one place to seventh while Nintendo’s Wii Party and Wii Fit plus occupy eighth and ninth spots respectively.  Professor Layton and the Lost Future rounds out the top ten having moved up one place from 11th. The Nintendo DS title pushes former number one Fallout: New Vegas down to 11th spot.

Donkey Kong Country Returns enters the chart in thirteenth place, while Super Mario All-Stars 25th Anniversary – sure to be a favourite amongst old school Train2Game students – takes 22nd place.

The full UKIE GfK Chart-Track All Formats Top Ten for the week ending December 4th is as follows:

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops (Activision)
2. FIFA 11 (EA)
3. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (Ubisoft)
4. Gran Turismo 5 (Sony)
5. Just Dance 2 (Ubisoft)
6. Michael Jackson: The Experience (Ubisoft)
7. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (EA)
8. Wii Party (Nintendo)
9. Wii Fit Plus (Nintendo)
10. Professor Layton and the Lost Future (Nintendo)

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts about Call of Duty: Black Ops being back on top? Are you still playing? Or perhaps you bought it this week? Do you think Gran Turismo 5 will slowly slip down the charts?  Has anyone played Michael Jackson: The Experience?

Finally, will World of Warcraft: Cataclysm be able to take number one next week? The expansion is launched tonight.

As usual, you can leave your thoughts here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

UK Charts: Gran Turismo 5 races past Call of Duty: Black Ops to take No. 1

Gran Turismo 5

It may have been years in the making, but Gran Turismo 5 has made an immediate impact on the UKIE GfK Chart-Track All Formats Top 40 by taking top spot.

After a long wait, Gran Turismo 5 was finally released last Wednesday to generally positive reviews. The icing on the cake for Sony and Polyphony Digital is that the racer has reached number one in its debut week by knocking the mighty behemoth that is Call of Duty: Black Ops from the top spot.

Activision’s first person shooter was number one for two weeks following its record breaking release. The arrival of Gran Turismo 5 also pushes Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood down one spot to third place in this weeks chart.  FIFA 11 is still selling strongly almost two months after its chart topping debut, and holds onto fourth place. Just Dance 2 is also a non-mover and remains in fifth.

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit has moved down three places from third to sixth in its second week on sale, while Nintendo Wii Party has also moved down the top ten, dropping one place to seventh spot.  Art Academy for the Nintendo DS is the big winner in this weeks Top 40, jumping almost 20 places from 27th to eighth place. It overtakes another Nintendo Title, Wii Sports Resort which has dropped two to ninth.

Former number one Fallout: New Vegas, rounds out the top ten, having clawed its way back in after dropping to 13th place last week.

Elsewhere, Red Dead Redemption expansion pack Undead Nightmare enters the UK Chart in 14th place, while Ubisoft’s Michael Jackson: The Experience is a new entry in 32nd.

Disney’s brand new – and heavily advertised – Epic Mickey has failed to even reach the Top 40 and only managed to reach 11th in the Nintendo Wii chart.

The full UKIE GfK Chart-Track All Formats Top Ten for the week ending November 27th is as follows:

1. Gran Turismo 5 (Sony)
2. Call of Duty: Black Ops (Activision)
3. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (Ubisoft)
4. FIFA 11 (EA)
5. Just Dance 2 (Ubisoft)
6. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (EA)
7. Wii Party (Nintendo)
8. Art Academy (Nintendo)
9. Wii Sports Resort (Nintendo)
10. Fallout: New Vegas (Bethesda)

So Train2Game, do you think Gran Turismo 5 deserves the honour of number 1? Can it go on to be ‘the biggest selling PS3 game of the year’ or will sales drop next week? And are you surprised to see Epic Mickey fail to even make the Top 40?

You can leave your thoughts about Gran Turismo 5, Epic Mickey or any other game in the UK Top 40 here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

UK Charts – Call of Duty: Black Ops stays top

Call of Duty Black Ops

Call of Duty: Black Ops has held off Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood and Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit to hold onto Number 1 in the UKIE GfK Chart Track All Formats Top 40. It means that Call of Duty: Black Ops spends a second week at the top, following its record breaking debut.

The continued success of Activision’s shooter means that Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood has to settle for second place, despite some extremely impressive review scores, and many retailers putting on special deals for the latest in the Ubisoft series. Sainsbury’s is currently selling Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood for just £29.99 with no strings attached, but the deal won’t last forever! Meanwhile, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit also makes a strong debut, entering the charts in third place.

The new entries of Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood and Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit has pushed other titles down the rankings. FIFA 11 drops from second to fouth, while Just Dance two also moves down two places from third to fifth.

Two Nintendo Wii titles have re-entered the top ten with Wii Party climbing from twelfth to sixth while Wii Sports Resort jumps a massive 12 places from nineteenth to seventh. A Nintendo title also features in eighth spot with Professor Layton and the Lost Future for the Nintendo DS having dropped two positions from sixth.

Kinect Sports drops from fourth to ninth in its second week on sale while New Super Mario Brothers Wii rounds out the top ten having dropped two places from eighth spot.

Previous chart toppers Fallout: New Vegas and Football Manager 2011 have both dropped out of the top ten, falling to thirteenth and nineteenth respectively. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II also leaves the top ten, having dropped five places to fifteenth.

However, the three top ten leavers are still above EA’s licensed Harry Potter: The Deathly Hallows Part 1, which could only manage 20th in its first week.

The full Gfk-ChartTrack top ten for the week ending November 20th is as follows:

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops (Activision)
2. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (Ubisoft)
3. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (EA)
4. FIFA 11 (EA)
5. Just Dance 2 (Ubisoft)
6. Wii Party (Nintendo)
7. Wii Sports Resort (Nintendo)
8. Professor Layton and the Lost Future (Nintendo)
9. Kinect Sports (Microsoft)
10. New Super Mario Bros Wii (Nintendo)

So Train2Game, did you think that Call of Duty: Black Ops was always going to hold off Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood and Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit? Or are you surprised to see it still selling so well after its massive first week? And with Gran Turismo 5 being released on Wednesday, do you think we could be seeing a new number one next week?

You can leave your thoughts about Call of Duty: Black Ops, Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, Gran Turismo 5 or any other game in the UKIE GfK Chart Track All Formats chart here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Fable III crowned King of the charts

Fable III

Fable III has risen straight to the top of the UKIE GfK Chart-Track All Formats Top 40 in its first week of release.  The Xbox 360 exclusive Fable III gives Microsoft its third Number 1 of the year, following on from the chart topping success of Halo: Reach and Crackdown 2. You can see the TV trailer for Fable III here.

FIFA 11 is still selling successfully, with the EA title gaining one position and moving up to second place in the chart. FIFA 11 had previously topped the charts after breaking the series previous sales records. FIFA 11’s move up the table means that last weeks Number One, Fallout: New Vegas, has slipped down to third place.

Just Dance 2 has gained one position and moved into fourth place, while Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II debuts in the chart in fifth place. Medal of Honor goes from second to sixth place, dropping to its lowest position since topping the chart just two weeks ago.

There’s another new entry in the top ten, with WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 debuting in a respectable seventh place. You can see the Train2Game review of Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 here on the Train2Game blog.

Nintendo DS exclusive Professor Layton and the Lost Future drops down four places from fourth to eighth while the console release of The Sims 3 sees the game technically re-enter the top ten in ninth place. Some high street discounting sees Pro Evo 2011 just about remain in the top ten in tenth position. It’s probably safe to say that FIFA 11 has one the annual battle of the football games this year. Dead Rising 2, previous chart topper F1 2010, Halo: Reach and Wii Party all slip out of the top ten this week.

Elsewhere in the chart, EA’s Rock Band 3 enters in a disappointing 26th place, while Activision’s DJ Hero 2 slips from 25th to 39th in only its second week on release. Meanwhile, Vanquish drops from 16th to 28th while Enslaved: Odyssey to the West drops to 34th.

The full UKIE GfK Chart-Track All Formats Top Ten for the week ending October 30th is as follows:
1. Fable III (Microsoft)
2. FIFA 11 (EA)
3. Fallout: New Vegas (Bethesda)
4. Just Dance 2 (Ubisoft)
5. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II (LucasArts)
6. Medal of Honor (EA)
7. WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011 (THQ)
8. Professor Layton and the Lost Future (Nintendo)
9. The Sims 3 (EA)
10. PES 2011 (Konami)

New releases this week that will be looking to be in the top ten next Monday include GoldenEye 007 for Nintendo Wii, James Bond 007: Blood Stone and Football Manager 2011.

So Train2Game, have you played Fable III, if so do you think it’s deserving of its Number 1 spot? Do you think it’ll remain at the top next week, or will one of the new releases dethrone it? Have you played Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II or WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011? If so, what do you think about them?

You can leave your thoughts about Fable III, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II, WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011, or any other game in the charts here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.