Tag Archives: UKIE

Train2Game news: Modern Warfare 3 is No.1 in UK’s biggest week ever

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Train2Game blog readers saw Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 become the biggest entertainment launch ever last week. It’s therefore not surprising that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is the new UK No.1 in the biggest ever week for revenue.

Activision’s behemoth outsells the total opening weekend box office income of the last four Harry Potter films combined. The Xbox 360 version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 proves to be most popular with 59% of sales, ahead of 40% on PlayStation 3.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim debuts at No.2 and becomes 2011’s fifth biggest launch. It provides Bethesda’s biggest ever opening week, with the fantasy RPG more than twice as successful as Fallout: New Vegas. The combined success of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim means its biggest week ever for revenue, with a total of £120.8m made in this week’s chart.

The new entries mean EA’s former No.1 Battlefield 3 –as reported by the Train2Game blog – drops to No.3, while fellow EA title FIFA 12 slips to No.4. Just Dance 3 remains stable, occupying No.5 once again.

PlayStation 3 exclusive Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception drops to No.6 in its second week on sale, one spot ahead of a new entry Moshi Monsters: Moshling Zoo from London studio Mind Candy on Nintendo DS.

Batman: Arkham City slips to No.8, Zumba Fitness drops one to No.9, while Wii Party jumps 28 places to complete the top ten as part of the Nintendo Wii White Family Edition bundle.

Skylanders: Sypro’s Adventure, Forza Motorspot 4 and Football Manager 2012 all leave the top ten.

The UKIE Gfk Chart-Track All Formats Top 10 for the week ending 12th  November 2011 is therefore as follows:

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Activision)
2. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda)
3. Battlefield 3 (EA)
4. FIFA 12 (EA)
5. Just Dance 3 (Ubisoft)
6. Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (Sony)
7. Moshi Monsters: Moshling Zoo (Mind Candy)
8. Batman: Arkham City (Warner)
9. Zumba Fitness (505 Games)
10. Wii Party (Nintendo)

New releases for the coming week include Assassin’s Creed: Revelations and Halo: Anniversary.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the biggest ever week for revenue in the UK charts? Is it inevitable Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 still remain at No.1 for a long time to come?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

Train2Game news: UK Charts – Forza 4 powers past FIFA 12 for pole position

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After a record breaking debut week, as reported by the Train2Game blog, and a very successful second week on sale, FIFA 12 has narrowly lost its place at the top of the table and slips to No.2

It’s replaced by brand new racer Forza Motorsport 4, with the Xbox 360 exclusive pipping FIFA 12 to No.1 by just 700 sales. Forza claims the title of biggest launch week ever for an Xbox 360 racing game, and is one of seven new entries in this week’s top 20.

Just Dance 3 is the second highest new entry, with the Nintendo Wii version of the latest in the popular dance series making up over 90% of sales. Id Software’s Rage drops two places to No.4, with FIFA’s main rival PES 2012 reaching no.5 in its first week.

Former No.1 Gears of War 3 drops to No.6, while Namco Bandai’s Dark Souls slips from No.3 to No.7 in its second week on sale. Long time chart topper Zumba Fitness continues to feature in the top ten, despite slipping to No.8

F1 2011 drops four places to No.9, while new entry Jonah Lomu Challenge from Alternative Software completes the top ten in its debut week.

New entries outside the top ten are Ace Combat : Assault Horizon from Namco Bandai at No.12, Dead Rising 2: Off The Record from Capcom at No.14, and Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure published by Activision at No.16.

The UKIE Gfk Chart-Track All Formats Top 10 for the week ending 15th October 2011 is therefore as follows:

1. Forza Motorsport 4 (Microsoft)
2. FIFA 12 (EA)
3. Just Dance 3 (Ubisoft)
4. Rage (Bethesda)
5. PES 2012 (Konami)
6. Gears of War 3 (Microsoft)
7. Dark Souls (Namco Bandai)
8. Zumba Fitness (505 Games)
9. F1 2011 (Codemasters)
10. Jonah Lomu Rugby Challenge (Alternative Software)

The upcoming week is a big one for new releases, with Batman: Arkham City and Football Manager 2012 both hitting the shelves.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the new look top ten? Is it a well deserved No.1 and No.3 for Forza Motorsport 4 and Just Dance 3? And is it inevitable that Batman: Arkham City will soar to the top next week?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: UKIE Games Charts©, compiled by GfK Chart-Track]

UK Charts: Deus Ex Human Revolution topples Zumba Fitness

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Train2Game students will probably be relieved that for the first time in a very long time, Zumba Fitness isn’t top of the charts. The slow summer released schedule is at an end and Deus Ex: Human Revolution is the new UK No.1.

The Xbox 360 is the most popular format for Dues Ex: Human Revolution, with 57% of sales on the system.  Interestingly, Human Revolution debuts at No.1 while selling just 26,000 fewer copies than Deus Ex: Invisible War did in its entire selling life.

Long time chart topper – as often reported by the Train2Game blog – Zumba Fitness drops to No.2 with a 10% drop in sales, while Rugby World Cup 2011 debuts at No.3. LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean drops to No.4, with a resurgent Call of Duty: Black Ops re-entering the top ten to take No.5.

Familiar names make up the following positions with, Cars 2, FIFA 11, Dirt 3 and LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, occupying No. 6 to No.9. Discounts see Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood complete the top ten.

The UKIE Gfk Chart-Track All Formats Top 10 for the week ending 27th August 2011 is therefore as follows:

1. Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Square Enix)
2. Zumba Fitness (505 Games)
3. Rugby World Cup 2011 (505 Games)
4. LEGO: Pirates of the Caribbean (Disney Interactive)
5. Call of Duty: Black Ops (Activision)
6. Cars 2 (Disney Interactive)
7. FIFA 11 (EA)
8. Dirt 3 (Codemasters)
9. LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 (Warner)
10. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (Ubisoft)

Releases this week included Driver San Francisco, Bodycount and Madden NFL 12.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on Deus Ex: Human Revolution debuting at No.1? Will it stay there for awhile? Or will No.1 change often as various titles are released over the coming months?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: UKIE Games Charts©, compiled by GfK Chart-Track]

Train2Game news: Zumba Fitness top for 8th week running

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In news that’ll continue to befuddle some Train2Game students, Zumba Fitness continues its domination of the UK charts with its 8th consecutive No.1 and 11th top spot overall.

Zumba Fitness outsold the next four chart positions combined and its 11 weeks at the top put it joint 3rd with FIFA: Road To The World Cup 98 and FIFA Soccer ’96 when it comes to time at No.1.

Dirt 3 jumps from No.6 to No. 2, while a very different vehicle based game, Cars 2, drops one to No.3  Just Dance 2: Extra Songs remains at No.4, while there’s also no change for LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean which remains at  No.5.

FIFA 11 moves up to No.6 in its 45th week on sale, with Harry Potter: The Deathly Hallows Part a non-mover at No.7. Harry Potter fever also sees LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 re-enter the top ten at No.8.

Former No.1 – as reported by the Train2Game blog – L.A. Noire remains at No.9, while Call of Juarez: The Cartel drops to No. 10 in just its third week of release.

The UKIE Gfk Chart-Track All Formats Top 10 for the week ending 30th July 2011 is therefore as follows:

  1. Zumba Fitness (505 Games)
  2. Dirt 3 (Codemasters)
  3. Cars 2 (Disney Interactive)
  4. Just Dance 2: Extra Songs (Ubisoft)
  5. LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean (Disney Interactive)
  6. FIFA 11 (EA Sports)
  7. Harry Potter: The Deathly Hallows Part 2 (EA Games)
  8. LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 (Warner Bros. Interactive)
  9. L.A. Noire (Rockstar)
  10. Call of Juarez: The Cartel (Ubisoft)

It’s another slow week for game releases, with titles including Fruit Ninja Kinect.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the continued dominance of Zumba Fitness? And with so many big games scheduled for release during October and November, why aren’t some being released over the summer?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: UKIE Games Charts©, compiled by GfK Chart-Track]

UK Charts: Zumba Fitness stays top

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Last week, the Train2Game blog reported that Zumba Fitness had reclaimed No.1. So, in news that may not be so surprising to Train2Game students now, the multiplatform dance title is once again top of the UK Charts.

The fifth No.1 for Zumba Fitness comes following a 33% spike in sales for the week, the largest number of sales since release week in November.

Former No.1 L.A. Noire climbs two places to No.2, while F.E.A.R. 3 is this week’s highest new entry at No.3 DIRT 3 jumps to No.4, while LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean rises one place to No.5.

Outside of the top 5, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time3D drops from No.2 to No.6 on its second week on sale, while Duke Nukem Forever – No.1 two weeks ago as reported by the Train2Game blog – drops to No.7 in its third week.

FIFA 11 climbs two spots to No.8; former No.1 Brink falls to No.9, while Infamous 2 completes the top ten.

New entry Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon debuts at No.13 in its debut week, while Shadows of the Damned only manages No. 31 in its first week on sale.

The UKIE Gfk Chart-Track All Formats Top 10 for the week ending 25th June 2011 is therefore as follows:

1. Zumba Fitness (505 Games)
2. LA Noire (Rockstar)
3. FEAR 3 (Warner)
4. Dirt 3 (Codemasters)
5. LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean (Disney)
6. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (Nintendo)
7. FIFA 11 (EA)
8. Duke Nukem Forever (2K Games)
9. Brink (Bethesda)
10. Infamous 2 (Sony)

New releases this week that Train2Game students might be interested in include Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3 and Air Conflicts – Secret Wars.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the continued success of Zumba Fitness? Will it once again take No.1 this week? And what does the low entry position of Shadows of the Damned say?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: UKIE Games Charts©, compiled by GfK Chart-Track]

UK Charts: Black Ops back to No.1

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Not only is it still popular on the Train2Game forum, but Call of Duty: Black Ops has also regained No.1 in the UKIE/GFK Chart Track All Formats Top 40, and denies Marvel vs. Capcom 3 top spot in the process.

The UK’s top selling game of 2010 climbs back up to No.1 in its 15th week in the UKIE Chart, with help likely coming from retail discounting lowering the price of Call of Duty: Black Ops to under £30. It marks the titles’ eighth week at No.1, matching that of its predecessor Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The 2009 title however, achieved the 8 No.1’s in as many consecutive weeks.

The revival of Call of Duty: Black Ops prevents Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds taking top spot in its first week on sale. You can read more about the latest title from Capcom on the Thoughts of Train2Game blog.

Former No.1 Dead Space 2 has dropped one position to No. 3, while last weeks’ chart topper Test Drive Unlimited 2 moves down to No.4. The top 5 is completed by FIFA 11, which slips two places from No. 3.

Just Dance 2 moves up one place to retake No.6, while another Ubisoft title -Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood – drops two to No. 7.  Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem drops two to No.8, while two non-movers – Grand Theft Auto IV: The Complete Collection and LittleBigPlanet 2 complete the top ten.

Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is the only new entry in the UKIE Top 40.

The UKIE Gfk Chart-Track All Formats Top 10 for the week ending February 19th is as follows:

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops (Activision)
2. Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (Capcom)
3. Dead Space 2 (EA)
4. Test Drive Unlimited 2 (Atari)
5. FIFA 11 (EA)
6. Just Dance 2 (Ubisoft)
7. Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood (Ubisoft)
8. Mario vs Donkey Kong: Mini-land Mayhem (Nintendo)
9. Grand Theft Auto IV: Complete Collection (Rockstar)
10. LittleBigPlanet 2 (Sony)

There’s a busy week for release dates ahead, with Killzone 3, Bulletstorm and Kirby’s Epic Yarn – which was very successful in Japan – all hitting retail this week.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on Call of Duty: Black Ops re-taking No.1? Do you think Marvel vs. Capcom 3 deserved to take the top spot? And with so many releases next week, are you willing to predict if any of them will take No. 1?

As usual, you can leave your thoughts here on the Train2Game blog or on the Train2Game forum. You can also Tweet us on the Train2Game Twitter account.

[Source: “Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (C)2011 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 the official Train2Game Game Jam website or the Train2Game Game Jam Facebook page. Alternatively, keep an eye on the Train2Game Game Jam Twitter account.

42% of all Kinect games sold made in UK

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Developing motion controlled games may not be something Train2Game students have thought much about, but new figures say UK developers produce a significant number of these titles.

Figures from GFK Chart Track reveal that 42% of all Kinect games sold in the UK were also developed in Britain.  The best selling game for Kinect so far is Kinect Sports, developed by Warwickshire based studio Rare.  The game accounts for 28% of all KiNECT sales over the last ten weeks.

UK Game Developers now also hold a significant share of the PlayStation Move games sold, with 30% of software sales coming from software produced by studios here.

The FIGURES come from UKIE’s Motion Controller Report which looks at sales of Kinect, PlayStation Move and Wii Motion Plus games since October 2010.

“The array of strong products that our home-grown, UK talent is producing is something we can all be proud of.” said UKIE Chairman Michael Rawlinson

“This just shows how our UK developer base remains one of the best in the world, and can continue to step up to the plate as the market develops and platforms evolve.”

UKIE also point out that the current best selling game in the UK – as reported by the Train2Game blog – is LittleBigPlanet 2 from Guildford based studio Media Molecule.

Train2Game blog readers will know that the Kinect has sold extremely well.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on these sales figures? Had you considered developing motion controller based games before? Will you think about it now?

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

[Source:  CVG]

UKIE reveal top selling games of 2010. Can you guess what they are Train2Game?

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Call of Duty: Black Ops

Train2Game students are evidently aware that 2010 was a huge year for the games industry, and everyone has their own opinion as to what were the top games.  Of course, debate will continue to rage across the internet – including the Train2Game forum – but now Interactive Entertainment body UKIE has revealed the UK’s top selling games of 2010.

Train2Game students probably won’t be too surprised about what title was at the top of the list…Yes, it was that little game you might have heard of called Call of Duty: Black Ops.

Activision’s flagship title has sold over three million copies in the UK, with almost half of those sales coming in the first 24 hours. Call of Duty: Black Ops has held the Number One spot in the UK All Formats Chart for eight weeks. It currently sits in third, the games lowest position in the All Formats Chart since its massive release in November.

Current chart topper FIFA 11 was the second biggest selling game of 2010, which is again rather unsurprising given its record breaking amount of worldwide sales. Both the Number 1 and Number 2 best selling games of 2010 have received plenty of discussion on the Train2Game forum and the Train2Game Facebook page.

Just Dance was the third best selling game of 2010 and is one of four dancing or fitness games to make the top ten. The others are Wii Fit Plus (5th) Just Dance 2 (6th) and Wii Sports resort (8th)

Rockstars’ Red Dead Redemption was the fourth biggest selling game of the year, while Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood – reported by the Train2Game blog to be one of the biggest surprises of the year – was 2010’s seventh biggest selling video game.

Xbox 360 exclusive shooter Halo: Reach – which made $200 million worldwide during its first day on sale – was the ninth biggest selling game of the year. The top ten is rounded out by Battlefield: Bad Company 2.

UKIE Director General Micheal Rawlinson said the games industry is ever growing, something that’ll please students on Train2Game courses!

“2010 was another strong year for the video games industry, with record breaking sales figures from games such as Call of Duty: Black Ops. 2010 also saw casual gaming really take off, particularly on social networking sites and on mobile phones. With more video games than ever before being played, on an ever growing range of games consoles, PCs, mobile phones, mobile devices and internet enabled TVs, the industry has widened beyond all expectations and will continue to expand exponentially in 2011.”

The full 2010 All-Formats Top Ten is as follows:

1: Call of Duty: Black Ops (Activision)
2: FIFA 11 (EA)
3: Just Dance (Ubisoft)
4: Red Dead Redemption (Take-Two)
5: Wii Fit Plus (Nintendo)
6: Just Dance 2 (Ubisoft)
7: Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (Ubisoft)
8: Wii Sports Resort (Nintendo)
9: Halo: Reach (Microsoft)
10: Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (EA)

Interested Train2Game students can also check out the individual consoles top five selling games on the UKIE website.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on the Top Ten of 2010? Does it show a games industry that’s very healthy? Or do you think the list is too unsurprising? And what are your thoughts about almost half of the best selling games being casual titles?

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

[Source: UKIE]

Call of Duty: Black Ops takes Christmas Number 1

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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.

Fable III crowned King of the charts

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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.