PES 2008 still top of UK charts

By Robert Purchese Published 6 November, 2007

Sells twice as much as FIFA.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 has held on to the number one position in the UK All Formats chart for the second week running, GamesIndustry.biz reports.

And despite a 52 per cent drop in sales it still sold twice as many copies as closest competition FIFA 08, according to Chart Track data.

The Simpsons Game managed to debut at number three this week, followed by film tie-in Ratatouille, which shuffled up the charts a few places to spend its fifth week at number four - buoyed by the success of its cinema counterpart that has rats in.

Halo 3 sales surged by 46 per cent and helped it to number five, slightly ahead of the wilting Football Manager 2007 in six and new entry The Sims 2: Castaway in seven.

The rest of the top ten was taken up by DS exclusive titles More Brain Training, Brain Training and Phantom Hourglass.

Further down the list TimeShift spent its first week at number 24, while Hellgate: London only managed to reach 34.

Sales mean nothing without facts, as GamesIndustry.biz will tell you as it backs you into a corner at a party.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (24) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • nervokid #1 4 years ago

    Go Ronaldo!

  • Putty-Man #2 4 years ago

    Why is it that for years I bought Pro Evo and scoffed at all those who kept FIFA at the top of the charts, then I plump for FIFA and Im now scoffing all those people who are keeping PES at the top of the charts!

    Does me buying a game mean it wont sell as well?

  • Psychotext #3 4 years ago

    @Putty Man: Odd isn't it. This year I reckon FIFA is better and suddenly PES is rocking the sales. No accounting for taste and all that.

  • bengray66 #4 4 years ago

    Surely that should be FM 2008 not 07?

  • lambtron #5 4 years ago

    Its the result of all the years of people blindly saying PES is the best having finally reached critical mass. Doesn't matter whether or not its true or not anymore, crowd mentality means its now "teh truth".

  • gaselite #6 4 years ago

    Indeed, public opinion seems to be lagging two or three years behind the actual quality of the games. I was planning on getting PES08 for my desperately unused PS3 (I won it in a competition), but upon reading Gamespot's PS3 review I don't think I'll bother. Given that there's loads of quality stuff coming out in the next month, and lots I'm yet to finish, and also given that FIFA08 seems to be better in every conceivable way, I have to ask, what's the point? My god, as a long time PES fan, it's frightening to even think that let alone, er, type it. Maybe I'll give the PSP version a go.

    Still, with regards to these chart figures, FIFA has had a two month head start, which somewhat accounts for it.

  • dsmx #7 4 years ago

    Well I'm still of the opinion that PES2008 is better than PES6, the fact that the AI cheats slightly less and you can outrun defenders makes it an improvement.

  • killest #8 4 years ago

    A definite role reversal, in sales and gameplay.

    Once upon a time Fifa was the critically panned, never-improving year upon year piece of arcadey tosh that sold millions and ISS Pro Evolution was the brilliant ever improving, ever evolving masterpiece simulation of football that always sold rubbishly...

    now its the otherway around.....

    ok so Fifa isnt quite YET the perfect representation of football and Pro Evo isnt quite YET arcadey tosh (thank god they got the engine right back in 1999) but give it 2 more years and if trends continue Fifa will become Pro Evo and Pro evo will become Fifa.... and we'll be back where we started, and a further role reversal will take place!!!!! and i need more coffee....... cheers

  • Stu #9 4 years ago

    @ gaselite

    The PSP version of PES5 was woeful, I would try before you buy if you can. Or just not buy.

  • monkeymagic #10 4 years ago

    Maybe Konami can use all this money to buy some BLOODY LICENSES.

    I think Krudster said it in last years review that 5-6 years ago when PES didn't sell particularly well, Konami had an excuse for the lack of polish the games have. Now they sell by the bucket load Konami need to open their wallet and really invest in these games.

    OR not. As people are just going to buy them anyway. Like FIFA before it. Paradoxical eh?

  • Ace_McCloud #11 4 years ago

    @Putty Man: Lol, I was thinking that!

  • HyZepher #12 4 years ago

    i t would be interesting to see actual total sales. FIFA has been out a while and current sales would be expected to be down. Wonder if PES first week was as good as FIFA first week

  • king_ghidra #13 4 years ago

    "And despite a 52 per cent drop in sales it still sold twice as many copies as closest competition FIFA 08"

    Errr but FIFA has been out a month already...

    I guess when you say 'sales mean nothing without facts' you neglected to add 'and spurious comparisons designed to mislead the reader'?

  • Kropotkin #14 4 years ago

    I think this years FIFA is better than Pro Evo. Graphically and featureset wise it blows Pro Evo away as well as having a robust online play which is pertty much broken on the PS3 version of Pro Evo and a struggling mess on the PC and XBox 360.

    I do think this the year FIFA takes the crown as best footy game which is something Konami should think long and hard about as I don't want ProEvo to vanish. This would leave football games in the same state as American Football titles with Madden being a defacto standard.

  • gblegend #15 4 years ago

    I think a large part of it comes down to what you get used too. I downloaded both demos around the same time and enjoyed them. I decided to buy FIFA 08 and give it a try with the full knowledge that I would get PES2008 for my birthday.

    Having played FIFA08 for a month I then tried PES, I played one half of a match and turned it off in disgust. I think I just got use to, and enjoyed, the way FIFA played (I never thouht I'd say that). Admittedly there are touches from PES that would be great in FIFA, like the quick shimmy, but I think this year FIFA has stole the march on getting by a month earlier and stole the crown of the best footy game.

  • The_Inquisitor #16 4 years ago

    Ironic that this year many reviewers are citing Fifa 08 as the superior game.

  • Amazing Bryan #17 4 years ago

    Finally, PES getting the recognition that it deserves. Innovate not imitate.

  • imperial_seal #18 4 years ago

    FIFA has the license, unless Konami buys EA, they not gonna get the required license for all the teams.

  • finty13 #19 4 years ago

    In an interview in one of my mags(PSM3 i think) Sebass said that in order to get the licenses they will have to buy them off EA which is not gonna happen.

  • miiiguel #20 4 years ago

    Why PES2006 online performs so much better than the latest 2008 ?

    PES2008 is almost unplayable online, imo.

  • monkeymagic #21 4 years ago

    Funny about the licensing thing. I'm not an expert on the matter, but if thats the case (licenses have to be bought from EA) What about all the football management games on the market? Theres FM 08, Fifa manager, CM, Premier manager, LMA all with the official names and clubs. Then there was This is Football a few years back. I'm not saying you guys are wrong, but there must be some work-around.

  • The-Bodybuilder #22 4 years ago

    I'm actually hating the fact the PES 2008.
    Not only because I feel it's the worst version, but it's more arcadey in comparison.

    Although this isn't why it's selling so great, but the perception to EA is that "make arcade footy= more sales. Make simulating footy= less sales".

    Now they're on the right path, I fear EA will once again steer into the arcade lane. If both FIFA and PES become arcadey, what will I get?

  • JayBuchanan #23 4 years ago

    yet they dont tell you that FIFA 08 has sold over 4 million copies on all platforms.. in 1 month flat thats almost as many as Madden which has sold 4.5 million copies and has had a 2 month headstart

  • Dougs #24 4 years ago

    Pro Evo is far from perfect, but I still prefer it to the FIFA demo.

    gaselite - try both demos and see what you think. Don't base everything on one review. It ain't as bad as people are making out.