UK chart: PES dispenses with FIFA

By Robert Purchese Published 21 October, 2008

Saints Row 2 features. Top 40 inside.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 has burst into the UK All-Formats Chart at number one this week, shoulder-charging genre rival FIFA 09 down to number two.

FIFA 09 maintains the bigger launch week of the pair, and the bulk of PES sales (58 per cent) fell to the PS3.

It was a different story for debutante Saints Row 2 at number three, however, which shifted a whopping 73 per cent of copies on Xbox 360.

The rest of the top 10 was unexciting: LEGO Batman at four, Wii Fit at five, Mario Kart Wii at six and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed at seven.

Then came Wii Play at eight, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 at nine, and Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway rounded the list off at 10.

Elsewhere in the charts there was a re-entry for BioShock at 14 - bolstered by the launch of the PS3 version. And there were also reappearances for de Blob at 29, Mario Kart DS at 34, Ratatouille at 36, Assassin's Creed at 39 and Beijing 2008 at 40.

Both Samba and Pure fell ten places a piece, the former down from 21 to 31 and the latter tumbling from 23 to 33.

This week waves goodbye to Spore, Rock Band and Battlefield: Bad Company.

  1. Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 (PC, Xbox 360, PS3)
  2. FIFA 09 (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, DS)
  3. Saints Row 2 (Xbox 360, PS3)
  4. LEGO Batman (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, DS)
  5. Wii Fit (Wii)
  6. Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
  7. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, DS)
  8. Wii Play (Wii)
  9. Tiger Woods PGA Tour '09 (Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii)
  10. Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway (PC, Xbox 360, PS3)
  11. Carnival: Funfair Games (Wii)
  12. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii, DS)
  13. Family Trainer (Wii)
  14. BioShock (PC, Xbox 360, PS3)
  15. Big Beach Sports (Wii)
  16. Halo 3 (Xbox 360)
  17. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PC, DS)
  18. Dr Kawashima's Brain Training (DS)
  19. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)
  20. Ben 10: Protector of Earth (Wii, DS, PS2, PSP)
  21. Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, Xbox 360)
  22. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Xbox 360, PS3, PC, DS)
  23. WALL-E (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, DS)
  24. The Simpsons Game (Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, DS)
  25. Mercenaries 2 (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2)
  26. LEGO Indiana Jones (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, DS)
  27. Puzzler Collection (PSP, DS)
  28. Sports Island (Wii)
  29. De Blob (Wii)
  30. LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS)
  31. Samba de Amigo (Wii)
  32. Sports Party (Wii)
  33. Pure (PC, Xbox 360, PS3)
  34. Mario Kart DS (DS)
  35. Need For Speed ProStreet (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PS2, PSP, Wii, DS)
  36. Ratatouille (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, DS)
  37. Cooking Mama (DS)
  38. Guitar Hero: On Tour (DS)
  39. Assassin's Creed (PC, Xbox 360, PS3)
  40. Beijing 2008 (PC, Xbox 360, PS3)

Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, ©2008 ELSPA (UK) Ltd.

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 (44) Latest comment 3 years ago

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

  • Stu #1 3 years ago

    Doesn't sound like Spore is doing very well :\

  • the_dudefather #2 3 years ago

    Bet PS3 would have had a bigger slice of the Saint's Row pie if the tesco offer/misprice worked ;)
    Edited by 1 at 21/10/08 @ 09:17

  • MonkeyMagik #3 3 years ago

    I hate the Wii - even though I have one. Everything about it is so shallow and basic. I think it's time for the PS360 to start destroying those Wii's

  • JaysonG #4 3 years ago

    Couldn't find Pro Evo on the PS3 anywhere yesterday.

  • LockeTribal #5 3 years ago

    Disappointed Persona 3 FES didn't make it.

    :(

  • Eraysor #6 3 years ago

    Doesn't sound like Spore is doing very well :\

    That's exactly what I thought when I read the chart. Oh dear >_

  • Widge #7 3 years ago

    I think Tesco would have to pay ME for Saints Row 2 to appear in my collection.

  • mcmonkeyplc #8 3 years ago

    FOOLS! Dont buy PES, they will never improve if you dont hit them where it hurts!

  • Dizzy #9 3 years ago

    360 has the bigger slice of the Saints Row 2 pie but, it must be said, PES did better on PS3.

    It seems like people are running out of money buying all these games, I think some really big hitters will not sell well and only the established ones will do great sales next few months.

  • Darren #10 3 years ago

    I'm surprised that Saints Row 2 didn't make the top spot, despite its rough glitchy exterior, there's a really terrific game beating away inside! Honest!

    I'm not quite sure PES 2009 deserves the top spot though as part of me wanted it to do less well this year to "inspire" the developers to put more effort into future games in the series instead of churning out the same thing with minor tweaks, year in, year out.

  • Doctor_What #11 3 years ago

    A year ago, after seeing a big EA presentation telling us all how Spore was going to be amazing, incredible, and would utterly stun the world, I called this. Sometimes it's really nice to feel smug.

    I'm slightly confued to see Assassin's Creed back in the charts. I enjoyed it while it lasted, but I didn't expect it to get much of a revival. Maybe the price point has hit the perfect 'I'll give that a punt' mark. For £15-20 it's a decent purchase.

  • Steroyd #12 3 years ago

    But it's fun to play...

  • ryohazuki1983 #13 3 years ago

    @ mcmonkeyplc - Some people just prefer PES. One of my mates bought Fifa 09, hated it, then traded it in for the new PES. Some people just stick with what they know.

    I prefer Fifa 09 though, great game :)

  • Steroyd #14 3 years ago

    PES IS selling less than last year, Fifa 09 is the 3rd fastest selling Xbox 360 game behind Halo and GTA and outsold PES's 1st day sales 2.6x over.

  • HiddenAway #15 3 years ago

    Don't buy PES, buy FES!

    Not surprised FES didn't make it. It's niche, on a platform that's nearing end of software and a JRPG. *sighs*

  • Johnson #16 3 years ago

    PES buyers = people staying loyal to a brand that has gone stale. Not too surprising that it's PS3 owners who are buying the majority of PES copies then.

  • Rash' #17 3 years ago

    It's telling that even with a substantial marketing push on 360 PES did better on PS3.

  • Zomoniac #18 3 years ago

    For fuck's sake. Just when I thought people were finally getting some taste.

  • Rash' #19 3 years ago

    What's with the PES hate? FIFA and PES play very different games. PES is more immediate, and quicker to gratify. And why shouldn't it's fan base continue it's loyalty, they've had years of quality entertainment while being let them down by EA . FIFA may have crossed a hurdle but we'll know for sure this time next year whether it can sustain that momentum.

  • SteveB #20 3 years ago

    Well I for one am really enjoying the latest PES. Maybe it's because I switched to FIFA a couple of years back and have therefore missed the last couple of PES games, but I am finding it far more fun than the stodgy slog that FIFA has become.

    It’s ironic that the reason I switched to FIFA after years of PES was that I was finding it too much like hard work and now it looks like their respective roles have reversed.

  • spadge #21 3 years ago

    Games tend to do really big "week one" sales these days and almost all sales in the first 4-6 weeks, unlike the old days where sales were over 3-4 months, so titles like FIFA, GTA etc ship out big big sales in the first week or two then settle down. I'd fully expect FIFA to way out-sell PES in the run up to Xmas. And it deserves to... (lights touch-paper and runs off).

  • Zomoniac #22 3 years ago

    What's with the PES hate?

    1. It's vastly inferior.

    2. And most importantly, the same reason the same people were pissed off when FIFAs 99-06 kept topping the chart. If a zillion people buy the same product with a different badge, why are they going to change it? In theory competition is supposed to force companies to compete and give the consumer a better product. But if several million people will happily pay over and over again for the same product then it doesn't really work.

  • viper_h #23 3 years ago

    What's FES? 'Fro Evolution Soccer?

  • CannonAnBall #24 3 years ago

    I'm loving Pro Evo. The Fifa demo was ok but it still isn't up to Pro Evo in my eyes or any of my mates eyes. Fifa looks great, but EA are just polishing a turd!

  • neilka #25 3 years ago

    "Dispenses", I see what you did there.

  • menage #26 3 years ago

    What the hell has the world come to when we should actually be rooting for FIFA

  • Zomoniac #27 3 years ago

    I'm loving Pro Evo. The Fifa demo was ok but it still isn't up to Pro Evo in my eyes or any of my mates eyes. Fifa looks great, but EA are just polishing a turd!

    How can a year-old ground-up rewrite be classed as 'polishing a turd'? I've said it before and I'll say it again. Stop playing the FIFA demo like it's Pro Evo. Play it like it's a game of football, the game it represents, rather than 11-a-side amphetamine-fuelled Speedball 2.

  • sneetch #28 3 years ago

    PES dispenses.

    Lawl.

  • HiddenAway #29 3 years ago

    FES is short for Festival. Part of the name for Persona 3: FES.

  • mcbi4kh2 #30 3 years ago

    Dispenses? I don't get it :( Please explain...
    Edited by 1 at 21/10/08 @ 10:58

  • SteveB #31 3 years ago

    PEZ (PES) is a type of sweet, that is sold in a dispenser. You push down the top (usually a head) and the sweet comes out.

    Therefore PES dispenses. QED.
    Edited by 2 at 21/10/08 @ 11:04

  • miiiguel #32 3 years ago

    "It's telling that even with a substantial marketing push on 360 PES did better on PS3. "
    That shows, PS3 users, in general, buy on branding and memories. PS is the NFS; PES system, in general.

  • stevencole7 #33 3 years ago

    PES always wins on one thing..........GAMEPLAY!
    FIFA is unresponsive, slow and BORING!

  • mr_chiquita #34 3 years ago

    Have to say that I'm about to buy my first FIFA game in 8 years.

    I've been Pro Evo harcore fan for years, but this year I'm turning to the darkside.

    My mate has bought both games, and while I enjoyed both I found that PES 09 was the one that was constantly annoying. Missed placed passes, players slide tackling people 30 yards off the ball because the AI has switched player, players constantly running stupidly offside... etc etc etc.

    FIFA, on the other hand, was a a bit of revelation. The new passing system is lovely once you get into it (it feels like it's your fault if you cock it up), you can play really nice build up football. I still don't like the fact the players don't react so quickly to your input, they still feel a bit sludgy compared to PES, but this year it somehow doesn't matter so much.

    Seriously spend a bit of time with the game. The demo doesn't quite do it, but an hours play at my mates did.

    Hopefully this will just be a protest vote, and Konami will get off their arses and actually do something about it this time.

  • Pac-man-ate-my-wife #35 3 years ago

    Great to see de Blob back in the charts. It's a fantastic title that deserves solid sales and should put paid to the frothing, ranting fanboy idiots such as MonkeyMagik.

  • kinky_mong #36 3 years ago

    Very glad to see Saints Row 2 so high up the chart. It's been a long time since there's been a game in the top 10 that wasn't a sports, casual or movie tie in game. Plus it's a rough around the edges gem and any who avoids it is a bit of an idiot.

  • RustyBullet #37 3 years ago

    If you want a footy game that plays for you then get Fifa if you want a game that you play then get PES. I dont have the new PES yet but thats because i havnt purchased my new magic money tree yet.

  • bad09 #38 3 years ago

    From what I hear many converted PES fans, it a crime PES sold more than FIFA this year. Still I care not, I've got my copy of FIFA and that's all that matters!

  • tmatharu #39 3 years ago

    zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...................

    Boring peeps..... Some people like Fifa, some people like PES. We should be grateful the fact that we have both top footy games out there, tailored for different styles. Fifa, more slower paced and "realistic".......PES, faster and more accessible and enjoying to play.........

    Personally, i prefer PES, but i like FIFA too, even if i hate EA....but thats another matter completely. :p

    So people, its a score draw.....and enjoy the beautiful game(s) :)

  • db3 #40 3 years ago

    PES being £27 at ASDA may have some bearing.

  • mkreku #41 3 years ago

    I'm also in the PES camp. Why do people think they can come in and type "Fifa is vastly superior" and that would somehow make it true? I happen to prefer the fluidity (is that a word?) of PES.

  • andywilkie35 #42 3 years ago

    FIFA demo impressed me but I still preferred Pro Evo

  • Feanor #43 3 years ago

    Can you compare first week FIFA sales for PC, PS3 and 360 to first week PES sales?
    Edited by 1 at 21/10/08 @ 18:00

  • Feanor #44 3 years ago

    "I can't believe how broken the online is...and how utterly crap it is playing Merseyside Red vs North London on Next Gen."

    Liverpool are in PES 2009. :)