UK charts: MW2 top, Tony Hawk tanks

By Robert Purchese Published 7 December, 2009

FIFA 10 pushing hard.

Activision may beam as poster-child Modern Warfare 2 racks up a fourth winning week in the UK all-formats chart, but newcomer Tony Hawk: Ride landed face-first on the pavement.

The motion-sensing skateboard game missed the Top 40 entirely and landed at 29th in the PS3 chart and 31st in the Xbox 360 chart. The Wii version is nowhere to be seen.

Ubisoft may also grimace at the first-week performance of James Cameron's Avatar: The Game. This missed the UK all-formats top 40 altogether and settled for 18th in the PC chart, 19 in the PS3 chart and 21st in the Xbox 360 chart. DS and Wii versions did not place.

However, there's a silver lining for Ubisoft, as the big-screen launch of James Cameron's Avatar has yet to happen. Expect sales to jump following the film's 17th December UK launch.

We doubt such a sales-bump will be felt by EA's The Saboteur, which snuck into 39th after its first week on sale.

Rounding out the rest of the top 10 were FIFA 10 (2), Assassin's Creed II (3), New Super Mario Bros. Wii (4), Wii Sports Resort (5), Wii Fit Plus (6), Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (7), LEGO Indiana Jones 2 (8), Forza Motorsport 3 (9) and Mario Kart Wii (10).

The continued performance of games like Mario Kart Wii is phenomenal, although perhaps this illustrates a shortage of options for shoppers picking up a Wii for Christmas.

This Week Last Week Title Platform(s)
1 1 Modern Warfare 2 PC, PS3, Xbox 360
2 4 FIFA 10 PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360
3 2 Assassin's Creed II PC, PS3, Xbox 360
4 3 New Super Mario Bros. Wii Wii
5 6 Wii Sports Resort Wii
6 5 Wii Fit Plus Wii
7 7 Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games DS, Wii
8 12 LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues DS, PC, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360
9 9 Forza Motorsport 3 Xbox 360
10 11 Mario Kart Wii Wii
11 14 LEGO Batman DS, PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360
12 13 Professor Layton and Pandora's Box DS
13 15 Need for Speed: Shift PC, PS3, PSP, Xbox 360
14 8 Left 4 Dead 2 PC, Xbox 360
15 17 WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2010 PS3, PS2, PSP, Xbox 360
16 10 F1 2009 PSP, Wii
17 16 Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 PC, PS3, Xbox 360
18 19 Pure PC, PS3, Xbox 360
19 18 Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training DS
20 Re-entry Batman: Arkham Asylum PC, PS3, Xbox 360
21 New entry (Wii) Peppa Pig DS, Wii
22 21 DJ Hero PS3, Wii, Xbox 360
23 38 Borderlands PS3, Xbox 360
24 24 Dragon Age: Origins PC, PS3, Xbox 360
25 22 Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City Xbox 360
26 23 Rabbids Go Home Wii, DS
27 24 LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga DS, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360
28 25 Wii Play Wii
29 32 Professor Layton and the Curious Village DS
31 26 Tekken 6 PS3, Xbox 360
32 27 Football Manager 2010 PC, PSP
33 37 Cooking Mama 3 DS
34 36 Uncharted 2: Among Thieves PS3
35 34 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare PC, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360
36 35 LEGO Indiana Jones DS, PC, PS2, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360
37 Re-entry Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force DS
38 Re-entry Mario Kart DS DS
39 New entry The Saboteur PC, PS3, Xbox 360
40 Re-entry Guitar Hero 5 PS3, PS2, Wii, Xbox 360

Leisure software charts compiled by Gfk 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 (58) Latest comment 2 years ago

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

  • MORZTAN #1 2 years ago

    "shortage of options"

    EG you tease. A newcomer to the Wii is in gaming heaven atleast for a year and a half.

  • jellyBelly #2 2 years ago

    "The continued performance of games like Mario Kart Wii is phenomenal, although perhaps this illustrates a shortage of options for shoppers picking up a Wii for Christmas."

    Nice bit of Wii trolling over there.

    -The game is one of the most succesfull in this generation and when all is said and done will have sold in excess of 20 million units.

    -An alternative theory for you to consider is that the game is selling because consumers might actually want the game?

    -As for the no games to buy comment it is simply ludicrous:

    NSMBWII (expanded + core audience appeal)
    F12009 (expanded + core appeal)
    Wii Fit+ (expanded appeal)
    Sports resorts (expanded appeal)
    muramasa (core appeal)
    RE:Darkside chronicles (core appeal)

    All highly rated and all seen release in Q4 ( most probably also forgetting some other games)


    There should be enough games and genre variety for a Wii gamer to purchase through the holidays?
    Edited by 1 at 07/12/09 @ 11:33

  • GoldLightan #3 2 years ago

    This chart reminds me of the PS2 days when people would moan about chav fodder like NSFU and FIFA being at the top.

    Except no-one moans anymore because they're too busy fighting the console war.

  • MiniAmin #4 2 years ago

    Mario Kart Wii is brilliant. There isn't a decent equivalent on 360 or Ps3 and I think this is why it continues to sell. It'll be interesting to see how Split/Second / Blur each perform upon their releases.

    Modern Warfare 2? Presumably people are buying this at full price now...

    /facepalms

  • GoldLightan #5 2 years ago

    The Wii comment is just silly. Why wouldn't someone pick up Mario Kart if they were a newcomer to the platform? Makes no sense at all.

  • GreyBeard #6 2 years ago

    Sales have to be really slow right now. I'm not saying Pure is a bad game -it's pretty damn good to be fair- but its chart position is ridiculous given its over a year old and can be bought -new- for less than £10, and probably for pennies used.


  • markymark22 #7 2 years ago

    I wonder what the split in modern warfare ps3/360. It was favoring the 360 in the opening week but...

  • swissorc #8 2 years ago

    More to the point thers people out there like me who have a wii and just have not bought mario kart yet. I've been too busy with other stuff and will buy it at some point but considering the long running success of the online (ign pointed out how easy it is still to get games) theres no rush. Interesting how games like fifa which have annual updates their online communities shift about so much none have the longevity of mario kart although I wissh GRAW2 did

  • GoldLightan #9 2 years ago

    @GreyBeard: it's in most 360 bundles, alongside Lego Batman.

  • Tomo #10 2 years ago

    Didn't this happen last year too? Prince of Persia came missed November and I seem to remember it selling relatively badly.

    Every gamer spends their hard-earned in November, leaving not a lot left over in December tbh.

  • jellyBelly #11 2 years ago

    @GreyBeard

    Sales of Pure are coming from 360 bundles i believe

  • Dr.Mott #12 2 years ago

    @ GreyBeard

    Yes, but Pure is part of Xbox 360 bundles pretty much everywhere. That presumably counts as sales.

  • Madafunkola #13 2 years ago

    @ GreyBeard:
    PURE and Lego Batman are bundled with a controller for £20 when you buy an xbox elite, hence high position.

    EDIT: Is there an echo in here... in here... in here....
    Edited by 1 at 07/12/09 @ 11:44

  • Darren #14 2 years ago

    "The continued performance of games like Mario Kart Wii is phenomenal, although perhaps this illustrates a shortage of options for shoppers picking up a Wii for Christmas."

    Indeed.

  • jellyBelly #15 2 years ago

    Bundling

  • freakzilla #16 2 years ago

    36. Uncharted 2 :(

  • GreyBeard #17 2 years ago

    That's what I mean guys. Not to be disrespectful of 360 sales, but given the size of the existing install-bases to have less than 20 titles (on all formats) selling more over the week than a budget-priced pack-in on a new console is kinda scary.

  • TonyHarrison #18 2 years ago

    So when I bought my PS3 in June and picked up a load of games from it's back catalogue that I'd had on my list to buy when I eventually got one, that meant that there was a shortage of games?

    Yeah, didn't think so...

  • freakzilla #19 2 years ago

    Holy shit. 13 xbox games in the top 40 and just 6 ps3 games.

  • jellyBelly #20 2 years ago

    Incredible underperformance for the peripheral based music games:

    DJ Hero at 18 and Guitar Hero at 40?

    economic climate + market saturation = fail ?

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #21 2 years ago

    Mario Kart Wii is brilliant

    Mario Kart Wii is a frustratingly disappointing waste of potential. That it has been so successful despite being only OK (especially in the party-game format is is likely to be played most in) makes me despair for a properly polished follow-up.

    There isn't a decent equivalent on 360 or Ps3

    Unfortunately, that is true, though. Still, I hold out some hope for Sega & Sonic All-stars racing since Sumo are involved, also ModNation racers (where is it?), if I ever get round to getting a PS3. The Xbox avatar stunt-racing game might even work, but given Microsoft's woeful firstparty casual games record, I doubt it.

  • GoldLightan #22 2 years ago

    @GreyBeard, these charts are generally VERY logarithmic. Existing owners will just be buying the 2-3 new games near the top. Newcomers will buy the latest hot thing plus whatever they get in their bundle, and it's a very, very intensive time of year for hardware - look at Mario Kart Wii for proof.

    Add in competition from four-five other platforms and it's easy to see why the charts turn out like this.

  • SirDespard #23 2 years ago

    I suspect a lot of this is low promotional price points in different stores, Indiana Jones 2 was 20 quid in Game on all formats yesterday, Arkham Asylum was £25 in HMV, and Forza 3 was 30 quid in Game (and for some mad reason the collectors edition was the same price as the vanilla release, so grabbed it). Impulse Xmas purchases will be the overriding influence on the chart at present.

  • jellyBelly #24 2 years ago

    @GoldLightan. Well said \mathspeak probably a straight line on a log-log plot with a cutoff at lower chart positions

  • Darren #25 2 years ago

    I know I shouldn't be but I'm very pleased that the new Tony Hawk game has bombed. That'll teach Activision that packaging sub-standard games with a plastic peripheral doesn't make it a good game worth having.

  • GoldLightan #26 2 years ago

    Mario Kart Wii is a frustratingly disappointing waste of potential.

    The sales prove you to be incorrect. You don't sell this many units without word of mouth, and I'd be surprised if Nintendo shared your disappointment.

    Mario Kart Wii is excellent at what it does: apply randomised luck rules to an otherwise skill-based game.

    Think of it like a family dice-based boardgame. It's popular precisely because it is both accessible and very very (very) friendly to new players. There are plenty of (imo boring) racing games out there for people who don't want this kind of gameplay.

    If you're totally desperate for a cartoony Kart game that isn't noob-friendly then perhaps the upcoming Sega thing will suffice?

  • sneetch #27 2 years ago

    @MiniAmin
    Mario Kart Wii is brilliant. There isn't a decent equivalent on 360 or Ps3 and I think this is why it continues to sell.

    I am continuously amazed that Rare haven't brought out a Diddy-Kong style racing game for the Xbox that uses avatars. Astounded as it's such a good fit.

    Personally, I thought DK racing was as good as (maybe even better than, in some ways) MK on the N64.

  • GreyBeard #28 2 years ago

    @Goldlightan

    I understand what you're saying completely, but I honestly think its also indicative of relatively soft sales for this time of year. Maybe people are waiting for the glut of stuff in the first quarter of 2010, but I don't see existing owners of PS360Wii buying much new software in December.

    I strongly suspect that the used games sector (CEX etc.) is having a bonanza though.

  • GoldLightan #29 2 years ago

    @GreyBeard, but there isn't (hardly) any new software in December :-) Certainly nothing of note, apart from Zelda, but that isn't out yet.

    Most 'core' games sell for 2-3 weeks and then disappear. This is normal.

  • sneetch #30 2 years ago

    "The continued performance of games like Mario Kart Wii is phenomenal, although perhaps this illustrates a shortage of options for shoppers picking up a Wii for Christmas."

    Or alternately it's one of the primary reasons shoppers will pick up a Wii for Christmas?

    The age is irrelevant to new purchasers. The first game I bought for my PS3 was Uncharted which had been out for almost 2 years when I got it but I couldn't care less; it was one of the main reasons I bought the PS3 in the first case.

  • Monkey_Puncher #31 2 years ago

    Peppa Pig!

  • Tricky #32 2 years ago

    @jellybelly - actually DJ Hero has stayed solid at around 20/21 in the chart since launch, which says to me that whilst it isn't setting the world alight sales-wise, it's doing decent continual business, probably off the back of word of mouth and the demo pods that have been up in a load of HMVs recently.

  • MiniAmin #33 2 years ago

    @ Sneetch

    Me too. I'm certain will see a plethora of similar titles to coincide with the launch of Natal. I reckon MS will attempt to rebrand the 360 as a Wii-like gaming device.

  • eddiep #34 2 years ago

    What the what is Peppa Pig ?

  • sanctusmortis #35 2 years ago

    DJ Hero got reduced to £70 at HMV, hence its rather buoyant position. I suspect if it was £100 or nothing it wouldn't be charting anymore. I suspect not even that could save Ride.

  • Steroyd #36 2 years ago

    So that's what happens when you release a movie tie in game before the movie has released, lots of people probably don't want to be spoiled lol.

    And lol @ Tony Hawk.

  • sanctusmortis #37 2 years ago

    As an aside, having looked at the individual format sales chart, Gamestation's £180 Wii bundle (black Wii, Sports and Sports Resort, Smash Bros and NSMB Wii) must be selling well too.

  • bodypopper #38 2 years ago

    Bit harsh on The Saboteur which only went on sale on Friday.

  • metalangel #39 2 years ago

    @sneetch and others: There is an avatar-based racing game coming for 360, it's called Joy Ride.

  • Syneisha #40 2 years ago

    Peppa Pig is hilarious, as all the characters oink after everything they say.

  • eddiep #41 2 years ago

    Too bad Saboteur's sales will only prove to EA that axing Pandemic was the right thing to do.

  • rotmm #42 2 years ago

    @GreyBeard, "That's what I mean guys. Not to be disrespectful of 360 sales, but given the size of the existing install-bases to have less than 20 titles (on all formats) selling more over the week than a budget-priced pack-in on a new console is kinda scary."

    How exactly is that scary? It just shows that people are out there buying new consoles in the run up to Xmas, and enough of them are buying the version with this pack-in to make a difference to the charts.

    What is scary is that the 5th bestselling PS3 title is languishing at way down the charts at No.34, especially given that it's probably the Key "Next-Gen console (ie: not Wii) release of this year and released on a console that has seen a resurgence.

  • makeamazing #43 2 years ago

    Predicted Saboteur and TH-Ride doing badly... was easy to see coming really... such big releases before them, and wasnt really pushed that well... just kinda released. I suspect Saboteur will be reduced in price in the next couple of weeks... so that is good.

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #44 2 years ago

    Mario Kart Wii is excellent at what it does: apply randomised luck rules to an otherwise skill-based game.

    Ah... but one of my (and many reviewers) main issues with mario kart Wii is that is is not random enough. The distribution of weapons and bonuses is tiresomely predictable based on one's position through the pack. It would have been nice if there were an option, at least for multiplayer or one-off single player races for weapons to be truly random, like they were in the good old days. And that's only one of tons options it would be nice to have. It would be nice if Nintendo put as much effort into giving players control of the sort of matches they play in what's probably their biggest-selling multiplayer-focussed title as is present in the West's big multiplayer games - the Halo 3s, the Fifas and, say, Project Gothams of this world.

    As it is "You don't sell this many units without word of mouth, and I'd be surprised if Nintendo shared your disappointment." attitude towards Mario Kart is what depresses me.

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #45 2 years ago

    The most important thing about Peppa Pig is that all of the members of the pig family have heads that are drawn like a scrawled graffitti cock and balls, with eyes and ears stuck on. And twin urethra in the snout.

    Daddy Pig even has a hairy scrotum.

    Edit: I know you may be bitter about me dissing Mario Kart (which I like, but think could be better), but you can't be seriously denying that Peppa Pig has a cartoon cock for a face.
    Edited by 1 at 07/12/09 @ 16:06

  • electrolite #46 2 years ago

    So Assassins Creed 2, Forza and F1 2009 doing OK then?

  • dr_faulk #47 2 years ago

    "DS and Wii versions did not place."

    Oooouuuuch!

  • stevetuck #48 2 years ago

    the whole Skateboarding fad is over now... They should start making games about them shoes with the flashing heals im sure they will be back soon

  • gjgjg #49 2 years ago

    Pure? am i thinking of disney's quad mud racer?

  • rotmm #50 2 years ago

    Yes

  • freakzilla #51 2 years ago

    I suspect quite a few people are just getting ready for the 2010 party. I haven't bought anything since UC2 and I'm saving every penny for the 2010 games.

  • Burkey123 #52 2 years ago

    Mario Kart Wii is one of the best Wii games and I think that last comment is just plain wrong. For anyone picking up a new wii(lets be frank, there still is a lot out there), Mario Kart would be a main pull factor. Along with NSMBWii, WSR and Wii Fit+ which lo and behold, are also in the top 10.

  • HuggyAtHome #53 2 years ago

    Good to see Pure in there - it's a great game but I suspect a price cut or bundle promo somewhere is behind the chart position.

    Arse - must read other posts being adding comments - sorry.
    Edited by 1 at 07/12/09 @ 15:29

  • des #54 2 years ago

    "Forza 3 is still given away for free with every 360 Elite.

    It's annoying when they do that because you have know way of telling how popular a game REALLY is."

    Then you know how 360 REALLY popular is,if that is true what you say.

  • RobotRocker #55 2 years ago

    Good to see Pure in there - it's a great game but I suspect a price cut or bundle promo somewhere is behind the chart position.

    It's part of this years 360 Pro bundle pack (Taking over from Kung Fu Panda/Lego Indiana Jones from last year and Forza 2/Viva Pinata the year before). Sega Superstar Tennis is still the Arcade pack in.

    As for Mario Kart Wii. Its a known game with a known brand that's fairly simple to pick up and play with a fair bit of length to it since it has a good few unlockables and plenty of courses to mess around with. Its not the strongest Mario Kart (Mario Kart DS is still the king, though I miss Double Dash's insane handling model and fun/bouncy physics. Weakest course design of the lot sadly) but it does the job. The new Sonic Kart game should clean up next year like Superstar Tennis did since it has the brand name, a good developer behind it and has major casual appeal to those who want a simple Whiil racer and tons of hardcore appeal (IF WE ALL BUY THIS GAME WE MIGHT GET SHENMUE 3 BUY BUY BUY!).

  • JensonJet #56 2 years ago

    If the Lego developers raced the Guitar Hero developers I wonder who could sh*t out a new game quicker?

  • metalangel #57 2 years ago

    @RobotRocker: If the forthcoming Sonic racing game is anything like the old Sonic Drift games on the Game Gear, it'll suck. Likewise if it's anything like Superstars Tennis. What a shame that was terrible!

  • jambo74 #58 2 years ago

    No OFDR - such a shame - NOT