UK Charts: EA's seventh week on top

Electronic Arts' Need for Speed: Most Wanted was the best-selling game in the UK again last week, racking up seven weeks at number one for the title and continuing its leadership for the second week of 2006.

The only challenge for the top was mounted by EA's own The Sims 2, the PSP release of which propelled the title up two places in the all-formats chart to number two - while last week's number two, King Kong, dropped back into fourth place.

Also swapping positions this week were last week's number three (and last year's best-selling game), FIFA '06, which falls two places, and last week's number five, Pro Evolution Soccer 5, which rises two places.

Sports Interactive's Football Manager 2006 rises five places to re-enter the top ten at number eight and makes for a total of three football titles in the top ten - not to mention being the best-selling PC title in the chart.

Looking at the new handhelds, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories continues to be the PSP's best-selller, and was up two places this week to number six, while Mario Kart DS was the best selling title for Nintendo's new platform, dropping four places to number 36 in the all-formats chart.

One of the only major releases for January arrives next week, in the form of EA's release of Namco's Ridge Racer 6 for the Xbox 360. The title has reviewed relatively well but may have difficulty charting strongly due to the low installed base of the 360 and the success of its other racing title, Project Gotham Racing 3.