ChartSpot: April 2007

As reported earlier, the latest NPD Funworld US Sales figures painted a mixed picture of gaming in April. Hardware sales were up an impressive 52 percent during the month, racking up $338.4 million in that time period. However, non-PC software sales were virtually flat, sinking 1 percent to total just $389.8 million.

Beneath the blanket software sales figures was a tale of two titles--for a two-screened portable, no less. Handheld software sales were up 61 percent for the month to $141.5 million, thanks to strong sales of Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl. The former was the top non-PC game for the month, selling 1.045 million copies, while the latter moved a solid 712,000 units. Other Nintendo DS games doing well during April were New Super Mario Bros. (12th), Spectrobes (14th), Diddy Kong Racing (19th), and Mario Kart DS (20th). No PlayStation Portable or Game Boy Advance titles cracked the top 20 non-PC game list.

April saw console sales drop a precipitous 19 percent, due to a lack of major new releases. The month's best-selling console title was Super Paper Mario (Wii) in third place, followed by the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 2 versions of Spider-Man 3. All the other console games on the non-PC chart were holdovers from previous months, most notably Wii Play (fourth), the 360 Guitar Hero II (fifth), and the PS2 Guitar Hero II (sixth). No PlayStation 3 games made it onto the top 20; the platform's best-selling title was the port of F.E.A.R., previously released on the PC and 360.

The PC top 20 for April was topped by the latest addition to the fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing genre. The regular edition of The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar was the biggest title on the oldest gaming platform, and the special edition of the game landed in eighth place.

The rest of the PC chart, though, was virtually unchanged from March. World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade once again finished in second, followed by WOW pére, Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars, the Sims 2, The Sims 2 Seasons, and The Sims 2 Celebration Stuff.

ALL CONSOLES
Last Month	Current Rank	Title	Platform	Publisher	Release Date	Average Price
**	1	Pokémon Diamond	DS	Nintendo	Apr-07	$35
**	2	Pokémon Pearl	DS	Nintendo	Apr-07	$35
**	3	Super Paper Mario	WII	Nintendo	Apr-07	$50
4	4	Wii Play (with remote)	WII	Nintendo	Feb-07	$50
3	5	Guitar Hero II (with guitar)	360	Activision	Mar-07	$89
11	6	Guitar Hero II (with guitar)	PS2	Activision	Nov-06	$80
**	7	Spider-Man 3	360	Activision	Apr-07	$60
**	8	Spider-Man 3	PS2	Activision	Apr-07	$41
1	9	God of War II	PS2	SCEA	Mar-07	$50
9	10	MLB 07: The Show	PS2	SCEA	Feb-07	$40
20	11	Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess	WII	Nintendo	Nov-06	$50
12	12	New Super Mario Bros	DS	Nintendo	May-06	$35
8	13	Major League Baseball 2K7	360	Take-Two Interactive	Feb-07	$60
7	14	Spectrobes	DS	Disney Interactive Studios	Mar-07	$30
2	15	Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2	360	Ubisoft	Mar-07	$60
13	16	God of War	PS2	SCEA	Mar-05	$20
15	17	Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07	WII	Electronic Arts	Mar-07	$50
**	18	Gears of War	360	Microsoft	Nov-06	$61
6	19	Diddy Kong Racing	DS	Nintendo	Feb-07	$31
19	20	Mario Kart DS	DS	Nintendo	Nov-05	$35

PC
Last Month	Current Rank	Title	Publisher	Average Price
**	1	Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar	Midway	$51
2	2	World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade	Vivendi	$37
3	3	World of Warcraft	Vivendi	$24
4	4	Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars	Electronic Arts	$48
5	5	The Sims 2	Electronic Arts	$35
1	6	The Sims 2 Seasons	Electronic Arts	$28
11	7	The Sims 2 Celebration Stuff	Electronic Arts	$19
**	8	Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar Special Edition	Midway	$60
10	9	3333 XP Games JC	Viva Media	$10
9	10	Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Shivering Isles	Take-Two Interactive	$28
7	11	S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow of Chernobyl	THQ	$37
12	12	The Sims 2 Pets	Electronic Arts	$30
16	13	The Sims 2 Nightlife	Electronic Arts	$31
19	14	Sim City 4 Deluxe	Electronic Arts	$25
15	15	Battlefield 2142	Electronic Arts	$42
8	16	Supreme Commander	THQ	$48
14	17	Age of Empires III	Microsoft	$47
20	18	Halo: Combat Evolved	Microsoft	$20
**	19	Warcraft III Battle Chest	Vivendi	$39
**	20	MahJongg XP Championship 200 Platinum JC	Viva Media	$10

PLAYSTATION 2
Last Month	Current Rank	Title	Publisher	Release Date	Average Price
3	1	Guitar Hero II (with guitar)	Activision	Nov-06	$80
**	2	Spider-Man 3	Activision	Apr-07	$41
1	3	Guitar Hero II	SCEA	Mar-07	$50
2	4	MLB 07: The Show	SCEA	Feb-07	$40
4	5	God of War	SCEA	Mar-05	$20
5	6	Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories	Take-Two Interactive	Mar-07	$20
6	7	TMNT	Ubisoft	Mar-07	$40
7	8	Major League Baseball 2K7	Take-Two Interactive	Feb-07	$30
**	9	Kingdom Hearts II	Square Enix Inc.	Mar-06	$20
**	10	Guitar Hero	Activision	Nov-06	$40

PLAYSTATION 3
Last Month	Current Rank	Title	Publisher	Release Date	Average Price
**	1	F.E.A.R.	Vivendi	Apr-07	$60
1	2	MotorStorm	SCEA	Mar-07	$60
**	3	Spider-Man 3: Collector's Edition	Activision	Apr-07	$70
4	4	Resistance: Fall of Man	SCEA	Nov-06	$60
2	5	Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion	Bethesda Softworks	Mar-07	$60
**	6	Spider-Man 3	Activision	Apr-07	$60
5	7	Major League Baseball 2K7	Take-Two Interactive	Feb-07	$60
8	8	The Godfather: The Don's Edition	Electronic Arts	Mar-07	$60
7	9	Virtua Fighter 5	Sega	Feb-07	$59
**	10	Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent	Ubisoft	Mar-07	$60

XBOX 360
Last Month	Current Rank	Title	Publisher	Release Date	Average Price
2	1	Guitar Hero II (with guitar)	Activision	Mar-07	$89
**	2	Spider-Man 3	Activision	Apr-07	$60
3	3	Major League Baseball 2K7	Take-Two Interactive	Feb-07	$60
1	4	Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2	Ubisoft	Mar-07	$60
6	5	Gears of War*	Microsoft	Nov-06	$58
7	6	Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas	Ubisoft	Nov-06	$60
5	7	Crackdown	Microsoft	Feb-07	$58
**	8	Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion	Take-Two Interactive	Mar-06	$58
**	9	Fight Night Round 3	Electronic Arts	Feb-06	$30
**	10	Viva Pinata	Microsoft	Nov-06	$25

Wii
Last Month	Current Rank	Title	Publisher	Release Date	Average Price
**	1	Super Paper Mario	Nintendo	Apr-07	$50
1	2	Wii Play (with remote)	Nintendo	Feb-07	$50
4	3	Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess	Nintendo	Nov-06	$50
2	4	Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07	Electronic Arts	Mar-07	$50
5	5	Warioware: Smooth Moves	Nintendo	Jan-07	$50
**	6	Spider-Man 3	Activision	Apr-07	$50
3	7	Sonic and the Secret Rings	Sega	Feb-07	$50
6	8	Cooking Mama: Cook Off	Majesco	Mar-07	$50
7	9	Rayman Raving Rabbids	Ubisoft	Nov-06	$50
**	10	Prince of Persia: Rival Swords	Ubisoft	Mar-07	$50

GBA
Last Month	Current Rank	Title	Publisher	Release Date	Average Price
1	1	Pokémon FireRed (with adaptor)	Nintendo	Sep-04	$20
2	2	Pokémon LeafGreen (with adaptor)	Nintendo	Sep-04	$20
4	3	Pokémon Emerald	Nintendo	Apr-05	$35
3	4	Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2	Nintendo	Feb-02	$21
6	5	Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team	Nintendo	Sep-06	$31
5	6	Mario Kart: Circuit	Nintendo	Aug-01	$21
7	7	Super Mario Advance	Nintendo	Jun-01	$20
**	8	Dogz 2	Ubisoft	Mar-07	$30
8	9	My Little Pony: Crystal Princess Runaway Rainbow	THQ	Sep-06	$15
**	10	Mario Bros 3: Mario 4	Nintendo	Oct-03	$30

DS
Last Month	Current Rank	Title	Publisher	Release Date	Average Price
**	1	Pokémon Diamond	Nintendo	Apr-07	$35
**	2	Pokémon Pearl	Nintendo	Apr-07	$35
3	3	New Super Mario Bros	Nintendo	May-06	$35
2	4	Spectrobes	Disney Interactive Studios	Mar-07	$30
1	5	Diddy Kong Racing	Nintendo	Feb-07	$31
4	6	Mario Kart	Nintendo	Nov-05	$35
7	7	Nintendogs: Dalmatian & Friends	Nintendo	Oct-06	$31
8	8	Brain Age: Train Your Brain In Minutes a Day	Nintendo	Apr-06	$20
10	9	Cooking Mama	Majesco	Sep-06	$20
**	10	Animal Crossing: Wild World	Nintendo	Dec-05	$35

PSP
Last Month	Current Rank	Title	Publisher	Release Date	Average Price
1	1	MLB 07: The Show	SCEA	Feb-07	$40
3	2	Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories	Take-Two Interactive	Nov-06	$28
5	3	Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories	Take-Two Interactive	Oct-05	$20
2	4	Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters	SCEA	Feb-07	$40
8	5	Midnight Club 3: Dub	Take-Two Interactive	Jun-05	$20
**	6	Need for Speed: Most Wanted	Electronic Arts	Nov-05	$20
4	7	300: March to Glory	Warner Interactive	Feb-07	$30
6	8	NBA Live 07	Electronic Arts	Sep-06	$30
10	9	Major League Baseball 2K7	Take-Two Interactive	Feb-07	$30
9	10	Call of Duty: Roads to Victory	Activision	Mar-07	$40