ChartSpot: US PC sales, 3/26-4/1

Traditionally, the NPD Group's weekly PC game charts are dominated by a select group of recurring characters. However, March saw a new heavyweight enter the top slot--where it will likely remain for some time.

As one might guess, the new PC champ is The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Besides taking the Xbox 360 by storm, the expansive and acclaimed role-playing game has conquered the PC community. Publisher 2K Games and developer Bethesda Softworks announced this week that the game accounted for 13 percent of all PC game sales the week after it shipped on March 20. The two companies' press release did not mention the millions of social calendars wrecked, nights of sleep lost, and the rampant "Oblivion flu" that is decimating workplace productivity across the country.

The Collector's Edition of Oblivion, which bundles the game with extras such as a pocket guide to its fictional empire and a making-of documentary DVD for an extra $10, also made the top 10 during the last week in March, coming in fourth. That was three slots above the other major newcomer on the list, Electronic Arts' The Godfather, which was released the day after Oblivion.

But while Oblivion did double duty, the rest of the top 10 was mostly made of familiar faces. The megapopular World of Warcraft remained megapopular, coming in at number two. It will come as no surprise that the Sims were represented--the Sims 2 was sixth, while its Open for Business expansion was third.

A complete list of the best-selling PC games from March 26 to April 1 (no joke!) is below.