Bionic Commando, Boom Blox 2 start slow

It's a good thing that Resident Evil 5 and Street Fighter IV are performing well, because Capcom isn't likely to see much of a return on its investment in bringing back the Bionic Commando name. Debuting to lackluster reviews on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 May 19, the GRIN-developed action adventure was noticeably absent from the NPD Group's top 10 US retail software sales charts last week, with both editions failing to crack even the top 20 board.

Today, Bionic Commando's swing and miss came into sharper focus. An NPD representative confirmed for GameSpot today that Capcom's revival of the 8-bit classic sold just 27,000 units in the US during its first two weeks on the market. The sales figure represents a combined tally for both the Xbox 360 and PS3 editions of the game, and NPD did not specify the split between the two versions.

Capcom had not responded to requests for comment on the game's sales performance as of press time. A PC edition of the game is expected later this year.

Stockholm-based GRIN also hit retail resistance with its second summer blockbuster of the month, the critically panned film tie-in Terminator Salvation. Also arriving on retail shelves May 19, the Xbox 360 and PS3 editions of Terminator Salvation sold just 43,000 units in the US during their first two weeks, according to NPD figures provided to Gamasutra. The firm does not track sales for the PC version of the game, the retail edition of which was recalled after a debilitating bug prevented purchasers from completing the installation process.

Electronic Arts' second Steven Spielberg collaboration, Boom Blox Bash Party, also had a rough May. NPD's US retail sales figures reveal that the Wii-exclusive puzzler sold just 23,000 units during the month, despite garnering a glowing critical reception. The original Boom Blox sold 450,000 units worldwide during its first two months on the market and has moved more than 500,000 copies in the US alone through April 2009, according to NPD.