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Brit bookies taking bets on top holiday game

Online gambling site announces odds for the Christmas top slot; Need for Speed the current fave.

Paddy Power Bookmakers, an online odds-making and betting service in the United Kingdom, has today published a list of odds on "contestants" to top the UK holiday sales charts.

The favourite this year is EA's Need for Speed Carbon with odds of 8-to-13. If the title become the best-seller, that would make for a hat trick of number one grabs. In 2005, Need for Speed Most Wanted was top of the charts, and in 2004 it was Need for Speed Underground 2.

Second favourite from Paddy Power is another EA game, FIFA 07, with odds of 4-to-1. In this week's Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA) charts, the game knocked the highly anticipated Xbox 360 title Gears of War off the top slot after only one week.

Gears of War is a 10-to-1 shot, along with Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas, and Sierra's Eragon. Other possibilities for the number one slot include Nintendo's Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess at 33-to-1, Activision's Guitar Hero II at 25-to-1, and THQ's Bratz: Forever Diamondz at 80-to-1.

Paddy Power marketing manager Sharon McHugh said, "We take a lot of money on Christmas specials and this is a popular market with the customers every year. Very often a game like Superman will do well, if the movie has done well, so Eragon could be a bestseller if the box office does well and the kids like it enough to buy the game."

For those feeling lucky, an outside bet would be Eidos Interactive's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: Party Edition, which is at 250-to-1 .

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WLD4 5 pts

The last time I checked Zelda was dropping tomorrow, Dec. 13. Now I look again and GameSpot says it dropped yesterday, the 11th. What's going on? Somebody confirm Zelda's actual drop date. Please. Pretty, please.

samuelroberts 5 pts

Eragon will flop! Zelda deserves it, probably.

J_Vason 5 pts

i'm voting for legend of zelda twilight princess.

Darrogamer06 8 pts

I am sick of NFS always getting the Christmas no 1 spot in the games chart but that is just my opinion and wouldn't mind if it was FIFA or something because it would be a different game. There are a few games there that I would really like to be No 1 to make me happy but chances that they will be No 1 are slim to none.

UrbanMessiah 5 pts

OK, fine...That's UK betting, but where are the Vegas and off shore betting odds? I need more action! BTW, to my UK brothers and sisters over there? Someone put me down for five large on FIFA, and two bits on Who Wants To Be A Millioniare...Daddy needs a new HDTV! -=x

RayStand 5 pts

I'm from the UK and yeah gears of war would win it for me. But unfortunately it's only kids who get presents like these from their parents. So I would bet either a footie game or NFS as the winner.

Bansheesdie 5 pts

"and THQ's Bratz: Forever Diamondz" Thats what I'm getting, that right there is a system seller.

Irve 5 pts

NFS cardon .. hands down ... no matter how good or bad it's been a tradition .... GoW is already down to 6th with it's main sales out the window it will be lucky to still be in the top 10 at christmas ... and i don't see the Wii getting enough sales to hold Zelda at number one for 3 weeks ... Oh and the reason Leog Star wars is doing so well is three fold 1> it's Lego 2> it's star wars 3> it's a great game for all ages . OH and FIFA at number 2

Animal91X 5 pts

All of my millions, which don't exist on Gears Of War !!!

janner51 5 pts

99% of the time football rules our chart, so my money would be on FIFA. The UK charts, predictions, amount of PS2 titles, look grim at this time of year due to parents and presents. I'm guessing that's why Bratz, Cars and Lego are doing well in the Charts, and the bookies odds. They're fail safe games for uneducated British parents, grans and grandads, aunts and uncles, who lets face it, are totally clueless. January should see a more adult and modern chart. It''s depressing tho.

faytal-ehtee 5 pts

"For those feeling lucky, an outside bet would be Eidos Interactive's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: Party Edition, which is at 250-to-1 ." lol, they pretty much destroyed that game now.

NightRain 6 pts

Why does UK loves NFS that much? It's good... but not that good. Where are the football games? REPRESENT YOUR SPORT!

Jimbokundesu 5 pts

hex_ten I suppose the trends of these crappy games reflect the mass idiocy of the british population *sigh*. Take that, Gwynneth Paltrow. Seroiusly, though, gimme $500 on Madden 07

Deanyzy 5 pts

'I suppose the trends of these crappy games reflect the mass idiocy of the british population *sigh*.' That's so unbelievably ignorant and stupid, i can tell just by those words that you are mostly likely one of those few ignorant americans that give the rest a bad name, go crawl back under your rock and don't come back.

HXCDEW 5 pts

CARS for XMAS FTW! I bet my life savings on it :lol:

freeid 5 pts

So many retarded comments to this its crazy. Its a good job most of you are not old enough to bet as you just drove right over what you are betting on. The bet is what will be the Christmas no 1 game, meaning what will parents most likely buy for their kids. If your a parent you cant really go wrong with a footy or driving game. If this was a 25th of july bet rather than 25th of December then gears of war or LOZ:TP probably would be no 1.

hex_ten 5 pts

[This message was deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator]

eggsiboss 5 pts

i suppose nfs will win, dont know why- these games are pants!

EikoAtoride 5 pts

I would bet on German charts, maybe on US and Japan, too, but never on UK charts. I don't understand them and their gaming tastes.

Doolum 5 pts

well,what do you know..games are the reason to betting now.!

wozworth 5 pts

Why do poeople keep buying nfs and fifa, infact why do people keep buying ea games?

Sam_Lowery 5 pts

"Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: a 250-to-1 favourite" Uggh! I think it would be more like 1,000 to 1 unless people in the UK are just gung ho for trivia.

eric2mrng 5 pts

Being a Londoner those odd's sound about right.. im picking up zelda:tp, nfs:c and wii play when it comes out this friday. A lot of people will be getting nfs.

crushgoil 5 pts

They didn't mention a single game I'd consider buying..

acesion 5 pts

Wow I guess europe got thier fill of war from WWII. Im still starving for it, which is why I turn to gears of war.

Hinduce 5 pts

Guitar hero should be more close to the top in my opinion but hey....im not UK so my vote dont count that much. but come on BRATZ. Damm my lil girls love that stuff. I'm glad that they dont know about that game or they would DeBo me to get it on all consoles. But that NFSC is koo hu? I'll check it out. I liked the last NFS. I still have it since launch day and i havent sold it yet. PEACE!!!!

n2Deepeth 5 pts

Wow, those UK gamers must really like Need for Speed. I'd bet on Legend of Zelda anyway, even though it looks like NFS would win again.

nintendorocks 5 pts

$100 bucks on Bratz and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Anyone with me?

DrCLos 6 pts

Why is Eragon on the list? The movie looks boring and cliche to me. I played the demo of the game and it is quite unamazing. It felt like a fantasy themed beat-em-up. Hopefully the movie isn't as mediocre as the demo I played.

wenbin09 5 pts

it's really amusing on how they managed to find just about anything to place a bet on!! LOL!!

Kravyn81 21 pts

Wow. I thought for sure the top game would've been a soccer game or something. Well, at least it's not or any of its crappy sequels.

sjdwales 5 pts

theres nothing wrong with racing and soccer games, i wish the soccer games like fifia and pro were more popular in the usa. fifia is my number 1 game i want for christmass since i already have and completed nfs carbon

Kh3tt1 5 pts

Daft bet to make, obviously the two favourites will win, as they are, shock horror! Cross platform!

vengi 5 pts

Fifa 2004 for the PS2 is the Only console game in my house....and I almost never play it. I once had NFS Underground for it too but a friend "borrowed" it....this list is getting pretty freaky for me.... We seem to bet on anything in England....So what are the odds snow will fall on the 25th in London? :)

Nuke_trooper 5 pts

I'd throw my bet in for Need for speed Carbon...

Igwababa 5 pts

tell you what I dont know about best of 2006 but I will bet my money on Halo 3 for best of 2007, with GTA being the only real competition but I think Halo 3 will topple everything from whats on the web it sounds awesome

monty_4256 5 pts

it's sad when such games as Gears of War and Zelda are beaten out by yearly updates of a rubbish game to begin with

Flimsyfishy 5 pts

ummm, gribb85... the average age for gamers is somewhere in the late 20's to early 30's... they're not all kids playing these games.

ffmarco 5 pts

just forget what happens in north america. here in Europe the majority of gamers are ignorant, buy whatever is most marketed, whatever movie-licensed crap comes out and deal with it. They never look for something better.

Gribb85 5 pts

It will be bratz, because of multiple formats and the resurgence of the female gamer due to specific targetting by gaming companys. Guys we all have to remember that the majority of gamers are casual, so that means that: 1. Majority of gamers don't check reviews 2. Majority of gamers buy what is marketed the most effectively (EA are the kings of this) 3. Majority of gamers are kids Basically that means no gears of war for top spot, no twilight princess because not everyone will have a wii. So it will either be bratz, or need for speed carbon, a good outside bet would be Sims: Pets due to the multi format rule. Sorry guys but good games doesn't always = good sales. Besides EA don't make bad games, they make average ones really really well with excellent polish, which is what the casual gamer wants.

Conanfan1 5 pts

Need For Speed will probably win, but that's only because it's available for like 9 different consoles.

AncientDozer 9 pts

I don't know. Since I have no crystal ball I can only speculate and since I am human, my opinion will have some bias. Amazing. Anyway. I feel that Gears of War will take it only because it appeals to a broader audience and still maintains a hardcore fanbase. Ultra violence and X-tremeness still hold quite a bit of appeal.

slickvic1990 5 pts

zelda or gears. sorry resistance, if your console didnt cost so much, you might get the recognition you deserve

yopuu 5 pts

I love zelda but I gotta say its gonna be gear becuase its freakin awsome PS3 and resistains cost to much and zelda fan such as me only go so faar(I BOUGHT ZELDA)

bigcalkenobi 5 pts

Why does everbody buy all the games EA spits out such as Madden, NFS, and other titless, Those tend to be the games that are mediocre or is basically the sma game just slightly adjusted. EA makes more money than anybody else off of half- games

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