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UK game charts: August 6-12

By Guy Cocker, GameSpot UKPosted Aug 15, 2006 7:27 am PT

Led by THQ's Cars, the top three games remain the same for the third week running, while budget releases fill up the rest of the chart.

Anyone looking for a major change to the UK all-format game chart will be sorely disappointed by the results of the week of August 6 to 12. The top three games remain the same for the third week in a row: Cars held pole position for the fourth week running, even though its film inspiration was knocked off the top slot by Miami Vice. Meanwhile, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and New Super Mario Bros. sit at numbers two and three, respectively.

With only a minor reshuffle, the rest of the top 10 remains largely unchanged. In fact, the only new entry in the top 20 is Monster House, which limped in at number 18. THQ's film tie-in only makes it into the top 40 at all after its second week on release, no doubt assisted by the release of the movie at cinemas last weekend.

The dominance of budget releases, and specifically The Sims, has been a big talking point of the British games industry this week. The Sims series and its add-on packs take up six places on the top 40 thanks to high-profile discounting from retailers such as Amazon and Woolworths. The story made the front page of UK trade magazine MCV, which reported concerns from independent retailers after The Sims games have been selling for as little as £5 each. According to MCV, "The fact that heavy discounting at [Woolworths] can elevate a handful of titles into the Top 40 demonstrates both the fragility of the summer market and the power of budget software."

One glance at the rest of the chart certainly provides evidence for the success of budget and low-price releases, with both Brain Training and Pro Evolution Soccer 5 holding onto prominent positions. Dead Man's Chest is the only Pirates of the Caribbean game to hang on in the chart, with The Legend of Jack Sparrow dropping to number 13, while Over the Hedge makes reappears by jumping up from 11 to 10. Another budget EA title to make it back into the top 10 was Need for Speed: Most Wanted.

Next week sees the release of ProStroke Golf: World Tour 2007 and Premier Manager 2006-2007, and it remains to be seen whether they can shake up the budget-dominated chart.

56 Comments

  • gimo80

    Posted Aug 22, 2006 5:43 am PT

    Yeah, I think that Nintendo is rapidly catching up in the UK market due to constant exclusives raiding the top 10 and 20, and if you go in a GAME store the DS section is now generously advertised.

    So is the PSP, but there has been a serious decline of AAA software recently. Well, Syphon Filter and Tekken have yet to make an appearance over here though.

  • J0ker_JB

    Posted Aug 17, 2006 9:12 am PT

    @ McSkombi

    Haha, no. Unless you completely disregard handhelds, the case is like this:

    Japan: Nintendo >>>>>>>> Sony >>>>>> Microsoft. (DS weekly sales regurlarly triple everything else combined.)

    USA: Nintendo > Sony > Microsoft. Last months hardware sales was 584k Nintendo, 402k Sony and 218k Microsoft.

    NDS - 377,000
    PS2 - 241,000
    360 - 206,000
    GBA - 163,000
    PSP - 161,000
    GCN - 44,000
    XBX - 12,000

    Europe: Harder to get numbers for as it's composed of several markets but my guess would be Sony (primarily PS2) = Nintendo (primarily DS & GBA) > Microsoft.

  • ElFunky

    Posted Aug 16, 2006 10:05 am PT

    Did only 89 people buy games?
    (The minimum for 10 items with each having more than the other)
    That list sux

  • emeritus

    Posted Aug 16, 2006 6:14 am PT

    Unfortunately, summer is an awful time for games here..
    August/September is the beginning of the Christmas build up, THEN things will start getting interesting.

    Oh, and please dont categorize us as gamers who only like 'fookin' guns, we could easily label those from the 'States as players who like Tom Clancy games and Football (NCAA football 07 anyone?)

  • fordies

    Posted Aug 16, 2006 4:55 am PT

    I dont see why Pro Evo should not be on the list because its cheap to buy and its easily the best football game on the market and football is the most played and supported sport here in the UK.

    The only answer i can think of is that Pro Evo 6 is coming out in october.

  • McSkombi

    Posted Aug 16, 2006 4:08 am PT

    @ 9997
    Japan: SONY > Nintendo >>>>>> Microsoft
    UK: SONY > MIcrosoft = Nintendo
    USA: SONY > Microsoft > Nintendo

    (Don't forget: Sony is Market leader)

  • Pastehunter

    Posted Aug 16, 2006 3:40 am PT

    Haha ,there are just 2 DS games .

  • dexter111344

    Posted Aug 15, 2006 6:40 pm PT

    The movie games, Pro Evolution, & the 2 Sim's games have no right to be on the list. So here is a revised list:
    1 GTA: LCS (PS2)
    2 NSMB (DS)
    3 Brain Age (DS)
    4 Need for Speed Most Wanted (PS2)
    Those are the games that have any right to be there. I can't wait for the UK to get out of this drought because that list is sad. Oh well, NSMB & Brain Age are still selling strong.

  • loxwood

    Posted Aug 15, 2006 2:43 pm PT

    I know there's been no 360 games released for a while but it still looks a good week for the PS2. September looks good for 360 games though.

  • fantasyfacade

    Posted Aug 15, 2006 2:37 pm PT

    WTF!!!! I don't play any of those games and no one I know from the UK plays any of those games except GTA and Mario. This must be some sort of mistake.

  • Satanmar

    Posted Aug 15, 2006 2:31 pm PT

    glad to see Pro Evolution Soccer 5 and The Sims2 in the charts, both great games. Cars being there is expected with parents buying it for kids the day after they watch the movie (please get rid of these types of games)

  • 9symonal

    Posted Aug 15, 2006 2:00 pm PT

    I think it's because nothing new is comming out till the end of the year so thats why the charts are staying relatively the same. We don't even get dead rising or metal gear 3 subsistance till the end of the year.

  • 9997

    Posted Aug 15, 2006 1:30 pm PT

    Japan-Nintendo
    UK-Sony
    USA-mix

  • P2L5NM

    Posted Aug 15, 2006 1:29 pm PT

    Dear god.....sims.. cars.... gta... and pro evo in the top 10?

    wtf uk gamers have no taste for sure, just goes to show how freakin casual we are, it sucks so do our "gaming" shops too

    no one actually gets the good Fun itneresting games but casual crap like fifa and need for speed (which sucks)

    sorry but that list is bul*****

    *sigh* i'm a gamer get me outta here!

  • daqua_99

    Posted Aug 15, 2006 1:15 pm PT

    Oh well .... it seems good for all-overs ...

  • meimnobody

    Posted Aug 15, 2006 1:10 pm PT

    Jorw Brain Age is number five. Bother to read.

  • loopy_101

    Posted Aug 15, 2006 1:08 pm PT

    I'm not really suprised by the UK charts. Firstly because quite a few British casual gamers (like said earlier) would pick the movie/game tie-in or the nieve parents of the child would pick the movie/game tie-in. As for GTA well it always has dominated the UK since Vice City came about....Again too release dates for certain games such as Tekken: Dark Ressurection and Dead Rising have an September or October release in Europe....Oh their is one suprise however and thats how well the DS and its games are selling

  • jorw

    Posted Aug 15, 2006 1:04 pm PT

    Wow, Brain Age isn't on the list!

  • EmptySki

    Posted Aug 15, 2006 12:14 pm PT

    wow surprising..well i hope it looks different next week.

  • frasermoo

    Posted Aug 15, 2006 12:14 pm PT

    Cars is number one, but it is not kids buying it. It is parents, buying it to keep their spoiled brats amused over the summer holiday. All the real gamers are spending their money enjoying the summer.

    I can't wait til my kids play video games. I won't let them have a turd game. They will be weaned on Final Fantasy.

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