Battlefield 2 mows down retail charts

Electronic Arts' Battlefield 2 is proving itself once again to be king of the hill. The shooter, developed by Swedish studio Digital Illusions, has sold more than 1.2 million copies worldwide, according to a statement by EA. The PC game is rated T for Teen, and it was released on June 21 at a retail price of $49.99 .

The new addition to the franchise brings the total number of Battlefield games sold to more than 7.2 million (still well behind The Sims, also an EA product, with more than 50 million copies sold). "The Battlefield franchise has proven to be a phenomenal hit with audiences worldwide," said Tom Frisina, vice president and general manager, EA Partners.

An NPD report released today shows that Battlefield 2 was once again the top-selling PC game for the week ending July 30, beating out elder titles World of Warcraft, Half-Life 2, Guild Wars, and The Sims 2. The game was also notched in the sixth slot of the top 10 overall PC software titles for the week. To date, almost 2 million downloads of Battlefield 2's demo have been grabbed from GameSpot DLX.

In Battlefield 2, gamers are thrust into the near future as members of US, Chinese, or newly formed Middle Eastern Coalition forces. Soldiers can enter any vehicle scattered across the landscape, or use a large array of weapons on foot. Up to 64 players can battle it out online in air, on sea, or on land.

To see why more than 1 million cybersoldiers are duking it out online, read GameSpot's full review.