ChartSpot: March 2007
God of War II sees heavenly sales, GRAW2 and Guitar Hero II rock the 360 top 10, MotorStorm revs up PS3 sales.
Though it saw a decline in PC game sales, the five weeks of the industry-tracking NPD Group's "March" reporting period--which lasted from March 4 to April 7--saw the good times roll on other platforms. Leading the pack of non-PC titles was God of War II, Sony Computer Entertainment America's glowingly reviewed sequel to its 2005 action game hit. The game sold 833,000 copies in three weeks and is well on its way to rival sales of the original God of War, which landed in 13th place for the "month."
As far as the platforms formerly known as next-generation consoles, the Xbox 360 came out on top, with five games in the NPD Group's top 20 games of the month. Foremost among them was Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2, which sold 394,000 copies from its March 6 release until the end of the month. Right behind it was Guitar Hero II, which moved 291,000 in the four days after its Xbox 360 debut. Also making the top 10 were the 360 MLB 2K7 (165,000 copies sold) and Def Jam Icon (148,000 copies sold).
The 360's rivals were also represented in the top 20. MotorStorm, the racing game touted so often by Sony Computer Entertainment's Phil Harrison that its very mention became a drinking game among 21-and-over gamers, had a solid debut, selling 199,000 units. No doubt boosted by the fact it came with a Wii Remote, Wii Play sold 273,000 copies during Julius Caesar's least favorite month.
NPD's March reporting period also marked a milestone in the console cycle. Namely, it is the first month that NPD stopped providing rankings for Xbox and GameCube. NPD reps assured GameSpot that the industry research firm is still monitoring sales of games on both platforms, but felt the time was right to desist updating the games press on said data, given that both platforms are no longer produced.
On the PC charts, the song remained largely the same. As is all too often the case, World of Warcraft and the Sims 2 exchanged places in the top slot. The latter's Seasons expansion pack was the month's most popular PC game, with the former's first expansion pack, the Burning Crusade, close behind it. However, there was a new kid on the block. The regular edition of Electronic Arts' Command & Conquer 3 debuted in fourth place on the PC charts, with the deluxe Kane edition following two slots behind it.
ALL CONSOLES | ||||||
Last Month | Current Rank | Title | Platform | Publisher | Release Date | Average Price |
** | 1 | God of War II | PS2 | SCEA | Mar-07 | $50 |
** | 2 | Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 | 360 | Ubisoft | Mar-07 | $59 |
** | 3 | Guitar Hero II (with Guitar) | 360 | Activision | Mar-07 | $88 |
2 | 4 | Wii Play (with Wii Remote) | WII | Nintendo | Feb-07 | $50 |
** | 5 | MotorStorm | PS3 | SCEA | Mar-07 | $60 |
3 | 6 | Diddy Kong Racing | NDS | Nintendo | Feb-07 | $30 |
** | 7 | Spectrobes | NDS | Disney Interactive Studios | Mar-07 | $29 |
7 | 8 | Major League Baseball 2K7 | 360 | Take-Two Interactive | Feb-07 | $60 |
16 | 9 | MLB '07: The Show | PS2 | SCEA | Feb-07 | $40 |
** | 10 | Def Jam Icon | 360 | Electronic Arts | Mar-07 | $60 |
5 | 11 | Guitar Hero II (with guitar) | PS2 | Activision | Nov-06 | $79 |
11 | 12 | New Super Mario Bros | NDS | Nintendo | May-06 | $32 |
19 | 13 | God of War | PS2 | SCEA | Mar-05 | $19 |
** | 14 | Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories | PS2 | Take-Two Interactive | Mar-07 | $20 |
** | 15 | Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 | WII | Electronic Arts | Mar-07 | $50 |
1 | 16 | Crackdown | 360 | Microsoft | Feb-07 | $60 |
13 | 17 | Sonic and the Secret Rings | WII | Sega | Feb-07 | $49 |
** | 18 | TMNT | PS2 | Ubisoft | Mar-07 | $40 |
14 | 19 | Mario Kart | NDS | Nintendo | Nov-05 | $33 |
4 | 20 | Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess | WII | Nintendo | Nov-06 | $50 |
PC | ||||
Last Month | Current Rank | Title | Publisher | Average Price |
3 | 1 | The Sims 2 Seasons | Electronic Arts | $27 |
1 | 2 | World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade | Vivendi | $38 |
2 | 3 | World of Warcraft | Vivendi | $24 |
** | 4 | Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars | Electronic Arts | $48 |
5 | 5 | The Sims 2 | Electronic Arts | $38 |
** | 6 | Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars Kane Edition | Electronic Arts | $59 |
** | 7 | Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl | THQ | $39 |
4 | 8 | Supreme Commander | THQ | $48 |
** | 9 | Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Shivering Isles | Take-Two Interactive | $29 |
7 | 10 | 3333 XP Games JC | Viva Media | $10 |
** | 11 | The Sims 2 Celebration Stuff | Electronic Arts | $18 |
8 | 12 | The Sims 2 Pets | Electronic Arts | $29 |
** | 13 | Titan Quest: Immortal Throne | THQ | $30 |
11 | 14 | Age of Empires III | Microsoft | $48 |
9 | 15 | Battlefield 2142 | Electronic Arts | $42 |
13 | 16 | The Sims 2 Nightlife | Electronic Arts | $31 |
12 | 17 | Paws & Claws Pet Vet | Valusoft (THQ) | $17 |
6 | 18 | The Sims: Life Stories | Electronic Arts | $39 |
17 | 19 | Sim City 4 Deluxe | Electronic Arts | $24 |
16 | 20 | Halo: Combat Evolved | Microsoft | $20 |
PLAYSTATION 2 | |||||
Last Month | Current Rank | Title | Publisher | Release Date | Average Price |
** | 1 | God of War II | SCEA | Mar-07 | $50 |
2 | 2 | MLB '07: The Show | SCEA | Feb-07 | $40 |
1 | 3 | Guitar Hero II (with guitar) | Activision | Nov-06 | $79 |
4 | 4 | God of War | SCEA | Mar-05 | $19 |
** | 5 | Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories | Take-Two Interactive | Mar-07 | $20 |
** | 6 | TMNT | Ubisoft | Mar-07 | $40 |
** | 7 | Major League Baseball 2K7 | Take-Two Interactive | Feb-07 | $29 |
9 | 8 | Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | Take-Two Interactive | Oct-04 | $20 |
7 | 9 | NCAA March Madness 07 | Electronic Arts | Jan-07 | $30 |
6 | 10 | Fight Night Round 3 | Electronic Arts | Feb-06 | $19 |
PLAYSTATION 3 | |||||
Last Month | Current Rank | Title | Publisher | Release Date | Average Price |
** | 1 | MotorStorm | SCEA | Mar-07 | $60 |
** | 2 | Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion | Bethesda Softworks | Mar-07 | $59 |
** | 3 | Def Jam Icon | Electronic Arts | Mar-07 | $59 |
1 | 4 | Resistance: Fall of Man | SCEA | Nov-06 | $60 |
3 | 5 | Major League Baseball 2K7 | Take-Two Interactive | Feb-07 | $60 |
** | 6 | NBA Street Homecourt | Electronic Arts | Mar-07 | $60 |
2 | 7 | Virtua Fighter 5 | Sega | Feb-07 | $60 |
** | 8 | The Godfather: The Don's Edition | Electronic Arts | Mar-07 | $60 |
** | 9 | Formula One Championship Edition | SCEA | Feb-07 | $60 |
** | 10 | Armored Core 4 | Sega | Mar-07 | $60 |
XBOX 360 | |||||
Last Month | Current Rank | Title | Publisher | Release Date | Average Price |
** | 1 | Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 | Ubisoft | Mar-07 | $59 |
** | 2 | Guitar Hero II (with guitar) | Activision | Mar-07 | $88 |
3 | 3 | Major League Baseball 2K7 | Take-Two Interactive | Feb-07 | $60 |
** | 4 | Def Jam Icon | Electronic Arts | Mar-07 | $60 |
1 | 5 | Crackdown | Microsoft | Feb-07 | $60 |
2 | 6 | Gears of War | Microsoft | Nov-06 | $64 |
6 | 7 | Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas | Ubisoft | Nov-06 | $62 |
** | 8 | Armored Core 4 | Sega | Mar-07 | $60 |
** | 9 | TMNT | Ubisoft | Mar-07 | $50 |
5 | 10 | NBA Street Homecourt | Electronic Arts | Feb-07 | $60 |
Wii | |||||
Last Month | Current Rank | Title | Publisher | Release Date | Average Price |
1 | 1 | Wii Play (with remote) | Nintendo | Feb-07 | $50 |
** | 2 | Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 | Electronic Arts | Mar-07 | $50 |
4 | 3 | Sonic and the Secret Rings | Sega | Feb-07 | $49 |
2 | 4 | Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess | Nintendo | Nov-06 | $50 |
3 | 5 | WarioWare: Smooth Moves | Nintendo | Jan-07 | $50 |
** | 6 | Cooking Mama: Cook Off | Majesco | Mar-07 | $50 |
5 | 7 | Rayman Raving Rabbids | Ubisoft | Nov-06 | $48 |
** | 8 | SSX Blur | Electronic Arts | Feb-07 | $50 |
** | 9 | TMNT | Ubisoft | Mar-07 | $50 |
7 | 10 | Red Steel | Ubisoft | Nov-06 | $38 |
GBA | |||||
Last Month | Current Rank | Title | Publisher | Release Date | Average Price |
2 | 1 | Pokemon FireRed | Nintendo | Sep-04 | $20 |
5 | 2 | Pokemon LeafGreen | Nintendo | Sep-04 | $20 |
3 | 3 | Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 | Nintendo | Feb-02 | $20 |
4 | 4 | Mario Kart: Circuit | Nintendo | Aug-01 | $20 |
8 | 5 | Pokemon Emerald | Nintendo | Apr-05 | $35 |
7 | 6 | Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team | Nintendo | Sep-06 | $31 |
6 | 7 | Super Mario Advance | Nintendo | Jun-01 | $20 |
** | 8 | My Little Pony: Crystal Princess Runaway Rainbow | THQ | Sep-06 | $15 |
** | 9 | Dogz | Ubisoft | Nov-05 | $20 |
** | 10 | Nicktoons: Battle for Volcano Island | THQ | Oct-06 | $20 |
DS | |||||
Last Month | Current Rank | Title | Publisher | Release Date | Average Price |
1 | 1 | Diddy Kong Racing | Nintendo | Feb-07 | $30 |
** | 2 | Spectrobes | Disney Interactive Studios | Mar-07 | $29 |
2 | 3 | New Super Mario Bros | Nintendo | May-06 | $32 |
3 | 4 | Mario Kart | Nintendo | Nov-05 | $33 |
5 | 5 | Kirby Squeak Squad | Nintendo | Dec-06 | $30 |
** | 6 | Wario: Master of Disguise | Nintendo | Mar-07 | $30 |
6 | 7 | Nintendogs: Dalmatian & Friends | Nintendo | Oct-06 | $30 |
4 | 8 | Brain Age: Train Your Brain In Minutes a Day | Nintendo | Apr-06 | $20 |
7 | 9 | Yoshi's Island 2 | Nintendo | Nov-06 | $29 |
** | 10 | Cooking Mama | Majesco | Sep-06 | $19 |
PSP | |||||
Last Month | Current Rank | Title | Publisher | Release Date | Average Price |
** | 1 | MLB '07: The Show | SCEA | Feb-07 | $40 |
1 | 2 | Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters | SCEA | Feb-07 | $40 |
2 | 3 | Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories | Take-Two Interactive | Nov-06 | $30 |
** | 4 | 300: March to Glory | Warner Interactive | Feb-07 | $30 |
4 | 5 | Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories | Take-Two Interactive | Oct-05 | $20 |
5 | 6 | NBA Live 07 | Electronic Arts | Sep-06 | $30 |
9 | 7 | Medal of Honor: Heroes | Electronic Arts | Oct-06 | $29 |
7 | 8 | Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition | Take-Two Interactive | Jun-05 | $20 |
** | 9 | Call of Duty: Roads to Victory | Activision | Mar-07 | $40 |
** | 10 | Major League Baseball 2K7 | Take-Two Interactive | Feb-07 | $30 |
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