ChartSpot: October 2006

With the Wii and PlayStation 3 now in stores--if you can find one--October 2006 will go down as the last month the Xbox 360 was the sole next-generation console on the market. So it must have burned Microsoft, then, to have its highest-profile next-gen release for the month be beaten by a game for a rival's six-year-old platform.

Yes, October saw the 360 edition of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent bested by Scarface: The World Is Yours for the PlayStation 2. The enthusiasm for the game's film inspiration overcame a lukewarm critical reception, helping the game sell more than half a million units on all platforms combined. The PS2 edition sold more than 366,000 units during the month, earning it a place at the top of NPD Funworld's combined console-handheld chart. The Xbox Scarface sold more than 110,000 units, enough to land it in 11th place. However, the game's little friend, the PSP spin-off Scarface: Money. Power. Respect., didn't say hello to enough gamers to make the top 20.

After second-place finisher Double Agent came the last two months' top dog, Madden NFL 07 for the PS2. Behind it was Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team for the Game Boy Advance, two slots ahead of its DS sibling, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team. Sandwiched in between was newcomer Mortal Kombat: Armageddon (PS2), showing that the venerable fighting franchise's high-flying fisticuffs remain popular.

In seventh place, the PS2 NBA Live 07 finished just ahead of newcomer FIFA Soccer 07 (PS2). Behind them, Take-Two's controversy-courting PS2 game Bully wedgied into ninth place. A more genteel title, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 (PS2), putted its way into 10th place.

October saw the PC charts go to the dogs--literally. In its first month on the market, EA's Sims 2 Pets expansion was the best-selling PC title in the US, keeping perennial favorite World of Warcraft in the second slot. In third was another newcomer from EA--Battlefield 2142, which takes DICE's shooter series even farther into the future than Battlefield 2's semi-contemporary setting.

Sci-fi warfare was also the subject of October's fourth most popular title, debutante Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Dark Crusade. Four other newcomers also cracked the top 20--Microsoft's Flight Simulator X (10th), Guild Wars Nightfall (11th), Age of Empires III: WarChiefs (15th), and Guild Wars Nightfall: Collector's Edition (16th).

ALL CONSOLES
Last Month	Current Rank	Title	Platform	Publisher	Release Date	Average Price
**	1	Scarface: The World Is Yours	PS2	Vivendi	Oct-06	$50
**	2	Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent	360	Ubisoft	Oct-06	$59
1	3	Madden NFL 07	PS2	Electronic Arts	Aug-06	$50
6	4	Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team	GBA	Nintendo	Sep-06	$31
**	5	Mortal Kombat: Armageddon	PS2	Midway	Oct-06	$40
4	6	Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team	DS	Nintendo	Sep-06	$31
11	7	NBA Live 07	PS2	Electronic Arts	Sep-06	$40
**	8	FIFA Soccer 07	PS2	Electronic Arts	Oct-06	$40
**	9	Bully	PS2	Take-Two Interactive	Oct-06	$40
**	10	Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07	PS2	Electronic Arts	Oct-06	$40
**	11	Scarface: The World Is Yours	Xbox	Vivendi	Oct-06	$50
7	12	Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy	PS2	Lucasarts	Sep-06	$39
**	13	Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07	360	Electronic Arts	Oct-06	$59
**	14	Marvel: Ultimate Alliance	360	Activision	Oct-06	$58
**	15	Mario Vs Donkey Kong 2: March Of the Minis	DS	Nintendo	Sep-06	$30
10	16	New Super Mario Brothers	DS	Nintendo	May-06	$34
17	17	Mario Hoops 3 On 3	DS	Nintendo	Sep-06	$30
**	18	Naruto: Clash Of Ninja 2	GCN	D3 Publisher	Sep-06	$39
5	19	Madden NFL 07	360	Electronic Arts	Aug-06	$50
**	20	Mortal Kombat: Armageddon	Xbox	Midway	Oct-06	$40

PC
Last Month	Current Rank	Title	Publisher	Average Price
**	1	The Si2 Pets	Electronic Arts	$27
2	2	World Of Warcraft	Vivendi	$22
**	3	Battlefield 2142	Electronic Arts	$48
**	4	Warhammer 40,000: Dawn Of War Dark Crusade	THQ	$29
**	5	Flight Simulator X Deluxe	Microsoft	$65
1	6	The Si2 Glamour Life Stuff	Electronic Arts	$19
3	7	Company Of Heroes	THQ	$49
5	8	Paws & Claws Pet Vet	Valusoft (THQ)	$13
4	9	The Si2	Electronic Arts	$40
**	10	Flight Simulator X	Microsoft	$49
**	11	Guild Wars Nightfall	NCsoft	$49
11	12	Seaworld Adventure Parks Tycoon 2	Activision	$12
**	13	Desperate Housewives	Buena Vista Games	$18
6	14	Civilization IV	Take-Two Interactive	$39
**	15	Age Of Empires III: WarChiefs	Microsoft	$29
**	16	Guild Wars Nightfall: Collector's Edition	NCsoft	$69
7	17	Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy	LucasArts	$27
13	18	Age Of Empires III	Microsoft	$48
12	19	Sim City 4 Deluxe	Electronic Arts	$23
10	20	The Si2 Nightlife	Electronic Arts	$30

PLAYSTATION 2
Last Month	Current Rank	Title	Publisher	Release Date	Average Price
**	1	Scarface: The World Is Yours	Vivendi	Oct-06	$50
1	2	Madden NFL 07	Electronic Arts	Aug-06	$45
**	3	Mortal Kombat: Armageddon	Midway	Oct-06	$40
3	4	NBA Live 07	Electronic Arts	Sep-06	$40
**	5	FIFA Soccer 07	Electronic Arts	Oct-06	$40
**	6	Bully	Take-Two Interactive	Oct-06	$40
**	7	Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07	Electronic Arts	Oct-06	$40
2	8	Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy	Lucasarts	Sep-06	$39
**	9	Justice League Heroes	Warner Interactive	Oct-06	$39
7	10	Guitar Hero Bundle	Activision	Nov-05	$69

XBOX
Last Month	Current Rank	Title	Publisher	Release Date	Average Price
**	1	Scarface: The World Is Yours	Vivendi	Oct-06	$50
**	2	Mortal Kombat: Armageddon	Midway	Oct-06	$40
1	3	Madden NFL 07	Electronic Arts	Aug-06	$45
**	4	FIFA Soccer 07	Electronic Arts	Oct-06	$40
2	5	Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy	Lucasarts	Sep-06	$39
4	6	NBA Live 07	Electronic Arts	Sep-06	$40
**	7	Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07	Electronic Arts	Oct-06	$40
**	8	Destroy All Humans! 2	THQ	Oct-06	$39
3	9	Halo 2	Microsoft	Nov-04	$29
**	10	Justice League Heroes	Warner Interactive	Oct-06	$40

XBOX 360
Last Month	Current Rank	Title	Publisher	Release Date	Average Price
**	1	Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent	Ubisoft	Oct-06	$59
**	2	Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07	Electronic Arts	Oct-06	$59
**	3	Marvel: Ultimate Alliance	Activision	Oct-06	$58
2	4	Madden NFL 07	Electronic Arts	Aug-06	$58
6	5	NBA 2K7	Take-Two Interactive	Sep-06	$59
1	6	Saints Row	THQ	Aug-06	$58
**	7	Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent Limited Edition	Ubisoft	Oct-06	$70
5	8	Dead Rising	Capcom Usa	Aug-06	$55
8	9	NBA Live 07	Electronic Arts	Sep-06	$58
3	10	Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy	Lucasarts	Sep-06	$48

GAMECUBE
Last Month	Current Rank	Title	Publisher	Release Date	Average Price
4	1	Naruto: Clash Of Ninja 2	D3 Publisher	Sep-06	$39
1	2	Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy	Lucasarts	Sep-06	$39
3	3	Lego Star Wars	Eidos Interactive	Oct-05	$20
2	4	Madden NFL 07	Electronic Arts	Aug-06	$39
**	5	Avatar: The Last Airbender	THQ	Oct-06	$38
6	6	Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door	Nintendo	Oct-04	$20
**	7	Super Mario Strikers	Nintendo	Dec-05	$31
8	8	Mario Kart: Double Dash !!	Nintendo	Nov-03	$29
**	9	Open Season	Ubisoft	Sep-06	$29
7	10	Super Smash Bros. Melee	Nintendo	Dec-01	$29

GBA
Last Month	Current Rank	Title	Publisher	Release Date	Average Price
1	1	Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team	Nintendo	Sep-06	$31
**	2	Pokemon FireRed	Nintendo	Sep-04	$20
**	3	Pokemon LeafGreen	Nintendo	Sep-04	$20
4	4	Pokemon Emerald	Nintendo	Apr-05	$34
3	5	Super Mario Advance	Nintendo	Jun-01	$19
**	6	Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2	Nintendo	Feb-02	$21
2	7	Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy	Lucasarts	Sep-06	$30
**	8	Mario Kart: Circuit	Nintendo	Aug-01	$21
**	9	Over the Hedge	Activision	May-06	$23
5	10	Cars	THQ	Jun-06	$29

DS
Last Month	Current Rank	Title	Publisher	Release Date	Average Price
1	1	Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team	Nintendo	Sep-06	$31
**	2	Mario Vs Donkey Kong 2: March Of the Minis	Nintendo	Sep-06	$30
3	3	New Super Mario Brothers	Nintendo	May-06	$34
4	4	Mario Hoops 3 On 3	Nintendo	Sep-06	$30
**	5	Nintendogs: Dalmatian & Friends	Nintendo	Oct-06	$27
8	6	Mario Kart	Nintendo	Nov-05	$34
7	7	Brain Age: Train Your Brain In Minutes A Day	Nintendo	Apr-06	$19
6	8	Big Brain Academy	Nintendo	Jun-06	$19
**	9	Over the Hedge	Activision	May-06	$22
**	10	Animal Crossing: Wild World	Nintendo	Dec-05	$34

PSP
Last Month	Current Rank	Title	Publisher	Release Date	Average Price
**	1	Scarface: Money. Power. Respect.	Vivendi	Oct-06	$40
1	2	Madden NFL 07	Electronic Arts	Aug-06	$39
2	3	Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy	Lucasarts	Sep-06	$39
**	4	NBA Live 07	Electronic Arts	Sep-06	$39
3	5	Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition	Take-Two Interactive	Jun-05	$20
4	6	Star Wars: Battlefront II	Lucasarts	Nov-05	$20
**	7	Need For Speed: Most Wanted	Electronic Arts	Nov-05	$22
**	8	Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07	Electronic Arts	Oct-06	$39
7	9	Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories	Take-Two Interactive	Oct-05	$39
8	10	NCAAFootball 07	Electronic Arts	Jul-06	$39