FIFA 09 Has Biggest Franchise Debut Ever In UK

EA’s soccer sim FIFA 09 has taken its preordained place at the top of both the UK combined and single format charts this week, with the biggest ever launch in the series’ history. The game outsold last year’s FIFA 08 by 37.5 percent, becoming the third fastest selling game ever on the Xbox 360 in the UK (behind Grand Theft Auto IV and Halo 3) and the second fastest on the PlayStation 3 (behind Grand Theft Auto IV. A total of 42 percent of all sales of the title were on the Xbox 360 at number one in the individual formats chart, with 40 percent on the PlayStation 3 (at number two), 11 percent on the PlayStation 2 (at number three), 3 percent on the PSP (at number 12) and 4 percent on the Wii (at number 14), Nintendo DS and PC. No other major releases were brave enough to debut on the same week as FIFA 09, with combined sales of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed down 40 percent. Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway held on strongly though, moving up one place to number three in the combined formats chart. Although there were no other genuine new entries in the top 40, Sega’s Samba de Amigo on Wii did enter the chart for the first time at 19, after its release last week. Fellow Wii exclusives Wario Land: The Shake Dimension and de Blob also charted only in their second week, at number 36 and 38, respectively. Thanks to retailer promotions Super Mario Galaxy on Wii re-entered the charts at number 23, WALL-E on Nintendo DS re-appeared at number 34 and Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 on Wii at number 35. Overall in the top 40 there are 18 titles for the Wii, seven for the Nintendo DS, six for the Xbox 360, four for the PlayStation 3, two each for the PlayStation 2 and PC and one for the PSP.

Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (C)2008. ELSPA Ltd