PS3 Slim Boosts Software As Batman Leads For Second Week In The UK

Eidos and Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham Asylum continued to ride a wave of strong reviews this past week in the UK, topping the charts for the second week in a row, tracking firm Chart-Track said Monday. But it was the sales cut and introduction of the new fit and trim PlayStation 3 that had a wider impact on the charts for the week ended September 5. The £249.99 console boosted the PS3 version of Batman, closing the weekly unit sales gap with the Xbox 360 version. Activision and Electronic Arts games jumped thanks to slim PS3 bundles, Chart-Track said. On Chart-Track's all-platforms chart -- which combines sales of all versions of a given title -- Activision's one-and-a-half-year-old hit Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare saw a 128 percent week-on-week sales boost. The newer Call of Duty: World At War and EA's Fight Night: Round 4 both saw "strong increases in sales to the PS3 versions," Chart-Track said. On Monday, Chart-Track revealed that PS3 slim's UK launch boosted PS3's hardware sales 11-fold for the week, outselling the other consoles and handhelds by around three times. Leading the all-platforms charts was Batman: Arkham Asylum for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. While Eidos and Rocksteady's game dropped 27 percent during the week, it still sold enough to top games including the Wii-exclusive Wii Sports Resort, which dropped 11 percent in unit sales week-on-week. UK All-Platforms Top 10: 1. Batman: Arkham Asylum (Eidos) 2. Wii Sports Resort (Nintendo) 3. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision Blizzard) 4. Wii Fit (Nintendo) 5. Ashes Cricket 2009 (Codemasters) 6. IL2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey (1C Company) 7. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 (505 Games) 8. Call of Duty: World at War (Activision Blizzard) 9. Fight Night Round 4 (EA) 10. Dissidia: Final Fantasy (Square Enix) The Xbox 360 version of Batman led the individual platforms chart, followed by the PS3 version. Dissidia: Final Fantasy for PSP made its debut at number five, as two Call of Duty games for PS3 leapt into the top 10, thanks to the PS3 slim launch. UK Individual Platforms Top 10 1. Batman: Arkham Asylum (Eidos, Xbox 360) 2. Batman: Arkham Asylum (Eidos, PS3) 3. Wii Sports Resort (Nintendo, Wii) 4. Wii Fit (Nintendo, Wii) 5. Dissidia: Final Fantasy (Square Enix, PSP) 6. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision Blizzard, PS3) 7. Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo, Wii) 8. Ashes Cricket 2009 (Codemasters, Wii) 9. Call of Duty: World at War (Activision Blizzard, PS3) 10. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision Blizzard, Xbox 360) Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (C)2001 ELSPA Ltd Entertainment Software