Survey: Halo 3: ODST Leads 50 Most Anticipated Games List

According to the latest tracking study provided to Gamasutra by OTX's GamePlan Insights, Xbox 360-exclusive Halo 3: ODST easily leads all other games in post-E3 purchase intent, followed by New Super Mario Bros. Wii and God of War 3. The post-E3 purchase intent for Halo 3: ODST, due this September, stood at 828, or "more than eight times greater than the average game included in the data set," according to Nick Williams, director of Gaming Insights for research firm OTX. Halo 3: ODST's purchase intent following E3 jumped up from 629 pre-E3, according to a survey released just prior to the L.A.-based industry event, which took place in June. The average purchase index score is 100. "Halo 3: ODST continues to dominate the field, which is indicative of the overall health and widespread appeal of the Halo brand," Williams added in a statement. This latest title in the Halo franchise is under development by series creator Bungie. The game is somewhat of a departure for the franchise, as players take on the role of an "Orbital Drop Shock Trooper" instead of Halo hero Master Chief. Trailing by nearly 300 purchase intent index points in the second slot is Nintendo's New Super Mario Bros. Wii, which Nintendo unveiled during its E3 briefing. The game is due in November. Rounding out a top three that included exclusive titles for all of the big three consoles was Sony's God of War 3 for PlayStation 3, which earned 530 on the purchase intent index. GamePlan also tracks preorder intent, the proportion of intended buyers of a game who are committed enough to put down money for the game ahead of its release. By that metric, Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare 2 leads the pack, followed by Blizzard's StarCraft II. Those rankings may reflect the particularly dedicated communities behind the games, which are likely to have long shelf lives thanks to multiplayer; in the case of StarCraft II, the title's long-awaited status may also influence its ranking. Said Williams of Halo 3: ODST, God of War III, and New Super Mario Bros., "These three first party titles showcase the individual strengths of each of the major consoles and also illustrate the importance of exclusive content in the battle for consumer mindshare." Other notable games that made the top 10 on the purchase intent index rankings were Square Enix's Final Fantasy XIII, 2K Marin's BioShock 2, Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare 2, Valve's Left 4 Dead 2, Nintendo's Wii Sports Resort, and EA Tiburon's Madden NFL 10. There are also some high-profile games that are conspicuously missing from the top 50 rankings, according to Williams, including Forza Motorsport 3 (53), Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (61), Metroid: Other M (70), MAG (86), Heavy Rain (91), and Alan Wake (115). The full list, courtesy of OTX/GamePlan, provides some interesting comparisons to a similar post-E3 survey by Nielsen, but also includes awareness and pre-order indexes as follows: OTX's GamePlan tracking survey involves polling 1,000 U.S. gamers each week. The firm plans to release updated rankings in July.