UK Video Game Chart: Skyrim claims No.1 spot

NewsPosted 12/12/2011 - 9:54am GMT

Massive price cut helps the open-world RPG take the crown.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has climbed from No.5 to No.1 in the All Formats All Prices UK video game chart, thanks in no small part to a heavily promoted price cut. Sales are up 145 per cent week on week.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 slips to No.2 after four weeks at the top, Ubisoft's Just Dance 3 rises one place to No.3, FIFA 12 is down two places to No.4, and Assassin's Creed: Revelations falls to No.5.

Battlefield 3 climbed three places to No.6 and Nintendo makes it three weeks straight at No.7 with Professor Layton and the Spectre's Call. Saints Row: The Third drops two places to No.8, Uncharted 3 climbs back into the Top 10 at No.9 thanks to price cuts and Mario Kart 7 closes out the Top 10.

1. THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM
2. CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 3
3. JUST DANCE 3
4. FIFA 12
5. ASSASSIN'S CREED: REVELATIONS
6. BATTLEFIELD 3
7. PROFESSOR LAYTON AND THE SPECTRE'S CALL
8. SAINTS ROW: THE THIRD
9. UNCHARTED 3: DRAKE'S DECEPTION
10. MARIO KART 7
11. MARIO & SONIC LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES
12. SUPER MARIO 3D LAND
13. NEED FOR SPEED: THE RUN
14. FORZA MOTORSPORT 4
15. BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY
16. LEGO HARRY POTTER: YEARS 5-7
17. ZUMBA FITNESS
18. SKYLANDERS: SPYRO'S ADVENTURE
19. MICHAEL JACKSON: THE EXPERIENCE
20. ABBA: YOU CAN DANCE

VideoGamer.com Analysis

With little in the way of new releases hitting stores last week it was always going to be the games which enjoyed the biggest price cuts that benefited most. The £22.50 price for Skyrim proved too enticing for many, with fence sitters finally taking the plunge around a month after its 11.11.11 launch.

Similarly, Uncharted 3 saw a boost in sales thanks to widespread price cuts. Only this morning Play.com offered Batman: Arkham City for just £17.99, so could Bats and co. be the next to make a late bid for No.1

Comments

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User Comments

tvr77

either way skyrim deserves to get a top spot, excellent game LOVE it

Posted 13:08 on 13 December 2011

guyderman @ munkee

Here, Here! Munkee for President! I agree whole heartedly!

Posted 12:44 on 13 December 2011

munkee

Firstly, I can't help but think that the price drop was done to make sure that Skyrim sat in the number 1 spot for xmas this year. Great advertising to keep the sales momentum, even when the price goes back up. If its at number one it must be good.

Second, Surely this proves that games can be sold cheaper at retail. How can a game suddenly drop from £42.99 to £22.49 and not make a substantial loss? Aren't games just stupidly overpriced with a ridiculous mark-up to begin with?

Posted 08:59 on 13 December 2011

MrGloomy

Thanks to VG.com, I got mine for the bargain price of...'free'. Now, I'm totally hooked, which has surprised me quite a bit considering my recent gaming tastes have been pointed towards titles with obsurd stupidity, childish content and silly characters, like Saints Row 3 :) Given the content of Skyrim, even at the full price it's argueably still a good deal. I wonder if the retail price drop of Skyrim maybe due to the negative feedback of the numerous bugs and issues still present in the game. Even the Metro (freesheet) had an article about the (almost) game breaking patch.

Posted 08:42 on 13 December 2011

pblive

It's interesting to compare this to the music charts, which have a bunch of rules about only counting a title if it has a minimum price or running time etc.

However, Skyrim does deserve this spot, whether by price cut or another way, and it's good to see it get the attention.

Posted 08:34 on 13 December 2011

FantasyMeister

If cutting the RRP by 45% results in x2.5 as many units sold... maybe it'll only work for Skyrim, but it's frightening to think how many games I might buy at launch if they were all priced at £22.49.

Posted 08:28 on 13 December 2011

This is just a monetary chart really isn't it. It doesn't in anyway reflect the quality of a title. Its a shame because this is the chart which will be displayed by high street and online retailers. It reinforces the concept that a bigger budget will buy you a top spot.

I can't imagine a cool Japanese title getting a top spot these days just for being really good. A lot of average consumers will never sample the delights of the more interesting games because they never get displayed, or promoted, in a top chart position.

In my store I see a lot of great games released and placed straight in the bottom of the older software shelf because they didn't have the budget to buy shelf space.

Posted 15:35 on 12 December 2011