UK Video Game Chart: Modern Warfare 3 still top

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has held on at the top of the All Formats All Prices UK video game chart, despite a huge 87 per cent drop over week one.

There are nine new titles in the Top 40, with five of these making the Top 10. Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed: Revelations is at No.2 with unit sales up by four per cent over last year’s Brotherhood, making it the publisher’s most successful week one ever. However, Revelations is the fist title in the franchise to launch on a Tuesday, giving it extra time in stores.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim drops one place to No.3, followed by THQ’s Saints Row: The Third at No.4. The crude, open-world action title recorded week one sales 43 per cent higher than Saints Row 2 managed back in week 42, 2008.

FIFA 12 dropped a place to No.5, and is chased by Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary at No.6 and Wii’s The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword at No.7.

Battlefield 3 slides five places to No.8, Super Mario 3D Land is new at No.9 and Just Dance 3 drops several beats to No.10.

EA’s Need for Speed: The Run is new at No.11, with first week sales around half that of last year’s NFS: Hot Pursuit. Warner’s Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7 starts at No.13, Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games is new at No.20 and Microsoft’s Kinect Disneyland Adventures sneaks into the Top 40 at No.39.

Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (C)2011 UKIE Ltd (All Prices) Week 46, 2011

1. CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 3

2. ASSASSIN’S CREED: REVELATIONS

3. THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM

4. SAINTS ROW: THE THIRD

5. FIFA 12

6. HALO: COMBAT EVOLVED ANNIVERSARY

7. THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: SKYWARD SWORD

8. BATTLEFIELD 3

9. SUPER MARIO 3D LAND

10. JUST DANCE 3

11. NEED FOR SPEED: THE RUN

12. MICHAEL JACKSON: THE EXPERIENCE

13. LEGO HARRY POTTER: YEARS 5-7

14. SKYLANDERS: SPYRO’S ADVENTURE

15. ZUMBA FITNESS

16. UNCHARTED 3: DRAKE’S DECEPTION

17. BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY

18. MOSHI MONSTERS: MOSHLING ZOO

19. FORZA MOTORSPORT 4

20. MARIO & SONIC LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES

With marginal growth for the Assassin’s Creed franchise and some disappointing review scores we could see Revelations struggle to match the huge sales of Brotherhood in the long-term, especially given the crowded marketplace this winter. It’s much better news for THQ and Saints Row, with a 43 per cent sales increase matching the strong critical reception for the sequel.

Halo’s ability to outsell a brand new Zelda title must be a blow for Nintendo, especially given the long marketing push associated with Skyward Sword and the Zelda franchise as a whole.

EA’s decision to push out a new Need for Speed using the Frostbite engine appears to have bitten the publisher in the behind, with sales way down on last year’s Hot Pursuit. Whether this means the end for Black Box remains to be seen.

And finally, Microsoft’s second wave of Kinect titles continue to miss the mark, with Kinect Disneyland Adventures almost missing the Top 40 entirely at No.39. Microsoft will be hoping shoppers gravitate towards Kinect this holiday season or else will find itself with titles in sales bins just a few weeks after release.

WWE 12, Rayman Origins and Zumba 2 are Friday’s big releases. We expect WWE to perform well and could sneak into the Top 5, while Rayman should make the Top 20. Zumba 2 is hard to predict, as consumers might not be ready to part with more cash for the sequel – much will depend on how hard retailers push the title in stores.