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Watch Dogs is the new No.1 video game in the UK, bettering the record for week one sales of a new IP held by LA Noire by 58 per cent.
In terms of unit sales, Watch Dogs is 17th on the list for best ever launch weeks, only bettered by titles in the GTA, Call of Duty, FIFA and Battlefield franchises. The game also bested Ubisoft’s previous week one record set by Assassin’s Creed 3 by 17 per cent.
The format breakdown sees the PS4 take the majority of sales, accounting for 49 per cent of its total, which includes bundles. PS4 hardware sales are up 94 per cent as a result. Xbox One took a 27 per cent share of sales, Xbox 360 managed 13 per cent and PS3 took 9 per cent.
Mario Kart 8 takes second place, becoming the Wii U’s biggest new release, and the second best for a game in the Mario Kart franchise. Percentages don’t always paint a very clear picture, but Mario Kart 8’s launch and the associated hardware bundle saw Wii U console sales rise a staggering 666 per cent – 82 per cent of hardware sales from the bundle alone.
Wolfenstein sales are down 65 per cent as it slips to No.3, FIFA 14 is up 46 per cent at No.4 and Minecraft: PS3 Edition drops to No.5 despite a 20 per cent climb in sales.
Elsewhere, Borderlands 2 climbs back up to No.18 thanks to the release of the PS Vita version.
Source: UKIE Games Charts, compiled by GfK Chart-Track, (All Prices) Week 22, 2014
1. WATCH DOGS
2. MARIO KART 8
3. WOLFENSTEIN: THE NEW ORDER
4. FIFA 14
5. MINECRAFT: PLAYSTATION 3 EDITION
6. 2014 FIFA WORLD CUP BRAZIL
7. TITANFALL
8. MINECRAFT: XBOX 360 EDITION
9. CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS
10. THE LEGO MOVIE VIDEOGAME
11. LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES
12. LEGO THE HOBBIT
13. BATTLEFIELD 4
14. PLANTS VS ZOMBIES: GARDEN WARFARE
15. ASSASSIN’S CREED IV: BLACK FLAG
16. GRAND THEFT AUTO V
17. THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2
18. BORDERLANDS 2
19. SOUTH PARK: THE STICK OF TRUTH
20. SKATE 3
We’ll never know how the Watch Dogs delay affected sales, but Ubisoft has to be pleased by the game’s performance, which is certainly in a great place to launch a strong new franchise for the publisher.
Likewise, Nintendo will be hopeful Mario Kart 8 can be the start of maintained momentum for the Wii U, but it’s too early to say if this is just a flash in the pan for the struggling platform.
Murdered is this week’s major release, which like Watch Dogs is a new IP launching across two generations. We reckon the game could manage to oust Mario Kart 8 to second place, but don’t see it overtaking Watch Dogs at No.1.
