Top Xbox Live game launches of 2010

It's a curious way to organize data, but Microsoft's Major Nelson has posted the top Arcade and Indie games of 2010, based on "full versions purchased" during a game's first seven days of activity.

Topping the Arcade list is Dead Rising 2: Case Zero, which definitely owns its place as Capcom's "most dynamic sales weapon" ever. Capcom's other Dead Rising 2 standalone tie-in, Case West, also did some faaaaa-ntastic numbers, taking the seventh spot. Limbo, which was one of our top games of 2010, took the second spot, while the Perfect Dark refresh can be spied in third. Super Meat Boy, prime at five on our best of 2010, hunkered down on this list at spot 17.

In the Indie section, Baby Maker Extreme popped up in first place, followed by several games that have "Avatar" in the title. A game called Try Not To Fart also made it into the list. Check out the top 20 Arcade and Indie titles after the break.

Top Arcade Titles of 2010 (Based on full versions purchased during first week of release)

Dead Rising 2: Case Zero
LIMBO
Perfect Dark
Toy Soldiers
Monday Night Combat
Deadliest Warrior
Dead Rising 2: Case West
X-Men Arcade
Castlevania Harmony of Despair
Plants vs Zombies
Scott Pilgrim
Sonic 4 Episode 1
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light
Blacklight: Tango Down
Hydro Thunder Hurricane
RISK Factions
Super Meat Boy
World of Keflings

Top Indie Games of 2010 (Based on full versions purchased during first week of release)

Baby Maker Extreme
Avatar Showdown
Avatar Paintball
Avatar Ninja!
Avatar Racedrome
Try Not To Fart
Nuclear Wasteland
Avatar Onslaught
Yet Another Zombie Defense
Zombie Estate
Breath of Death VII
MILITARY SNIPER-SIM 3.18
Get Rich or Die Gaming
Avatar Bumper Cars
Avatar Meet Up Live!
GET TO THA CHOPPA!!1
Shoot 1UP
Toy Stunt Bike
The Impossible Game
So Many Girls So Little Time

Reader Comments (35)

Wow, no wonder MS wanted to hide the Indie section when they redid the dashboard. Most of those games sound downright terrible.

@baby sea tuna Most of them aren't terrible for the dollar they cost. But I know this from trying them unlike yourself who simply jumps to conclusions based on a name.

@baby sea tuna
Oh, here we go again...

@baby sea tuna
They are downright terrible. Every time you buy an indie game that is a dollar you might as well have flushed down the toilet. You could play games a million times better for free at any flash games website.

@Jack Kevorkian

Yeah, because you obviously don't make judgments based solely on assumptions...

@Juelz345 EXACTLY.

The biggest problem with indie games on XBL is that you have to be online to play them. That's a deal breaker for me.

It's funny how some indie games never leave the top 20. They are the equivalent of Nintendo evergreen. I maed a gaem...has never left the top 5.

Considering World of Keflings came out less than two weeks before year's end, that's pretty impressive.

@RMM

I'll reply to my own post to say that those sales are only based on first week purchases. Disregard my lame comment.

@RMM

Zombie Jesus forgives you.

Too bad none of the radiangames made to the list. Their production values are amazing as far as indie games go (even though all of them are probably built on the top of a framework for dual analog shooters)

Today, "Indie" is represented with the highest regard.

Her Majesty herself commented on the most delectable time she had with "Try Not To Fart ".

"Haw haw haw, this amuses Us" she gleefully commented whilst eating her cream filled pastry.

Wow, some surprises on this list, especially Lara Croft considering it didn't even have co-op until a month or two later. (It's a great game, just indefensible they'd release it without one of it's main, and IMO best, features)

I wonder if they'll do a list that's life-to-date sales. I'd have to imagine the positions on some titles would change a bit. I don't recall more than a couple hundred people playing Castlevania after a couple weeks of release whereas Super Meat Boy seems to have been going strong since it's initial release (160k on the leaderboards now). Though, I have no idea how 160k compares in relation to XBLA titles. Didn't Shadow Complex break a million or am I just making that up?

@mcnerven This should help.

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/32659/InDepth_Xbox_Live_Arcades_2010_Sales_Revealed.php

Gamasutra is best for these things :)

@mcnerven

GoL did have co-op, just not *online* co-op, at launch. For some people, that was a dealbreaker. Personally, I'd take couch over online co-op any day.

@Jack Kevorkian

Thanks! That's a helpful list!

@baby sea tuna

For me it's not about preference. Online co-op is my only option considering my best friend, and main co-op buddy, lives on the opposite side of the country.

When the patch hit we both picked up the game and played it, but sucked having to wait so long after the games initial release for a feature promised so close to launch.

I'm surprised by the high placement of Toy Soldiers and Deadliest Warrior and the low (but only in a relative sense) placement for Super Meat Boy.

Not a slight against any product... just saying

@darkinchworm Ive never played game like Toy Soldiers while I thought SMBs gimmick was simply being nostalgic difficulty. Toy Soldiers was last years was my xbla got simply for the art style and rare historical reference. Takes balls to go WW1.

I will never understand how Limbo is #2 and Meat Boy is #17. Meat Boy is fantastic. I REALLY tried to fall in love with Limbo, but I think it's way overrated. Don't get me wrong, it was a solid puzzle game, but I don't think it's at all award-worthy. Besides the atmosphere of the game, it wasn't really that special.

@Fuzunga

One game was the first game in the Summer of Arcade and one game was not. It is not that hard to figure why one had better first week sells.

'Try not to fart' is one of the silliest games out there, I highly recommend it. The dialogue is absolutely hilarious.

Breath of Death VII got on the list. Hooray!

@Darklink2009 No cthulu though :(

@Jack Kevorkian

I wonder if it counts though- maybe if it's not out for a week in 2010 it didn't get the full count?

Which games on these lists did Activision produce? http://www.activisionblizzard.com/corp/ml/aboutUs/bobby_kotick.html

@HGrp
I thought that would be a link to the CEO of Activision, don't worry, here's one for you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol6fvLwL-OI

Where is Pinball FX2 ??????

Haven't played all the indie games, but for those of you who haven't tried the toy stunt bike game yet, its an addicting little game that i'd say is worth the dollar.

No ilomilo? I loved that game!

@bsabiston I would have loved to see Ilomilo on the list. And I wish some radiangames would have made the indie list. Such good games for $1.

Good. There was lots of games that beat Super Meat Boy.

Most people had never heard of Super Meat Boy the week it came out. It was such a fantastic game, that when word of mouth caught up, sales of the game were higher the month later. All the many Game of the Year awards it received also helped sales months after it came out.

Games with zombies = win... well, most of the time anyway. Still, I hate that online co-op is becoming default with local co-op seemingly an afterthought, mostly because I don't trust other people enough. Those indie games do look.... interesting. Another good top list can be found at http://www.meltedjoystick.com/top_games_by_platform.php?platform=Xbox+360

Dead Rising 2: Case Zero

Top Xbox Live game launches of 2010

Reader Comments (35)

Posted: Feb 3rd 2011 2:04PM baby sea tuna said

Posted: Feb 3rd 2011 2:06PM Jack Kevorkian said

Posted: Feb 3rd 2011 2:07PM TheShaper said

Posted: Feb 3rd 2011 2:17PM thenutman69321 said

Posted: Feb 3rd 2011 2:18PM Juelz345 said

Posted: Feb 3rd 2011 2:23PM Jack Kevorkian said

Posted: Feb 3rd 2011 2:39PM c0bra95 said

Posted: Feb 3rd 2011 2:05PM Jack Kevorkian said

Posted: Feb 3rd 2011 2:07PM RMM said

Posted: Feb 3rd 2011 2:08PM RMM said

Posted: Feb 3rd 2011 2:17PM CaptainProtonX said

Posted: Feb 3rd 2011 2:13PM TheShaper said

Posted: Feb 3rd 2011 2:16PM CaptainProtonX said

Posted: Feb 3rd 2011 2:16PM mcnerven said

Posted: Feb 3rd 2011 2:28PM Jack Kevorkian said

Posted: Feb 3rd 2011 3:05PM baby sea tuna said

Posted: Feb 3rd 2011 8:27PM mcnerven said

Posted: Feb 3rd 2011 8:29PM mcnerven said

Posted: Feb 3rd 2011 2:41PM darkinchworm said

Posted: Feb 3rd 2011 3:18PM Jack Kevorkian said

Posted: Feb 3rd 2011 2:44PM Fuzunga said

Posted: Feb 3rd 2011 3:14PM spid said

Posted: Feb 3rd 2011 3:06PM 343 Guilty Fart said

Posted: Feb 3rd 2011 3:13PM Darklink2009 said

Posted: Feb 3rd 2011 3:19PM Jack Kevorkian said

Posted: Feb 3rd 2011 11:41PM Acosta02 said

Posted: Feb 3rd 2011 3:42PM HGrp said

Posted: Feb 4th 2011 4:30AM NoNameForEvil said

Posted: Feb 3rd 2011 4:28PM gofish1985 said

Posted: Feb 3rd 2011 4:41PM smith2sc said

Posted: Feb 3rd 2011 4:49PM bsabiston said

Posted: Feb 3rd 2011 7:37PM Crucial Kenny said

Posted: Feb 3rd 2011 5:53PM Bedlight said

Posted: Feb 3rd 2011 8:02PM GordoJones88 said

Posted: May 2nd 2011 9:44PM (Unverified) said

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