Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Modern Warfare 3 holiday numbers indicate franchise sales decline in UK]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/12/modern-warfare-3-holiday-numbers-indicate-franchise-sales-declin/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/12/modern-warfare-3-holiday-numbers-indicate-franchise-sales-declin/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/12/modern-warfare-3-holiday-numbers-indicate-franchise-sales-declin/#comments While the Call of Duty franchise has enjoyed year-over-year growth in terms of worldwide sales, numbers released this week for the UK tell a different story for that particular region. According to the UK's Entertainment Retailers Association, Modern Warfare 3 moved 2,814,298 units between launch on November 8 and December 31, 2011, while Call of Duty's 2010 entry, Black Ops, sold 3,266,298 across the same holiday sales period in the previous year.

That's a decline of 452,000 units from Treyarch-developed Black Ops in 2010 to Infinity Ward/Sledgehammer Games-developed Modern Warfare 3 in 2011, though the latter was the fastest entertainment property in history to reach $1 billion in sales. As MCV points out, FIFA sales were also in decline in the UK, with nearly 200K fewer copies sold during 2011 than in 2010. All that said, let's not lose any sleep over the declines -- both CoD and FIFA's 2011 entries sold in the many millions in just the UK, let alone worldwide.

JoystiqModern Warfare 3 holiday numbers indicate franchise sales decline in UK originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisioncall-of-duty-black-opscall-of-duty-modern-warfare-3fifafifa-11fifa-12infinity-wardmicrosoftmodern-warfare-3pcplaystationps3salessledgehammer-gamestreyarchukunited-kingdomxboxThu, 12 Jan 2012 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Black Ops most popular game on XBL in 2011, Pinball FX2 tops Arcade]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/07/black-ops-most-popular-game-on-xbl-in-2011-pinball-fx2-tops-arc/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/07/black-ops-most-popular-game-on-xbl-in-2011-pinball-fx2-tops-arc/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/07/black-ops-most-popular-game-on-xbl-in-2011-pinball-fx2-tops-arc/#comments You're not going to believe what the most popular games on Xbox Live were in 2011. OK, maybe you'll believe it. According to Microsoft's count of worldwide unique users for the year, Call of Duty: Black Ops topped the list of retail titles, followed by Modern Warfares 3 and 2, Halo Reach, and Battlefield 3.

On the Arcade side, the top seller was Pinball FX 2, followed by Full House Poker, Castle Crashers (which came out in 2008), Fruit Ninja Kinect, and From Dust. Beyond Good & Evil HD hit #20 on the list, which seems good, but too close for comfort, for those of us hoping it would be a strong indicator of interest in the sequel.

You can find full top twenty lists for retail, arcade, and XBLIG, along with Games for Windows Live and Windows Phone (Surprise! Angry Birds!) at Major Nelson's blog.

JoystiqBlack Ops most popular game on XBL in 2011, Pinball FX2 tops Arcade originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 07 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>call-of-duty-black-opsmicrosoftpinball-fx2salesxblaxboxxbox-liveSat, 07 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Ubisoft reveals 15M copies sold of Black Ops (that's right)]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/08/ubisoft-reveals-15m-copies-sold-of-black-ops-thats-right/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/08/ubisoft-reveals-15m-copies-sold-of-black-ops-thats-right/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/08/ubisoft-reveals-15m-copies-sold-of-black-ops-thats-right/#comments On this Call of Duty day, we look back at the success of Black Ops, a game so outrageously popular that its sales figures show up in other companies' earnings reports. Really!

In an investor presentation today, Ubisoft posted the top ten games in the US from January of 2010 through September of 2011, according to NPD data. And that's how we learned that Call of Duty: Black Ops sold 14,983,459 units in the US through September.

Of course, the point Ubisoft was trying to make was that Just Dance 2 was the second-best selling game in the US (at 5,245,480 copies), but we found that the second-most interesting number on the list.

JoystiqUbisoft reveals 15M copies sold of Black Ops (that's right) originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 08 Nov 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionCall-of-Duty-Black-Opsdsmicrosoftnintendonpdplaystationps3salesubisoftwiixboxTue, 08 Nov 2011 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Black Ops sold over 23 million units, over 18 million map packs in first nine months]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/01/black-ops-sold-over-23-million-units-and-over-18-million-map-pac/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/01/black-ops-sold-over-23-million-units-and-over-18-million-map-pac/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/01/black-ops-sold-over-23-million-units-and-over-18-million-map-pac/#comments There are quite a few folks with either an Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 copy of Call of Duty: Black Ops. Just over 23 million, in fact, as of numbers tallied following the first nine months of sales by its publisher. Activision revealed as much during an analyst call this afternoon, showing continued sales growth for the Call of Duty franchise versus install base numbers for the two HD consoles combined.

If that weren't enough, it looks like a huge chunk of those who purchased BlOps were interested in adding to their multiplayer map variety. Activision's numbers show the latest CoD entry as having moved over 18 million map packs since launch (which, priced at $15 a pop, works out to 270 million dollars in gross earnings), 7 million more than MW2 and 9 million more than WaW.

Though the company isn't projecting any map sales yet for the next installment in the CoD franchise, Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg said on the call, "There's plenty of runway this year, with 20 percent-plus expected growth in the HD console install base alone," referring to the company's expected sales of Modern Warfare 3 this holiday and beyond.

JoystiqBlack Ops sold over 23 million units, over 18 million map packs in first nine months originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 13:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisioncall-of-duty-black-opscall-of-duty-modern-warfare-3eric-hirshbergmicrosoftmodern-warfare-3playstationps3salesxboxThu, 01 Sep 2011 13:25:00 EST<![CDATA[Call of Duty: Black Ops has sold 25M, Modern Warfare 2 at 22M]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/03/call-of-duty-black-ops-has-sold-25m-modern-warfare-2-at-22m/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/03/call-of-duty-black-ops-has-sold-25m-modern-warfare-2-at-22m/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/03/call-of-duty-black-ops-has-sold-25m-modern-warfare-2-at-22m/#comments While gaming still looks for its Citizen Kane, it has already found its McDonalds: Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg said on an earnings call today that the last two entries in the Call of Duty series, Modern Warfare 2 and Black Ops, have sold 22 and 25 million units respectively.

The numbers may look impressive on the outside, but they don't answer the big question. Namely: What's the K/D spread?

JoystiqCall of Duty: Black Ops has sold 25M, Modern Warfare 2 at 22M originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 03 Aug 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionCall-of-Dutycall-of-duty-black-opsinfinity-wardmicrosoftpcplaystationps3salesTreyarchxboxWed, 03 Aug 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Escalation marks GameStop's biggest DLC launch in record first quarter]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/20/escalation-marks-gamestops-biggest-dlc-launch-in-record-first-q/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/20/escalation-marks-gamestops-biggest-dlc-launch-in-record-first-q/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/20/escalation-marks-gamestops-biggest-dlc-launch-in-record-first-q/#comments The recent Call of Duty: Black Ops "Escalation" DLC has taken the crown at GameStop as its largest DLC launch ever, according to the company's latest earnings call. The map pack sold 50,000 copies as pre-orders and 200,000 in store during the first week of availability. Digital sales in general are on the rise at the retailer as well, growing 53 percent year-over-year.

The first quarter of 2011 was a good one for GameStop overall, as the company reported record sales of $2.28 billion. HD console games were a big driver, as was the Nintendo 3DS launch, combined with a solid 9.5 percent growth in "pre-owned" (read: used) games and accessories. Pokémon Black and White were the top titles of the quarter, with Mortal Kombat, Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Black Ops and Homefront filling out the top five.

JoystiqEscalation marks GameStop's biggest DLC launch in record first quarter originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 May 2011 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Call-of-Duty-Black-Opsdigitalearningsgamestopmicrosoftmoneypcplaystationps3q1-2011retailsalesxboxFri, 20 May 2011 00:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Black Ops 'First Strike' DLC sold 1.4M units in first 24 hours]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/09/black-ops-first-strike-dlc-sold-1-4m-units-in-first-24-hours/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/09/black-ops-first-strike-dlc-sold-1-4m-units-in-first-24-hours/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/09/black-ops-first-strike-dlc-sold-1-4m-units-in-first-24-hours/#comments During an investors call today, Activision announced that 1.4 million copies of Call of Duty: Black Ops' "First Strike" map pack were sold "in the first 24 hours" of its February 1 debut on Xbox Live. At $15 a pop, that's $21 million in gross revenue in a single day -- on a single platform!

Notably, Activision Publishing's Eric Hirshberg pointed out that those sales were a "20 percent increase over Modern Warfare 2's 'Stimulus Package DLC'" launch. He added that First Strike, which was also released on PSN and PC in March, "continues to outsell the Stimulus Pack by more than 20 percent."

But hey, let's give our old friend the Stimulus Pack a break -- after all, the poor thing had to suffer the full rage of the internet when it became the very first Call of Duty DLC priced at $15! First Strike had it easy.

JoystiqBlack Ops 'First Strike' DLC sold 1.4M units in first 24 hours originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 09 May 2011 18:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionCall-of-Duty-Black-Opscall-of-duty-modern-warfare-2dlceric-hirshbergfirst-strikemicrosoftsalesstimulus-packagetreyarchxboxxbox-liveMon, 09 May 2011 18:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Activision Blizzard banks $503 million in first quarter profits]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/09/activision-blizzard-banks-503-million-in-first-quarter-profits/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/09/activision-blizzard-banks-503-million-in-first-quarter-profits/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/09/activision-blizzard-banks-503-million-in-first-quarter-profits/#comments Beneath the Southern California headquarters of Activision Blizzard there lies a zeppelin-sized vault, near-bursting with piles of gold and riches -- or at least that's how we imagine it. The company today reported its first quarter 2011 earnings, reaping a record $1.4 billion in sales revenue, an increase of $100 million over the same period last year. Net income came to $503 million, up from $381 million in Q1 2010.

Not surprisingly, the publisher attributed a hefty chunk of those profits to continued sales of Call of Duty: Black Ops -- which it also confirmed is not just the best-selling game ever (in terms of revenue) in the US, but in Europe as well. In addition, the company noted that digital sales were up 30 percent over Q1 2010 and accounted for 30 percent of Activision Blizzard's revenue last quarter.

Finally, although it comes second in the "Activision Blizzard" name, Blizzard was first in profit for the quarter. The unit accounted for a whopping $170 million in income, compared to Activision Publishing's $48 million.

JoystiqActivision Blizzard banks $503 million in first quarter profits originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 09 May 2011 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ActivisionActivision-BlizzardCall-of-Duty-Black-Opsdigital-distributionearningsfinancialfy-2011q1salesMon, 09 May 2011 17:45:00 EST<![CDATA[NPD: Call of Duty: Black Ops is the US's best-selling game ever]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/10/npd-call-of-duty-black-ops-is-the-uss-best-selling-game-ever/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/10/npd-call-of-duty-black-ops-is-the-uss-best-selling-game-ever/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/10/npd-call-of-duty-black-ops-is-the-uss-best-selling-game-ever/#comments This Call of Duty: Black Ops thing appears to be taking off. You might remember the billionaire game from its position at the top of the NPD software chart tonight, a position it's held since its November release.

In a statement released this evening, NPD analyst Anita Frazier says that in that short time, Black Ops has already surpassed Wii Play as the best-selling game in history. Like, ever. Activision hasn't released specific US life-to-date sales numbers, but it sold 5.6 million copies in the UK and US on day one. And as of October, Nintendo claimed sales of around 13 million Wii Plays.

So, more than that.

JoystiqNPD: Call of Duty: Black Ops is the US's best-selling game ever originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 19:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionCall-of-Duty-Black-Opsdsmicrosoftnintendonpdpcplaystationps3saleswiixboxThu, 10 Mar 2011 19:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Killzone 3 holds off Bulletstorm for top UK sales spot]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/28/killzone-3-holds-off-bulletstorm-for-top-uk-sales-spot/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/28/killzone-3-holds-off-bulletstorm-for-top-uk-sales-spot/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/28/killzone-3-holds-off-bulletstorm-for-top-uk-sales-spot/#comments Killzone 3 beat out the other high-profile FPS premiere, Bulletstorm, on the UK charts last week, but it didn't out-debut its predecessor, Killzone 2. According to Chart-Track, Killzone 3 is the "14th fastest-selling" Sony title in first-week UK sales -- Killzone 2 is the fifth.

More shooting, and some kicking, got it done for third and fourth place in last week's sales ranking, as Call of Duty: Black Ops and FIFA 11 took the spots below the two debut shooters. The previous week's almost top title, Marvel vs. Capcom 3, slipped from second down to seventh.

Where's Just Dance 2, you ask? In fifth, of course. Unstoppable beast!

Continue reading Killzone 3 holds off Bulletstorm for top UK sales spot

JoystiqKillzone 3 holds off Bulletstorm for top UK sales spot originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 28 Feb 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>britainbulletstormcall-of-duty-black-opschart-trackchart-track-weeklyfifa-11just-dance-2Killzone-3microsoftnintendoplaystationps3salesukwiixboxMon, 28 Feb 2011 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Test Drive Unlimited 2 sets franchise record atop UK charts]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/14/test-drive-unlimited-2-sets-franchise-record-atop-uk-charts/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/14/test-drive-unlimited-2-sets-franchise-record-atop-uk-charts/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/14/test-drive-unlimited-2-sets-franchise-record-atop-uk-charts/#comments It may be a case of Top Gear-fever, but Atari's Test Drive Unlimited 2 raced to the top of the UK all formats sales chart. Chart-Track notes that TDU2 is "by far" the biggest launch in the franchise, outselling the previous entry by more than double, with 68 percent of sales on Xbox 360, 28 percent on PS3 and the rest (4 percent) on PC.

After two weeks as king of the mountain (standing gallantly atop a pile of Necromorphs), Dead Space 2's Isaac Clarke took the long way through an air duct and ended up in second place. The rest of the top five is some kind of late-2010 flashback, as FIFA 11, Call of Duty: Black Ops and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood occupy spots three through five, respectively.

Last week's big mover was Ubisoft's Dance Juniors, a "Kidz Bop" version of its unstoppable Just Dance franchise, which jumped 290 percent in its second week, just narrowly missing entry into the top ten at spot 12. We've placed a video of the game after the break to see what all the fuss is about, along with the UK top ten.

Continue reading Test Drive Unlimited 2 sets franchise record atop UK charts

JoystiqTest Drive Unlimited 2 sets franchise record atop UK charts originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 10:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>britaincall-of-duty-black-opschart-trackchart-track-weeklydance-juniorsdead-space-2microsoftnintendopcplaystationps3salesTest-Drive-Unlimited-2ukwiixboxMon, 14 Feb 2011 10:12:00 EST<![CDATA[NPD: 2010's bestselling game releases by platform]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/07/npd-2010s-bestselling-game-releases-by-platform/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/07/npd-2010s-bestselling-game-releases-by-platform/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/02/07/npd-2010s-bestselling-game-releases-by-platform/#comments Gamasutra has obtained NPD data that puts a new filter on last year's US box-copy software sales, ranking the top ten bestselling 2010 releases for each console and handheld platform (PC excluded). Like the monthly NPD breakdowns, these rankings don't include actual sales numbers, but they do reveal some interesting trends.

By omitting Nintendo's so-called "evergreen" titles (i.e., games released before 2010), Gamasutra found that -- perhaps unsurprisingly -- Just Dance 2 was last year's top-selling 2010 release for Wii, and among six additional third-party games that made the top ten in sales for the platform. On DS, however, Nintendo games filled out half of the top ten, and Pokemon SoulSilver and HeartGold were the only titles to surpass sales of one million units each.

At first glance, PSP software sales look even bleaker, with Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep on top and, according to Gamastura, the only PSP title to break 300K units sold; with the other top ten games each falling below 200K. Of course, these rankings don't include digital sales or box-copy games bundled with hardware, so it's unlikely that Birth by Sleep (which isn't available on the PlayStation Store) was the true #1 bestseller among 2010's PSP releases -- let alone the most pirated.

What is certain is that Call of Duty: Black Ops dominated torrents, as well as the games legitimately sold for PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2010. Still, both Sony and Microsoft saw two first-party releases make their console's respective top ten sales charts for the year; though each publisher's most critically-acclaimed release of 2010 -- at least, from Joystiq's perspective -- was not present. Perhaps telling of the two console's core player bases, Madden 11 beat out God of War 3 for the #2 spot on the PS3 chart, but fell to #3 beneath Halo: Reach in the Xbox 360 ranking.

Finally, we have to wonder just what were they thinking? They, of course, being all those Xbox 360 owners that purchased Fable 3 and Fallout: New Vegas instead of Mass Effect 2. Three and a half stars plus four still doesn't add up to the Game of the Year, people.

Check out Gamastutra for the complete breakdown of 2010's bestselling releases by platform.

JoystiqNPD: 2010's bestselling game releases by platform originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 07 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2010call-of-duty-black-opsdsfable-3fallout-new-vegasgod-of-war-3halo-reachjust-dance-2kingdom-hearts-birth-by-sleepmadden-nfl-11mass-effect-2microsoftnintendonpdplaystationpokemon-heart-goldpokemon-soul-silverps3pspsalessoftwaresonyusawiixboxMon, 07 Feb 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[DC Universe Online logs into UK top ten, Black Ops reacquires top spot]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/17/dc-universe-online-logs-into-uk-top-ten-black-ops-reacquires-to/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/17/dc-universe-online-logs-into-uk-top-ten-black-ops-reacquires-to/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/17/dc-universe-online-logs-into-uk-top-ten-black-ops-reacquires-to/#comments DC Universe Online flew into Chart-Track's UK sales chart this week and nipped a spot in the top ten. The PS3 and PC superhero simulator debuted in tenth place and, according to Chart-Track, is only the fourth retail title on PS3 to be online-only. The other internet-required games are MAG, Warhawk and SOCOM: US Navy Seals Confrontation.

The rest of the top ten is composed of the usual suspects playing musical chairs. Call of Duty: Black Ops is back on top, followed by FIFA 11 and the unstoppable Just Dance 2. Speaking of dance games, Harmonix's Dance Central is eyeing a spot in the top ten as it moves from 17 to 12 this week.

Check out the top ten after the break.

Continue reading DC Universe Online logs into UK top ten, Black Ops reacquires top spot

JoystiqDC Universe Online logs into UK top ten, Black Ops reacquires top spot originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 17 Jan 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Call-of-Duty-Black-Opschart-trackchart-track-weeklyFIFA-11Just-Dance-2Kinect-Sportsmicrosoftnintendopcplaystationps3salesukwiiWii-Fit-PlusxboxMon, 17 Jan 2011 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Black Ops led 2010 UK game sales, Just Dance top of the pops on Wii]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/10/black-ops-led-2010-uk-game-sales-just-dance-top-of-the-pops-on/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/10/black-ops-led-2010-uk-game-sales-just-dance-top-of-the-pops-on/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/10/black-ops-led-2010-uk-game-sales-just-dance-top-of-the-pops-on/#comments Although it comes as little surprise, Call of Duty: Black Ops was the best-selling game in the UK last year. The UK Interactive Entertainment Association's 2010 bestsellers list features the usual suspects, with Black Ops, FIFA 11 and Just Dance occupying the top three spots, respectively, across all platform sales.

Breaking it down by format, Blops landed in the top sales spot for Xbox 360 and PS3 games, while Just Dance and its sequel filled the first and third positions among Wii releases, naturally. Professor Layton And The Lost Future took the golden picarat for DS and FIFA 11 charged to the top of the charts on PSP.

Although one could speculate as to why Black Ops wasn't at the front line of PC sales in the UK, it's just as fitting that Football Manager 2011 and 2010 occupied the forward spots in the region. Check out the complete breakdown by format after the jump.

Continue reading Black Ops led 2010 UK game sales, Just Dance top of the pops on Wii

JoystiqBlack Ops led 2010 UK game sales, Just Dance top of the pops on Wii originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 10 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2010britainCall-of-Duty-Black-Opsdsmicrosoftnintendopcplaystationps3pspsalessoftwaresonyukukiewiixboxMon, 10 Jan 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[FIFA 11 kicks off 2011 atop UK charts]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/10/fifa-11-kicks-off-2011-atop-uk-charts/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/10/fifa-11-kicks-off-2011-atop-uk-charts/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/10/fifa-11-kicks-off-2011-atop-uk-charts/#comments
 For the first full week of 2011, FIFA 11 held onto the top spot in the UK's multiplatform sales ranking, according to Chart-Track. The footie franchise has maintained that center forward position for four consecutive weeks.

Oh ... oh, look who's in second place, why if it isn't our good friend Just Dance 2. Ubisoft's unstoppable booty-shaking series keeps on crunkin', with the series' sequel inexplicably moving up two spots into second. Thus, Call of Duty: Black Ops finds itself out of its comfort zone in third place, the first time it hasn't been in the top two since its November launch.

It would seem Mass Effect 2's various end of year accolades spurred interest in the game again, as it returned to the top 40 in spot 18. With no new major game releases this past week, the chart is a shifting of the usual suspects. Check out the top ten after the break.

Continue reading FIFA 11 kicks off 2011 atop UK charts

JoystiqFIFA 11 kicks off 2011 atop UK charts originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 10 Jan 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Britaincall-of-duty-black-opschart-trackchart-track-weeklyFIFA-11just-dance-2microsoftNeed-for-SpeedNeed-for-Speed-Hot-Pursuitnintendoplaystationps3salesUKwiixboxMon, 10 Jan 2011 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Xbox 360 and PS3 dominated UK in 2010, game market sales totaled £2.875 billion]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/04/xbox-360-and-ps3-dominated-uk-in-2010-game-market-sales-totaled/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/04/xbox-360-and-ps3-dominated-uk-in-2010-game-market-sales-totaled/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/04/xbox-360-and-ps3-dominated-uk-in-2010-game-market-sales-totaled/#comments The UK video game market withstood a 13 percent sales decline in 2010 from 2009, according to The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment's annual report. UKIE put total software and hardware sales at £2.875 billion ($4.8 billion) in the territory last year, with console games alone accounting for £1.45 billion ($2.26 billion) of the total gross.

The Xbox 360 and PS3 were the only hardware platforms to see sales growth, with the 360 accounting for £232 million ($361 million) in sales from 18.2 million consoles sold (thanks price break!), and the PS3 just below that figure with £229 million ($357 million) in sales from 13.8 million units. UKIE didn't share specific numbers for handhelds or the Wii, though its report notes the total revenue for console hardware sales amounted to £800 million ($1.25 billion) in 2010.

Of course, key product releases helped sell those consoles -- the biggest undoubtedly being Call of Duty: Black Ops, which smashed UK sales records upon launch. Kinect and PlayStation Move presumably aided sales growth for their respective consoles, too, though UKIE didn't detail the specific fiscal impact of either in its report.

JoystiqXbox 360 and PS3 dominated UK in 2010, game market sales totaled £2.875 billion originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessCall-of-Duty-Black-Opsdshardwaremicrosoftnintendopcplaystationps3pspsalessoftwaresonyukukiewiixboxTue, 04 Jan 2011 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Call of Duty: Black Ops makes $1 billion]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/21/call-of-duty-black-ops-makes-1-billion/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/21/call-of-duty-black-ops-makes-1-billion/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/21/call-of-duty-black-ops-makes-1-billion/#commentsCall of Duty: Black Ops $1 billion There's a song in every heart and a smile on every face. A magic sort of joy permeates the air, seeming to make every light twinkle just a bit brighter. It's the most magical time of the year ... at Activision. That's right, it's time to count the Call of Duty money! Don't be surprised if this year's festivities take us into the new year, though, as the company announced that its latest iteration, Call of Duty: Black Ops, has brought in One. Billion. Dollars. The only other entertainment product in history to get the big B this quickly? James Cameron's Avatar.

Sometimes, it can be hard to visualize amounts this large, so here's some perspective to help you understand just how much a billion dollars is: Any person on our staff would kill you in cold blood for a thousandth of it.

Happy holidays!

JoystiqCall of Duty: Black Ops makes $1 billion originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 12:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisioncall-of-dutyCall-of-Duty-Black-Opsmicrosoftpcplaystationps3salesTreyarchxboxTue, 21 Dec 2010 12:48:00 EST<![CDATA[November NPD: Best month ever for retail, Xbox]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/09/november-npd-best-month-ever-for-retail-xbox/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/09/november-npd-best-month-ever-for-retail-xbox/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/09/november-npd-best-month-ever-for-retail-xbox/#commentsNovember is traditionally a big, big month for games, thanks to the impending holidays and the temporary financial insanity bestowed upon Americans by the Black Friday Effect. This November may have been the biggest. The NPD reports that last month was the "best November on record in terms of new physical retail sales," ahead of November 2008 by around $30 million. Call of Duty: Black Ops had the biggest first month of any game ever, with 8.4 million copies.

And Microsoft (producer of the best-selling non-DS console) tells us that with 1.37 million consoles sold, November 2010 was not only the biggest November ever for Xbox, it was the biggest month ever. Thanks, Kinect! Thanks, new hardware! Handhelds were actually down vs. previous years, though the DS was still the top-selling console, with the Mario red DSi XL representing the majority of sales. Nintendo said that "over 1.5 million" DS systems were sold last month.

After the break, check out the top-selling games of the month. You already know what's at number one, of course. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood follows at #2, with surprisingly strong showings for both Fable 3 and Donkey Kong Country Returns down the list.

Continue reading November NPD: Best month ever for retail, Xbox

JoystiqNovember NPD: Best month ever for retail, Xbox originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 09 Dec 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>call-of-duty-black-opsdonkey-kong-country-returnsdsdsi-xlfable-3kinectmicrosoftnintendonpdnpd-monthlyplaystationps3pspsalessonywiixboxThu, 09 Dec 2010 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA['Splosion Man 'splodes to top of XBLA sales chart]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/01/splosion-man-splodes-to-top-of-xbla-sales-chart/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/01/splosion-man-splodes-to-top-of-xbla-sales-chart/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/01/splosion-man-splodes-to-top-of-xbla-sales-chart/#comments 'Spolsion Man, one or our absolute favorites of 2009, enjoyed a surprise sales surge last week, rocketing to the top of the Xbox Live Arcade bestseller list. That's the power of Black Friday and a one-day, 75-percent discount.

In fact, thirteen of the top twenty bestsellers for the week of November 22 were on sale for at least part of the period, and the only discounted XBLA title not to chart was poor Voodoo Dice. Amidst the apparently too-good-to-refuse deals, Crazy Taxi made a strong debut in the number six position in its first week of release, and Pac-Man CE DX ate up a top-ten spot in its second week of availability.

As for Xbox Live activity, Black Ops recruits and Modern Warfare 2 veterans (who aren't about to surrender that easily) continue to hog the most bandwidth, followed by the Reach faithful and -- watch out for that Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood sneaking up the activity chart! Speaking of no surrender, how about World at War and Call of Duty 4 (remember that one?) hanging around the top twenty most-played Xbox Live games? No wonder Activision wants to better tap its gold mine next year.

Both Top Twenty charts are posted in full after the break.

Continue reading 'Splosion Man 'splodes to top of XBLA sales chart

Joystiq'Splosion Man 'splodes to top of XBLA sales chart originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>assassins-creed-brotherhoodcall-of-duty-black-opscrazy-taxihalo-reachmicrosoftmodern-warfare-2pacman-championship-edition-dxsalessplosion-manxblaxboxxbox-liveWed, 01 Dec 2010 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Call of Duty: Black Ops debuts at #1 (and #7) in Japan]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/26/call-of-duty-black-ops-debuts-at-1-and-7-in-japan/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/26/call-of-duty-black-ops-debuts-at-1-and-7-in-japan/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/26/call-of-duty-black-ops-debuts-at-1-and-7-in-japan/#comments Call of Duty: Black Ops launched in Japan last week, and though it wasn't the major cultural phenomenon it was here, it managed to top the Media Create sales charts for the week of Nov. 15-21. Well, the PS3 version did, anyway, with 128,922 copies sold. The Xbox 360 version came in at #7 with 30,279 copies. This is just the subtitled release -- it'll get another sales boost in December when the dubbed version arrives.

Other success stories in Japan last week include the sequel to Fossil Fighters on DS at #2, Pokemon Black/White at #3, Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition at #4, and Tactics Ogre on PSP at #5. Black Ops trumped Colors last week, as Sonic raced to a #33 finish on Wii and #49 on DS.

JoystiqCall of Duty: Black Ops debuts at #1 (and #7) in Japan originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 26 Nov 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Call-of-Duty-Black-Opsfossil-fightersfossil-fighters-championsjapanmedia-createpokemon-black-and-whitesalessquare-enixsuper-mario-all-stars-limited-editionFri, 26 Nov 2010 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Call of Duty: Black Ops shatters UK day-one sales record]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/12/call-of-duty-black-ops-shatters-uk-day-one-sales-record/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/12/call-of-duty-black-ops-shatters-uk-day-one-sales-record/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/12/call-of-duty-black-ops-shatters-uk-day-one-sales-record/#comments As we learned yesterday, the act of dude-shooting has worldwide appeal. In a follow-up, MCV reports that data provided by the UK's GfK Chart-Track service breaks down the particular explosiveness of Call of Duty: Black Ops' launch sales in the region, which set the day-one software sales record in the UK with 1.4 million units sold -- and, by deduction, indicates that an estimated 4.2 million copies of the game were sold in the US on Tuesday. UK purchases alone lined Activision's pockets with a heavy £58 million sum (about $93.5 million) in launch day revenue, a 22-percent increase over last year's UK launch of Modern Warfare 2.

The reason for this massive increase? Activision chalks it up to a higher install base of PS3s and 360s in the region, as well as to the fact that, unlike MW2, there are Wii and DS versions of Black Ops (which certainly accounted for a few sales, right?). Those are pretty good guesses, but we think it's because everyone keeps colloquially shortening the title of the game to "Blops," which is an inherently British-sounding word. Example: "Fancy some Blops, guv?"

JoystiqCall of Duty: Black Ops shatters UK day-one sales record originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionCall-of-Duty-Black-Opschart-trackdsmicrosoftnintendopcplaystationps3salessoftwareTreyarchukwiixboxFri, 12 Nov 2010 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Activision: Black Ops tops Modern Warfare 2 day-one sales record, with 5.6M sold in US and UK]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/11/call-of-duty-black-ops-day-one-sales/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/11/call-of-duty-black-ops-day-one-sales/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/11/call-of-duty-black-ops-day-one-sales/#comments According to Activision's early "internal estimates," this week's launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops is the series' largest -- financially speaking -- of all time, accruing $360 million in sales thus far between the United States and the United Kingdom. Accounting for all that money is an approximate 5.6 million copies landing in customers' hands solely on November 9, compared with 4.7 million moved during last year's Modern Warfare 2 launch.

In case you needed further proof that the vast majority of the millions of Call of Duty players out there don't have any idea about that whole Infinity Ward debacle, or don't have any hangups over which studio makes the year's CoD, here it is.

JoystiqActivision: Black Ops tops Modern Warfare 2 day-one sales record, with 5.6M sold in US and UK originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 09:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionCall-of-Duty-Black-Opsday-onedsmicrosoftnintendopcplaystationps3salestreyarchwiixboxThu, 11 Nov 2010 09:56:00 EST<![CDATA[GameStop expects Black Ops launch day to be 'the biggest' in history]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/09/gamestop-expects-black-ops-launch-day-to-be-the-biggest-in-his/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/09/gamestop-expects-black-ops-launch-day-to-be-the-biggest-in-his/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/09/gamestop-expects-black-ops-launch-day-to-be-the-biggest-in-his/#comments Hey, buddy -- how're you feeling? Perhaps a little fatigued, due to your late-night odyssey to your local games retailer to grab a hot and fresh copy of Call of Duty: Black Ops? According to GameStop merchandising senior VP Bob McKenzie, you probably did just that. In a recent interview with Gamasutra, McKenzie explained that he's "convinced it'll be the biggest launch that we've ever had, that the industry has ever seen."

McKenzie attributes his claim to the unprecedented number of pre-orders the game has pulled in, as well as a general consumer interest shown by GameStop shoppers. He added, "I think it's a loyal fanbase for the franchise and [Activision has] done a great job of really getting out in front of it and really making this an event." Yeah, like a gamer holiday! Thanksgunving! Gunnoween! Gunchristmas?

JoystiqGameStop expects Black Ops launch day to be 'the biggest' in history originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Nov 2010 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionCall-of-Duty-Black-Opsgamestoplaunchmicrosoftplaystationpre-orderps3salestreyarchxboxTue, 09 Nov 2010 10:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Xbox UK boss: Halo Reach will outsell Call of Duty: Black Ops]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/10/halo-reach-will-outsell-call-of-duty-black-ops-mcgill-says/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/10/halo-reach-will-outsell-call-of-duty-black-ops-mcgill-says/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/10/halo-reach-will-outsell-call-of-duty-black-ops-mcgill-says/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Continue reading Xbox UK boss: Halo Reach will outsell Call of Duty: Black Ops

JoystiqXbox UK boss: Halo Reach will outsell Call of Duty: Black Ops originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 10 Sep 2010 13:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisioncall-of-duty-black-opshaloHalo-Reachjesse-divnichMichael-Pachtermicrosoftpcplaystationps3salesstephen-mcgillUKxboxFri, 10 Sep 2010 13:52:00 EST