UK Sales Charts

Electronic Gaming Business, June 16, 2004

Rank: 1
Last Week: 1
Game: Harry Potter: Prisoner of Azkaban
Publisher: EA
Platform Shares (in %): P2-62/GBA-11/PC-10/GC-9

Rank: 2
Last Week: 2
Game: UEFA Euro 2004 Portugal
Publisher: EA
Platform Shares (in %): P2-81%/XB-15%/PC-4%

Rank: 3
Last Week: 7
Game: Need for Speed Underground
Publisher: EA
Platform Shares (in %): P2-65%/XB-15%/GC-14%/GBA-3%

Rank: 4
Last Week: 3
Game: Hitman: Contracts
Publisher: Eidos
Platform Shares (in %): P2-73/XB-17/PC-9

Rank: 5
Last Week: 4
Game: GT4 Prologue
Publisher: Sony
Platform Shares (in %): P2-100

Rank: 6
Last Week: 5
Game: Norton Internet Security
Publisher: Symantec
Platform Shares (in %): PC-100

Rank: 7
Last Week: 6
Game: Pokemon Coliseum
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform Shares (in %): GC-100

Rank: 8
Last Week: 9
Game: Pro Evolution Soccer 3
Publisher: Konami
Platform Shares (in %): P2-98/PC-2

Rank: 9
Last Week: -
Game: McAfee Internet Security 6
Publisher: McAfee
Platform Shares (in %): PC-100

Rank: 10
Last Week: 17
Game: The Sims
Publisher: EA
Platform Shares (in %): P2-50/PC-46/Xb-4

Rank: 11
Last Week: 8
Game: The Suffering
Publisher: Midway
Platform Shares (in %): P2-65/XB-35

Rank: 12
Last Week: 11
Game: Fight Night 2004
Publisher: EA
Platform Shares (in %): P2-77/XB-23

Rank: 13
Last Week: 13
Game: Sonic Heroes
Publisher: Sega
Platform Shares (in %): P2-74/GC-13/XB-13

Rank: 14
Last Week: 10
Game: Hyper Street Fighter II Anniversary Ed.
Publisher: Capcom
Platform Shares (in %): P2-100

Rank: 15
Last Week: 12
Game: Singstar
Publisher: Sony
Platform Shares (in %): P2-100

Rank: 16
Last Week: 15
Game: Ninja Gaiden
Publisher: Microsoft
Platform Shares (in %): XB-100

Rank: 17
Last Week: 16
Game: Transformers
Publisher: Atari
Platform Shares (in %): P2-100

Rank: 18
Last Week: 19
Game: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Publisher: Rockstar
Platform Shares (in %): P2-82/PC-18

Rank: 19
Last Week: 14
Game: Van Helsing
Publisher: Vivendi
Platform Shares (in %): P2-72/XB-18/GBA-10

Rank: 20
Last Week: 18
Game: James Bond: Everything or Nothing
Publisher: EA
Platform Shares (in %): P2-74/XB-13/GC-9/GBA-4

Source: ELSPA

One of the advantages of spring game launches appears to be a wider window in which to gain an audience. The longevity of Hitman Contracts (#4) and Pokemon Coliseum (#7) are notable, as are the continuing decent sales of Midway's sleeper hit The Suffering (#11) and Microsoft's Ninja Gaiden (#16). Surprisingly, the second best seller on the Xbox charts, Splinter Cell: Pandora's Tomorrow did not sell well enough to crack the overall top 20. Bargain hunting clearly drove some titles back up the lists, as NFS Underground (#3) continued its return after a recent price cut. Likewise, The Sims climbs back. Sony may want to reconsider its distribution strategy with the apparent success of karaoke title Songstar (#12), which is not slated for a U.S. release. More to the point, Sony should consider releasing its teaser for Gran Tourismo, GT4 Prologue, (#5), which is burning up the charts. Do we smell a possible new model here? Will publishers follow this technique for squeezing revenues from a franchise and start issuing preliminary or extended demo versions of their highprofile titles for a small fee? We don't know about you, but we'd be willing to pay $10 or $15 to play a level or two of Half Life 2 or Halo 2 a few months before the full versions are released. After all, this is the only modern medium where consumers actively track the progress of their entertainment as it is being made. If the hunger for pre-release information is such a core part of the media usage habits of this segment, then why shouldn't game publishers start thinking of business models that cash in on the hobby's unique anticipation factor?

[Copyright 2004 PBI Media, LLC. All rights reserved.]