Nintendo dominated the Japanese Software Chart for the week ending the 16th of December, boasting three Nintendo DS titles and six Wii titles, in other words nine out of the top ten.

Nintendo’s Mario Party DS topped the chart with 180 000 copies, followed by Wii Fit in second place with 124 000 copies. These two have switched places since last week when Wii Fit claimed the number 1 spot with Mario Party DS taking second place. Sony’s Gran Turismo 5 Prologue for the PS3 debuted at number 3 with 116 000 copies, the only non-Nintendo platform to enter the top ten chart this week.

Level 5’s Prof. Layton and Pandora’s Box for the Nintendo DS moved up one place to take fourth spot with 74 000 copies while Nintendo’s Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii continues to perform well, selling 74 000 copies to move up four places and claim fifth place this week. It is interesting to note that Super Mario Galaxy has now sold a total of 550 000 copies to date, placing it just shy of the GameCube’s Super Mario Sunshine (released in July 2002) which boasts life-to-date sales of 789 989 copies.

Square-Enix’s Dragon Quest IV for the Nintendo DS sold 73 000 copies to remain in sixth place while Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games for the Wii sold 64 000 copies, moving up three places to number 7.

Wii Sports and Wii Play both re-enter the top ten, selling 55 000 copies each. Square-Enix’s Chocobo’s Mysterious Dungeon: the Labyrinth of Forgotten Time debuts in tenth place with 41 000 copies.

Namco Bandai’s Tales of Innocence for the Nintendo DS plummets from its debut at number 3 last week to number 23 while Microsoft’s Lost Odyssey for the Xbox 360 drops completely out of the top thirty after entering the charts last week at number 7. Sony’s Hot Shot’s Golf Portable 2 for the PSP drops to number 19 after debuting at number 4 last week.

Stay tuned to find out how the hardware figures were affected by the Nintendo platforms dominating the Japanese software top ten this week. It will be interesting to see the Wii sales and what effect, if any, the impressive debut of the Sony’s Gran Turismo 5 Prologue had on the PS3 sales this week.

Source: Media Create

The NPD Group has revealed the official figures for November, revealing that the video game industry chalked up sales of $2.63 billion in the United States for the month of November. This figure brings the video game industry’s year-to-date total to $13.12 billion.

With November playing host to Thanksgiving week and, more specifically Black Friday, Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo soon touted astounding sales figures to beat the pack to the front of the next-gen console race. However, NPD figures confirmed that the Wii was the leader with more than 981 000 Wiis sold during November with the Xbox 360 the closest competitor with 770 000 units and the PS3 lagging behind with 466 000 units. The PS2 performed well, selling 496 000 units, noticeably more than its successor.

The Nintendo DS dominated the handheld race with a mind-boggling 1.53 million units sold, almost triple the 567 000 PSP units sold.

The software chart was a closely fought competition with the Xbox 360 version of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare emerging the victor with 1.57 million copies sold and Nintendo’s Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii claiming a close second with 1.12 million copies. The PS3 version of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare finished in seventh place with 444 000 copies.

Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed dominated the top ten, with the Xbox 360 version claiming third place with 980 000 copies and the PS3 version claiming tenth with 377 000 copies. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock also proved popular with the PS2 version landing in fourth place with 967 000 copies and the controversial Wii version in eighth with 426 000 copies. Nintendo’s Wii Play proved its continued popularity by finishing in fifth place with 564 000 copies while Microsoft’s Mass Effect for the Xbox 360 ended in sixth with 473 000 copies.

US Hardware Sales for November 2007

Nintendo DS - 1.53 million

Nintendo Wii – 981 000

Xbox 360 – 770 000

PSP – 567 000

PS2 – 496 000

PS3 – 466 000

Top Ten Video Games for November 2007

1. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (360) - Activision - Nov 2007 - 1.57 million

2. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) - Nintendo - Nov 2007 - 1.12 million

3. Assassin’s Creed (360) - Ubisoft - Nov 2007 – 980 000

4. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (PS2) - Activision - Oct 2007 – 967 000

5. Wii Play (with remote) (Wii) - Nintendo - Feb 2007 – 564 000

6. Mass Effect (360) - Microsoft - Nov 2007 – 473 000

7. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PS3) - Activision - Nov 2007 – 444 000

8. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Wii) - Activision - Oct 2007 – 426 000

9. Halo 3 (360) - Microsoft - Sep 2007 – 387 000

10. Assassin’s Creed (PS3) – Ubisoft - Nov 2007 – 377 000

Source: NPD Group

Nintendo continues its domination on the Japanese Hardware Chart for a second week in a row. The Nintendo DS seems unstoppable as it tops the chart yet again for the week ending the 9th of December. Nintendo’s popular handheld sold 168 267 units this week, up roughly 43 000 units from last week’s 124 627 units, and clearly gaining more momentum with the festive season now upon us.

The Wii beat Sony’s PSP for a second week, recording sales of 115 057 units, shooting up from 74 764 units last week. The PSP also saw a decent increase in sales, selling 91 481 units this week in comparison to 74 626 last week.

The PS3 is holding steady, slightly up from last week’s 37 092 units with 38 123 units while the PS2 experiences a marginal drop with just 11 987 units, down from last week’s 13 703 units. The Xbox 360 records an improvement with 8 876 units (up from 6 632 units last week) while the GBA sold 114 units and the Nintendo GameCube 46, both up from last week’s 33 and 32 respectively.

The performance of the Nintendo DS and Wii on this week’s hardware chart is not surprising given that the top ten on the software chart was dominated by Nintendo with five Nintendo DS titles and three Wii titles.

Wii Fit topped the software chart with 150 000 copies while Super Mario Galaxy re-entered the top ten at number 9 with 45 000 copies and Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games rounded off the top ten with 45 000 copies.

Mario Party DS sold well to claim second place with 107 000 copies while Namco Bandai’s Tales of Innocence debuted in third place with 104 000 copies. Last week’s number 1, Level 5’s Prof. Layton and Pandora’s Box, came in fifth place with 76 000 copies while Square Enix’s Dragon Quest IV sold 63 000 copies to earn it sixth place. Konami’s Powerful Pro-kun Pocket 10 was the last of the Nintendo DS titles in the top ten, debuting in eighth place with 54 000 copies.

The chart is sure to be both interesting and record-breaking in the coming weeks. Will the Nintendo DS have what it takes to beat the PS2’s record life-to-date sales before the end of 2007 and will the Wii pass the Nintendo GameCube’s life-to-date sales? Both consoles look on track to shatter these records so make sure you stay tuned for what is bound to be an exciting end to a wonderful gaming year.

To brush up on last week’s chart check out Nintendo DS going strong, Wii outsells PSP. Also be sure to browse this week’s software chart, Nintendo in good shape with Wii Fit.

Hardware Chart

Source: Media Create

The latest figures from Media Create show that Nintendo’s Wii Fit has kept up the pace on the Japanese Software Charts, selling 150 000 copies for the week ending the 9th of December.

Wii Fit debuted last week with an impressive 261 226 copies but was pipped to the post by Level 5’s Prof. Layton and Pandora’s Box which debuted with 293 897 copies. However, Prof. Layton’s latest adventure did not hold on to the top spot for two weeks in a row, moving down four places to number 5 with 76 000 copies.

Surprisingly two returning entries occupy the top two spots on the chart, with only four new entries making it into the top ten this week. Platformwise, the top ten is dominated by Nintendo with five Nintendo DS titles and three Wii titles. Sony and Microsoft both have one spot each, with Sony staking their claim with a PSP title and Microsoft a Xbox 360 title.

Nintendo’s Mario Party DS continues to do well, moving up four places to number 2 with 107 000 copies. Namco Bandai’s Tales of Innocence debuts with 104 000 copies, a decent launch figure but overshadowed by the popularity of Nintendo’s Wii Fit and Mario Party DS. Sony’s Hot Shots Golf Portable 2 for the PSP enters the charts at number 4 with 87 000 copies while Dragon Quest IV from Square Enix moves down two places to number 6 with 63 000 copies.

Microsoft’s Lost Odyssey for the Xbox 360 debuts with 55 000 copies while Konami’s Powerful Pro-kun Pocket 10 for the Nintendo DS enters at number 8 with 54 000 copies. Nintendo’s Super Mario Galaxy re-enters the top ten at number 9 after two weeks in eleventh position with 45 000 copies. Nintendo’s Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games rounds off the top ten with 45 000 copies, down one place from last week.

Three PS2 titles that made it into the top ten last week drop several places this week. Namco Bandai’s SD Gundam G Generation Spirits drops to number 11 after its debut last week at number 3, Capcom’s Sengoku Basara 2: Heroes drops from its debut at number 5 to number 16 this week and Konami’s World Soccer Winning Eleven 2008 drops to number 12 from last week’s number 7.

Ubisoft’s Xbox 360 version of Assassin’s Creed drops off the software chart completely after debuting at number 8 last week while Konami’s Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters World Championship 2008 for the Nintendo DS is also missing after entering the charts at number 10 last week.

Sony’s PS3 exclusive Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (known as El Dorado no Hihou in Japan) only managed to debut at number 24 while Sega’s Virtua Fighter 5 appears to be absent from the top thirty.

Nintendo’s Wii Sports and Wii Play continue to perform well in 14th and 15th respectively, and again seem to indicate that combined with the success of Wii Fit as well as two other Wii titles in the top ten, the Wii will again do well on the hardware chart (released tomorrow).

To read more about last week’s software chart check out Prof. Layton tops, Wii Fit performs well.

Software Chart

Source: Media Create

Nintendo of America has confirmed that over 6 million Nintendo DS units have been sold in the United States in 2007 up until the end of November. If you break the figures down it equates to roughly one Nintendo DS sold every five seconds of 2007.

The sales of the Nintendo DS have increased every year in the US since its launch in November 2004. The sales figures have led Nintendo to predict that its popular handheld device will be 2007’s top selling video game system.

“There’s no letup in sight,” says George Harrison, Nintendo of America’s senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. “Nintendo DS appeals strongly to both core and casual gamers, and its momentum is set to propel us into 2008.”

The US Thanksgiving week sales record was previously held by the Game Boy Advance. In 2005 the GBA sold 600 000 systems, however, this year the Nintendo DS beat this record when it sold over 650 000 units in the same period.

Nintendo of Europe has relaunched their website (www.nintendo-europe.com) with a fresh coat of paint and a bang, confirming the eagerly awaited return of the Stars Catalogue and introducing the Wii Points Card Shop.

If you are a Club Nintendo member, the Stars Catalogue enables you to trade the Stars you earn when you register products for “exciting goodies.” New to the site is the Wii Points Card Shop where you can trade Stars for Wii Points Cards which you can use to purchase Virtual Console games and Wii software in the Wii Shop Channel. One Wii Point will cost you four star points.

Simply enter the code contained in the Wii Points Card in the Wii Shop Channel and Wii Points will be loaded to your Wii Shop Channel account. Before you can use the Wii Points Card Shop you will need to link your Club Nintendo account to your Wii Shop Channel account.

To link your Club Nintendo account to your Wii Shop Channel account, go to the Wii Shop Channel and select ‘Start Shopping,’ then ‘Settings’ where you will point the Wii Remote at the Club Nintendo logo and press ‘A.’ Enter the details of your Club Nintendo account (email address and password) and select ‘Link’ before selecting ‘OK’ once a confirmation message is displayed.

After logging in, choose the Wii Points Card denomination you want and press ‘Purchase’ to receive your Wii Points Card code. Only two Wii Points Cards can be purchased per day per person.

For more help on how to do this head over to the Wii Points Card Shop FAQ.

Time Magazine recently posted its 50 Top 10 Lists of 2007 including a Top 10 Video Games by Lev Grossman (an American writer, contributor to Time and video game reviewer as well as interviewee of Tom Clancy).

Here is a list of the Top 10 Video Games of 2007 according to Time:

1. Halo 3 – Microsoft (Xbox 360)

2. The Orange Box - EA (Xbox 360, PC, PS3)

3. Rock Band - MTV Games (Xbox 360, PS2, PS3)

4. Super Mario Galaxy – Nintendo (Nintendo Wii)

5. BioShock - 2K Games (Xbox 360, PC)

6. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare – Activision (Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Nintendo DS)

7. Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass – Nintendo (Nintendo DS)

8. Mass Effect – Microsoft (Xbox 360)

9. Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation - Namco Bandai (Xbox 360)

10. God of War 2 – Sony (PS2)

The usual suspects

As you can see the usual suspects dominate the top ten. However, what is interesting to note is that nine of the top ten games of 2007 have been released in the last half of the year, more specifically in the past four months. Bioshock hit North American shelves in August with Halo 3 being released in September while The Orange Box, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass and Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation were released in October with Rock Band, Mass Effect and Super Mario Galaxy following in November. God of War II is the only game to make it into the top ten that was released during the first half of the year (March).

Another interesting fact is that three of the top ten titles were Xbox 360 exclusive, with the number increasing to four if you include the title that was released only on one console, the Xbox 360, and the PC. There was one Wii exclusive, one Nintendo DS exclusive, one PS2 exclusive with the remainder of the titles being multi platform releases (mainly PS3 and Xbox 360).

2007 - a great video gaming year

Grossman describes 2007 as “one of the greatest years video gaming has ever seen” and picks Halo 3 as the “very best of the bunch.” He describes Halo 3 as a “perfect hardcore first-person combat simulator” that delivers “only pure, unadulterated gaming bliss.” He singles out the “even-sided and complex” combat, “perfectly paced and balanced” levels as well as “epic storyline,” “stirring score” and gorgeous graphics.

The Orange Box is an “astounding achievement,” lauded for having a “beautiful physics engine and astonishingly evocative audio effects.” Chief among the praise is that Portal provides a “satanically innovative puzzle game” and Team Fortress 2 a “multiplayer shoot-‘em-up.”

Rock Band, “simple” yet “awesome,” features originals, not covers and is described as “an experience unlike anything else in gaming.” I was somewhat surprised at how little praise was included for the superb Super Mario Galaxy. Apparently the “story is hoary” and the only praise is that everything else is “absolutely new.”

Bioshock is described as “absolutely the best action-role playing game set in a ruined art-deco underwater city that you’ll play this year” (but I must pose the question, how many other action RPG’s set in a ruined art-deco underwater city are there?) and is “beautifully written and acted.” Next up is Call of Duty 4, or COD4 as it has affectionately become known, which is described as “render[ing] battlefield experience with a dramatic power and immediacy and realism never seen before in any video game ever.”

Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is a “perfect fit” between the Nintendo DS and the epic Nintendo franchise, featuring “multitudes of worlds.” Mass Effect “brings back some of that old-school, story-driven, single-player magic” by “approach[ing] the long-sought-after ideal of game-as-interactive novel.” Apparently this game has “all that good stuff that games used to be about before the Internet came along.” Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation incorporates “blisteringly fast-paced” action with “astonishingly vivid” landscapes and atmospheric effects. God of War II is described as “sublime,” a “beautiful titan-clasher” featuring “a bloody, astonishingly cruel arsenal of moves and weapons.”

So I bet your Christmas letter to Santa has just got a little longer and with any luck my New Years wish of more video games of the caliber of 2007 for next year will come true too.

This week Xbox 360 owners will be treated to a double whammy on Xbox Live with Sierra Online’s Arkadian Warriors and Sidhe Interactive’s GripShift. Both games cost 800 Microsoft Points each and will be available on Xbox Live Arcade tomorrow.

In Arkadian Warriors players will choose to fight as one of three shape-shifting heroes of Artemis (a Solider, Archer or Sorceress) to save the goddess Artemis and the Land of Arkadia from evil Gorgon. Each warrior has unique fighting and shape-shifting skills (Phoenix, Lion or Dragon) and players must build these skills and upgrade their inventory as they progress to sharpen their skills, gain more powerful magic and weapons as well as stronger defensive units.

The game features randomly generated dungeons (so you will never battle in the same dungeon twice) as well as a two player cooperative multiplayer mode both locally and over Xbox Live.

GripShift features 120 single player challenge mode levels, 25 race mode tracks and 20 deathmatch arenas in four different worlds. You will need to collect power-ups, avoid traps and combine your racing and puzzle skills to conquer this mix of platform gaming and stunt driving action. Players can play the game either solo or with four players over Xbox Live. Racers can customize their music and ride, choose their driver and unlock faster cars.

Nintendo of America added three new classic games to the Wii Shop Channel this week, including the first Pokémon game for the Virtual Console, Pokémon Snap, as well as Ghosts’n Goblins and Baseball Stars 2.

Clearly in the festive spirit, Nintendo has also added a gifting feature where Wii Shop Channel shoppers can send games to other Wii owners they have traded Friend Codes with. If your friend has the game already, you will receive a message to that effect and be returned to the catalogue to continue your shopping spree.

Before we get into the games, let me point out that this version of Pokémon Snap features a Wii bonus, the ability for players to post pictures they take in the game to the Wii Message Board and send them to friends you have traded Friend Codes with.

This week’s new games are (descriptions as per Nintendo):

Pokémon Snap (Nintendo 64, 1 player, 1 000 Wii Points)

As one of the most unique games in a renowned series, Pokémon Snap was the first truly 3-D Pokémon game and introduced the phenomenon to the Nintendo 64. Travel to Pokémon Island and meet Professor Oak to begin a safari, taking the best possible photographs of 63 different Pokémon as they exist in the wild, undisturbed by humans. This is not as easy as it sounds—the island has many types of climates and environments to explore, along with secret activities and hidden passages to discover. Plus, some of the Pokémon can be a little shy and won’t pose for the camera unless you tease them with special items. After you’re done, submit one picture of each Pokémon to Professor Oak, and he’ll judge it based on size, pose, technique and number of Pokémon captured.

Ghosts’n Goblins (NES, 1-2 players, 500 Wii Points)

Ghosts’n Goblins was a popular arcade game before it made the leap to the NES in 1986. Like later games in the series, Ghosts’n Goblins presents quite a challenge to players brave enough to take on the role of Arthur and delve into the realm of demons and monsters to rescue the kidnapped princess. Choose your weapons wisely and take advantage of their strengths to deal with the situation at hand. Pass through the six gates that stand between you and Astaroth, and teach him a lesson in chivalry he’ll never forget. Demonstrating a high level of technical prowess for a game of its era, Ghosts’n Goblins presents a unique and unforgettable universe. The stage for adventure is set. Are you up to the test?

BASEBALL STARS 2 (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, 900 Wii Points)

Lace up your cleats and step onto the diamond with the pros of BASEBALL STARS 2. You’ll find everything you’d expect in a classic game of baseball, but with an arcade feel and intense action that distinguish it from the pack. Pick one of six unique teams from cities around the world, then get ready for nine innings of excitement, whether you’re taking on the computer in a 15-game tournament or squaring off against a friend. There are two modes of game play, so even the most inexperienced player can compete at the major-league level (with a little computer-aided fielding). Watch as the game develops through split-screen views and close-up shots worthy of any highlight film, and see if you can catch the numerous over-the-top animations of the large and detailed player models. Think you have what it takes to win the pennant?

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games has raced six places up the chart to top the UK’s All Formats Chart this week, pushing EA’s Need for Speed: ProStreet into second place. The competition was tough with just 330 sales separating the two but Mario & Sonic have done it despite predictions that Need for Speed would remain at number 1 up until Christmas taking into account the past four years activities on the chart at this stage of the year.

Sega’s Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games is a Wii-exclusive and, boasting a personal best weekly sales figure that recorded a 39% increase on last week’s sales, becomes the best performing Wii game over any seven day period. Notwithstanding the fact that the game is being included in a Wii bundle by several retailers, these figures are still impressive and mark the first Sonic number 1 since Sonic Mega Collection Plus shot to the top in week 5 of 2005 and the first Mario number 1 since Super Mario Sunshine grabbed gamers’ attention on the GameCube in week 40 of 2002.

The competition within the All Formats Top 5 was tough this week in the lead up to Christmas with only 8 000 units separating Mario & Sonic at number 1 and FIFA 08 at number 5. Activision’s Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare moves up two places to number 3 after the Xbox 360 version experienced a 45% sales increase, capturing the top spot in the Xbox 360 and PC Charts. EA’s The Simpsons Game drops one place to number 4 but gives EA three games in the All Formats Top 5 for a second week. FIFA 08 drops one place to number 5 despite an 18% sales increase.

Mario Party 8 moves up from number 27 to number 10, also benefiting from retailer bundling, and giving Mario two games in the Top 10 and four in the Top 40. Sega’s The Golden Compass sees a drastic 220% sales increase thanks to bundling and the film’s release. Despite being released two weeks ago it enters the Top 40 for the first time.

Ubisoft’s Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 enters the Top 40 at number 24 and EA’s The Sims 2: Pets re-enters at number 32. There are three new games that enter the Top 40 this week, Link’s Crossbow Training (bundled with Wii Zapper) enters at number 27, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune at number 28 and Pokemon debuts on the Wii in Pokemon Battle Revolution at number 40.

Source: Chart Track

The Nintendo DS has topped the Japanese Hardware Chart for another week. It recorded sales of 124 627 units for the week ending the 2nd of December, up from last week’s 116 694 units. These sales figures bring its life-to-date sales to 20 million, 284K and with that the PS2’s record life-to-date sales of 20 million, 851K firmly within its reach.

If you take a closer look at the life-to-date sales figures of the Nintendo GameCube and the Wii, you will notice that the GameCube is sitting at 4 million, 179K while the Wii is just behind with 3 million, 945K. Keep your eye on this figure because the Wii is sure to overtake its predecessor in the next couple of weeks, an impressive feat given that the Wii was launched just over a year ago in Japan on the 11th of November 2006 while the Nintendo GameCube was launched almost six years ago now in Japan on the 14th of September 2001.

The real surprise of the week comes with the Wii beating Sony’s PSP. The Wii rockets to second place on the chart with 74 764 units, streaks ahead of last week’s 54 362 units, pushing Sony’s handheld into third place with 74 626 units, marginally lower than last week’s 75 027.

The PS3 experiences a considerable drop from 50 564 units last week to just 37 092 units while the PS2 remains steady at 13 703 units in comparison to 14 875 units last week. The Xbox 360 records slightly lower sales from last week’s 7 117 units with 6 632 while the GBA sold 33 units and the Nintendo GameCube 32 (both down from 82 and 44 last week, respectively).

To catch up on last week’s Japanese Hardware Chart, head over to Nintendo DS sells over 100K, Wii back on top. Also make sure you check out this week’s Japanese Software Chart Prof. Layton tops, Wii Fit performs well.

Hardware Chart

Source: Media Create

Level 5’s Prof. Layton and Pandora’s Box for the Nintendo DS has topped the Japanese Software Chart for the week ending the 2nd of December. Debuting with an impressive 293 897 copies, Prof. Layton proved that puzzle games are still popular among gamers.

Everyone has been eagerly waiting to see how Wii Fit faired in its opening week, it debuted in second place with 261 226 copies. Coupled with Wii Sports and Wii Play (charting at number 14 and 15 respectively), Nintendo seem to have a winning formula that is sure to guarantee them high Wii sales over the holiday season.

It is worth noting that Wii Fit launched on the 1st of December in Japan thus the sales recorded are for just two days. It is rumoured that 300 000 copies of Wii Fit were initially available, meaning that most of the game’s stock sold within the first two days of launch. Reports of Wii Fit now being sold out are unsubstantiated but, if the shipments figures are to be believed and taking into account the high demand for the game, could well prove to be true.

Namco Bandai’s SD Gundam G Generation Spirits for the PS2 is another of this week’s six new entries in the top ten, entering the charts at number 3 with 252 380 copies. Last week’s number 1 Dragon Quest IV for the Nintendo DS from Square Enix drops to fourth place with 134 556 copies while Capcom’s Sengoku Basara 2: Heroes for the PS2 enters the chart at number 5 with 95 409 copies.

Nintendo’s Mario Party DS drops two places to number 6 with 79 531 copies while Konami’s World Soccer Winning Eleven 2008 for the PS2 plummets five places to number 7 with 73 744 copies. The Xbox 360 version of Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed debuts in eighth place with 40 811 copies and Nintendo’s Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games for the Wii drops three places to number 9 with 40 645 copies. Konami’s Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters World Championship 2008 for the Nintendo DS debuts in tenth place with 34 620 copies.

Nintendo’s Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii remains in eleventh place this week, lacking the sales to pull it back into the top ten. Level 5’s original Prof. Layton (and the Curious Village) for the Nintendo DS is at number 24.

Looking ahead to this week’s chart, the big releases include Sony’s PS3 exclusive Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (known as El Dorado no Hihou in Japan) while two Xbox 360 titles, Microsoft’s Lost Odyssey and Sega’s Virtua Fighter 5, could well mean that the Xbox 360 retains a spot or two in this week’s top ten (Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed for the 360 debuted at number 8 this week).

However, it is Namco Bandai’s latest installment in the popular ‘Tales of’ RPG franchise titled Tales of Innocence that is expected to take the coveted first place on the software chart this week and boost the sales of Nintendo DS hardware.

To read more about last week’s software chart, check out Dragon Quest IV debuts with over 500K.

Software Chart

Source: Chart Track

Like Super Mario Galaxy, Wii Sports and Trauma Centre, Zack & Wiki pushes the boundaries of the Wii and makes use of the Wii Remote as it was no doubt meant to be used.

Read our review of Zack and Wiki

So, you’re thinking about getting a Wii, or perhaps you have one already and are wondering what to buy for it now that you’ve worn out your Wii Sports disc. We’ve put together a list of games available locally that we can recommend. Without Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3 Corruption and Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition out in South Africa, this list is mainly populated with multiplayer minigame collections, but that’s just what’s needed for the holiday season - the Wii is the perfect family console.

Read our Wii shopping list here

Microsoft launches its Xbox Live Arcade Hits programme for the 360 today. Xbox Live Arcade Hits offers best-selling Arcade titles at permanently reduced prices.

With the release of the Xbox Live Fall update today, gamers will be able to find the Arcade Hits within the Xbox Live Arcade section of the new game store. The first games to become Arcade Hits are Bankshot Billiards 2, Lumines LIVE!, Marble Blast Ultra and Small Arms. More details on the games below.

Bankshot Billiards 2 (PixelStorm) improves on the original billiards game with nine game styles including classic 8-Ball, 9-Ball, Cutthroat, Euro 8-Ball, 14.1 Continuous, 3-Ball, Trick Shots, Time Trial and Golf. Lumines LIVE! (Q Entertainment Inc.) features music, video and puzzles as well as newly designed skins that players can custom-select in Skin Edit mode. Both games are available for 800 Microsoft Points each.

Marble Blast Ultra (Garage Games) sees players competing against each other as they navigate marbles through moving platforms and hazards in a race against the clock. Keep a look out for rare gems and power-up enhancements along the way! It features over 50 levels and you can even play online with up to seven others. Small Arms (Gastronaut Studios) is a frenetic multiplayer shooter action game for up to four players while Zuma Deluxe (Oberon Media) is a fast paced puzzle game that sees gamers exploring over 20 realms in Adventure mode. These three games are available for 400 Microsoft Points.

Please note that Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday has been moved a day earlier this week and these games are the Arcade release for this week thus there will be no game release on XBLA tomorrow.

For more information on the Arcade Hits, make sure you check out Xbox.com.

Here is a list of upcoming titles (descriptions as per Microsoft):

Arkadian Warriors (Sierra Online): Gamers can play as one of three heroic shape-shifting warriors embarking on a trek of epic proportions to release the Land of Arkadia from the evil Gorgon’s stony gaze. An original title on Xbox LIVE Arcade, Arkadian Warriors features treacherous dungeons where cooperative hack-and-slash role-playing action enhances a deep single-player storyline. The game includes a robust LIVE-enabled cooperative multiplayer mode for two players online or on the same console.

Brain Challenge (Gameloft): An entertaining brain training program, Brain Challenge boosts brain activity and helps players develop stress-management skills thanks to a wide variety of games. A personal coach helps players develop their abilities in several areas of cognitive function, including logic, math, memory and visual thinking, in a fun and entertaining way.

GripShift (Sidhe Interactive): Through a mix of sky-high platforming and stunt driving, GripShift combines automotive and puzzle-solving skills across 120 challenge levels, 25 rubber-burning racetracks and 20 deadly Deathmatch arenas. Gamers can zoom to victory with four players over Xbox LIVE or race solo, all while enjoying a customizable music experience.

N+ (Slick Entertainment and Metanet Software Inc.): Gamers can play as an acrobatic ninja in this addictive action-puzzle platformer. N+ features inadvertently homicidal robots, stylish graphics, a level editor and intense multiplayer awesomeness.

Omega Five (Hudson Entertainment): Omega Five is a next-gen, high-definition shooter with awe-inspiring graphics. Gamers can fly through dangerous 3-D environments in this side-scroller and do battle with enemies that come at them from all sides, even the background. Omega Five comes to Xbox LIVE Arcade this winter.

Poker Smash (Void Star Creations): Players will experience a whole new puzzle game with a poker twist as Poker Smash delivers stunning visuals and radical features such as super-slow motion and card-blasting bombs. Gamers should get ready for a fast-paced innovative game with amazing HD graphics and a custom soundtrack that will blow them away!

Rez HD (Q Entertainment): The psychedelic, cult-classic shooter created by Tetsuya Mizuguchi, Rez HD makes its way onto Xbox LIVE Arcade early next year. A frenetic, wire-frame adventure backed by industrial beats, the story of Rez HD takes players deep into the world’s computer network, where they must hack the system, alter the visual output and take over the music, creating their own rhythms and eye candy as they dig deeper into the cyberworld.

Sensible World of Soccer (Codemasters): The game that inspired a generation, Sensible World of Soccer lets players experience both the classic and modern HD version. With multiple play modes, they can play a quick game, start a career mode, manage a team or take part in their own Champions league.