Every year, bookies place bets on which videogame will take the top spot on Chart Track’s UK Software Sales chart over the Christmas period (people will bet on anything), and in past years, a FIFA football title from EA Sports or a Call of Duty game from Activision have always been the firm favourites.

Could the bookies have predicated that The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim would have occupied the top slot for two weeks in a row to authoritatively become the Christmas No. 1 in 2011?

Regardless of any betting that may have taken place, after an eight percent drop in sales, Skyrim has still managed to retain that position at No. 1, ahead of Just Dance 3 (sales up 11%) and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (sales up 2%), while FIFA 12 (sales up 13%) is a non-mover at No. 4.

Saints Row: The Third (sales up 85% on the back of a price promotion) jumps up to No. 5 from No. 8, Battlefield 3 (sales up 55%) is another non-mover at No. 6, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations (sales up 21%) steps down to No. 7 from No. 5 and Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (sales up 31%) makes its way to No. 8 from No. 11 last week.

Need For Speed: The Run (sales up 51%) is back into the Top Ten at No. 9 from No. 13, and Professor Layton and the Spectre’s Call (sales down 8%) trips itself up down to No. 10 from No. 7

The Top Twenty All Format UK Software Sales Chart follows below:

• 1.) The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Softworks)
• 2.) Just Dance 3 (Ubisoft)
• 3.) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Activision)
• 4.) FIFA 12 (EA)
• 5.) Saints Row: The Third (THQ)
• 6.) Battlefield 3 (EA)
• 7.) Assassin’s Creed: Revelations (Ubisoft)
• 8.) Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (SEGA)
• 9.) Need For Speed: The Run (EA)
• 10.) Professor Layton and the Spectre’s Call (Nintendo)
• 11.) Batman: Arkham City (Warner Bros. Interactive)
• 12.) Mario Kart 7 (Nintendo)
• 13.) Forza MotorSport 4 (Microsoft)
• 14.) Uncharted 3 (Naughty Dog)
• 15.) Super Mario 3D Land (Nintendo)
• 16.) Moshi Monsters: Moshling Zoo (Mind Candy)
• 17.) Zumba Fitness (505 Games)
• 18.) LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5 – 7 (Warner Bros. Interactive)
• 19.) Sonic Generations (SEGA)
• 20.) ABBA: You Can Dance (Ubisoft)

You can read over last week’s UK Software Sales Chart over here.

Source: Chart Track