2009: The story so far

TOTAL SOFTWARE BY COMPANY (UNITS)

1 Nintendo 13.9
2 Electronic Arts 12.6
3 Ubisoft 9.9
4 Activision Blizzard 8.5
5 Sega 6.1
6 Microsoft 5.3
7 THQ 4.7
8 Sony 4.6
9 Take 2 4.1
10 Capcom 3.3

Wii Fit, Wii Play and Mario Kart Wii continue to sell by the bucketload, along with Professor Layton and Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training – so it’s little surprise to see Nintendo become the top seller of Q1. Compared to the same period last year, the Japanese firm has swapped places with EA, whilst Activision, Microsoft and Capcom have all moved up the table.

TOTAL SOFTWARE BY COMPANY (VALUE)

1 Nintendo 15.7
2 Electronic Arts 12.6
3 Activision Blizzard 9.5
4 Microsoft 8.9
5 Ubisoft 8.2
6 Sega 5.5
7 Capcom 4.9
8 Sony 4.9
9 THQ 3.9
10 Symantec 3.5

NINTENDO TOPS the value table, smashing its share from Q1 last year – up from 11.5 per cent to over 15 per cent. EA has seen its share drop by over four per cent in that time, whilst Activision Blizzard’s results have grown by 2.7 per cent. Sega, Ubisoft, Microsoft and THQ have all lost over one per cent of share comparatively, whilst Capcom jumps into the Top 10.

TOTAL SOFTWARE BY LABEL (UNITS)

1 Nintendo 13.8
2 EA Games 8.2
3 Sega 5.8
4 Microsoft 5.2
5 Activision 5.0
6 Ubisoft 4.6
7 Sony 3.8
8 EA Sports 3.7
9 Games For Everyone 3.6
10 Capcom 3.3

Even combined, the might of EA Sports and EA Games can’t undo the enormity of Nintendo’s percentage share of software sales. Sega holds onto third spot, as it did in Q1 2008 – but loses 2.6 per cent share year-on-year. Ubisoft’s Games For Everyone range climbs to ninth, after securing tenth spot last year with 2.7 per cent share.

TOTAL SOFTWARE BY LABEL (VALUE)
1 Nintendo 15.5
2 Microsoft 8.9
3 EA Games 8.1
4 Activision 6.2
5 Sega 5.4
6 Capcom 4.9
7 Ubisoft 4.6
8 Sony 4.4
9 EA Sports 4.2
10 Norton 3.5

Nintendo maintains the Q1 dominance it enjoyed in 2008 – but with an even more impressive result. It has seen its value share grow by over four per cent in the year. Microsoft overtakes both Sega and EA Games to take second spot – with year-on-year growth of 2.5 per cent. Capcom’s release of Resident Evil 5 and Street Fighter 4 in the quarter sees it claim sixth spot.

WII
1 Wii Fit Nintendo
2 Mario Kart Wii Nintendo
3 Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Sega
4 Guitar Hero: World Tour Activision Blizzard
5 Animal Crossing: To The City Nintendo
6 Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party Ubisoft
7 Sonic Unleashed Sega
8 Shaun White Snowboarding Ubisoft
9 The House of the Dead: Overkill Sega
10 Call of Duty: World at War Activision Blizzard

Sega’s Mario and Sonic is still riding high in its third calendar year on sale – but drops down on last year’s No.1 position. Two first party titles, Wii Fit and Mario Kart Wii, dominate the list – two of three Nintendo titles in the Top Ten. Sega, Activision Blizzard and Ubisoft share the other spots.

PLAYSTATION 3
1 Killzone 2 Sony
2 Resident Evil 5 Capcom
3 Call of Duty: World at War Activision Blizzard
4 Street Fighter IV Capcom
5 FIFA 09 EA
6 LittleBigPlanet Sony
7 Need For Speed: Undercover EA
8 Resistance 2 Sony
9 Grand Theft Auto IV Take 2
10 Tom Clancy’s h.a.w.x. Ubisoft

Sony emulates Nintendo’s Q1 domination of its own system, as Killzone outsells all others on PS3. Its other big first party release, LittleBigPlanet, continues to do well despite being released last year. Capcom is the other standout performer, with two titles in the Top Ten.

XBOX 360
1 Resident Evil 5 Capcom
2 Call of Duty: World at War Activision Blizzard
3 Halo Wars Microsoft
4 FIFA 09 EA
5 Gears of War 2 Microsoft
6 Street Fighter IV Capcom
7 Need For Speed: Undercover EA
8 Guitar Hero: World Tour Activision Blizzard
9 Left 4 Dead EA
10 COD 4: Modern Warfare Activision Blizzard

Resident Evil 5 goes one better on Xbox 360 than it does on PS3, taking the No.1 position in the top ten of Q1 sellers on the console. The highest first-party release is Microsoft’s Halo Wars in third place, whilst the firm’s Gears Of War 2 claims a respectable fifth position.

PC (ALL  PRICES)
1 Football Manager 2009 Sega
2 Empire: Total War Sega
3 Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II THQ
4 WOW: Lich King Activision Blizzard
5 C&C: Red Alert 3 EA
6 The Sims 2: Double Deluxe EA
7 Grand Theft Auto IV Take 2
8 World of Warcraft Activision Blizzard
9 Spore EA
10 COD: World at War Activision Blizzard

A SIMILAR  STORY to Q1 last year takes hold, with the latest iteration in the Football Manager series becoming the biggest-seller of the quarter. Elsewhere, EA and Activision Blizzard both enjoy a trio of titles in the Top Ten, but neither firm can dislodge Sega from the top two positions.

DS
1 Professor Layton & the Curious Village Nintendo
2 Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training Nintendo
3 Mario Kart DS Nintendo
4 New Super Mario Bros. Nintendo
5 More Brain Training Nintendo
6 Mystery Case Files: Millionheir Nintendo
7 100 Classic Book Collection Nintendo
8 Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Sega
9 42 All-Time Classics Nintendo
10 Big Brain Academy Nintendo

THE STAGGERING  supremacy of Nintendo titles on DS continues, taking nine of the Top Ten positions in Q1 this year. In the equivalent quarter last year, the firm claimed seven positions – only challenged by 505 Games and Sega. The latter’s Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games reappears this year.

PSP
1 FIFA 09 EA
2 Need For Speed: Undercover EA
3 Football Manager 2009 Sega
4 Ben 10: Alien Force D3P
5 Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 Konami
6 Lego Batman: The Video Game Warner Bros
7 Midnight Club: L.A. Remix Take 2
8 WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2009 THQ
9 Star Wars: The Force Unleashed LucasArts
10 Resistance: Retribution Sony

PSP’S  POSITION  as a console for ‘geezers’ and youngsters comes up trumps for firms such as EA – which claims the two biggest sellers in Q1 with FIFA and Need For Speed. D3P, Warner Bros and LucasArts all enjoy high-flying positions with games that don’t make the Top Ten lists on other formats.

PS2
1 FIFA 09 EA
2 Ben 10: Alien Force D3P
3 Call of Duty: World at War Activision Blizzard
4 Need for Speed: Undercover EA
5 Tomb Raider: Underworld Eidos
6 Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 Konami
7 Lego Batman: The Videogame Warner Bros
8 WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2009 THQ
9 Guitar Hero: World Tour Activision Blizzard
10 Persona 4 Square Enix

PLAYSTATION 2’s continuing popularity with kids is evident in the best-selling software of Q1. FIFA 09 leads, with D3P’s Ben 10: Alien Force claiming an impressive second spot. Square’s Enix’s Persona 4 claims tenth spot – appealing to PS2’s more significant Japan-savvy audience.

ALL FORMATS TOP 10

1 Wii Fit Nintendo
2 COD: World at War Activision Blizzard
3 FIFA 09 EA
4 Resident Evil 5 Capcom
5 Wii Play Nintendo
6 Professor Layton Curious Village Nintendo
7 Mario Kart Wii Nintendo
8 Need For Speed: Undercover EA
9 Street Fighter iv Capcom
10 Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games Sega

WITH  over 15 per cent of all cash taken by software in Q1 in the bag, it’s little surprise that Nintendo has the biggest presence in the All Formats best-sellers list. Capcom also has a healthy representation of two, rewarding its decision to break with the traditional seasonality of games releases.