13 January 2010

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Ends Year as Best Selling Videogame of 2009

London, UK, 13th January, 2010 – Last year, 2009, turned into a sensational 12 months for Activision as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 ended the year as the best-selling videogame topping the coveted 2009 All Formats Chart, according to data released today by ELSPA/GfK Chart-Track.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has continued to set new records since its release in November last year, grossing more than £67 million in its first week of sales. Nintendo also had a strong year, with Wii Sports Resort, Wii Fit, Wii Fit Plus and Mario Kart Wii scooping four of the top ten places in the year’s best-selling All Format chart.

“The phenomenal success of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was undoubtedly one of the leading entertainment stories of year and firmly established videogames as one of the leading forms of entertainment in the UK,” said Michael Rawlinson, Director General, Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA).

“There is no doubt that 2009 belonged to Activision, but it was a strong year for many software developers and publishers. The rise of family-orientated, multiplayer games in 2009 also demonstrates how videogames have expanded into new genres finding fresh audiences. If nothing else, last year confirmed that we are now a nation of enthusiastic and energetic gamers here in Britain.”

FIFA 10 and FIFA 09 also remained popular with UK gamers in 2009, with entries in the top ten 2009 All Formats Chart and a top five place in the Sony PlayStation® 3 and Xbox® 360 charts; as well as finishing the year as the best selling game on the Sony PSP®. The Number One seller of the Nintendo DS® chart was Professor Layton and the Curious Village.

2009 All Formats Chart

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

2. FIFA 10

3. Wii Sports Resort

4. Wii Fit

5. Wii Fit Plus

6. Assassin's Creed II

7. Mario Kart Wii

8. Mario & Sonic At Olympic Winter Games

9. Call Of Duty: World At War

10. FIFA 09

Kim Bayley, Director General of the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA), said, “Constant innovation and exciting new titles are key to driving entertainment sales and 2009 was one of the best ever years for games sales in the UK thanks to a slew of great new titles and heavy investment by retailers in showcasing them to consumers. We look forward to even more innovation in 2010.” Members of the ERA include Game, HMV and Amazon, amongst others, currently accounting for more than 90% of UK videogames sales.

2009 Nintendo Wii Chart

1. Wii Sports Resort

2. Wii Fit

3. Wii Fit Plus

4. Mario Kart Wii

5. New Super Mario Bros. Wii

2009 Nintendo DS Chart

1. Professor Layton And The Curious Village

2. Dr Kawashima's Brain Training

3. Professor Layton And Pandora's Box

4. Mario Kart DS

5. New Super Mario Bros.

2009 Sony PlayStation 3 Chart

1. Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

2. FIFA 10

3. Assassin's Creed II

4. Killzone 2

5. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

2009 Sony PSP Chart

1. FIFA 10

2. FIFA 09

3. Gran Turismo

4. Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters

5. Littlebigplanet

2009 XBox 360 Chart

1. Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

2. FIFA 10

3. Forza Motorsport 3

4. Assassin's Creed II

5. Halo 3: ODST

2009 PC Chart
1. The Sims 3
2. Football Manager 2010
3. Football Manager 2009
4. Empire: Total War
5. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

- ENDS -

Note to Editors

Videogame Top 20 2009 Charts

2009 All Formats Chart

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

2. FIFA 10

3. Wii Sports Resort

4. Wii Fit

5. Wii Fit Plus

6. Assassin's Creed II

7. Mario Kart Wii

8. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games

9. Call Of Duty: World At War

10. FIFA 09

11. New Super Mario Bros. Wii

12. Wii Play

13. Professor Layton And The Curious Village

14. Forza Motorsport 3

15. Lego Batman: The Videogame

16. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

17. Need For Speed: Shift

18. Resident Evil 5

19. Dr Kawashima's Brain Training

20. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games

2009 Nintendo Wii Chart

1. Wii Sports Resort

2. Wii Fit

3. Wii Fit Plus

4. Mario Kart Wii

5. New Super Mario Bros. Wii

6. Wii Play

7. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games

8. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games

9. My Fitness Coach: Get In Shape

10. EA Sports Active

11. Carnival: Funfair Games

12. Just Dance

13. Big Beach Sports

14. Monopoly

15. Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga

16. F1 2009

17. Super Smash Bros: Brawl

18. Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party

19. Guitar Hero: World Tour

20. Animal Crossing: Let's Go To The City

2009 Nintendo DS Chart

1. Professor Layton And The Curious Village

2. Dr Kawashima's Brain Training

3. Professor Layton And Pandora's Box

4. Mario Kart DS

5. New Super Mario Bros.

6. Pokémon Platinum

7. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games

8. Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force

9. More Brain Training From Dr Kawashima

10. Carnival: Funfair Games

11. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games

12. Puzzler Collection

13. Mystery Case Files: Millionheir

14. Peppa Pig: The Game

15. Big Brain Academy

16. 42 All-Time Classics

17. Nintendogs: Lab & Friends

18. 100 Classic Book Collection

19. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

20. Rhythm Paradise

2009 Sony PlayStation 3 Chart

1. Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

2. FIFA 10

3. Assassin's Creed II

4. Killzone 2

5. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

6. Need For Speed: Shift

7. Littlebigplanet

8. Call Of Duty: World At War

9. Resident Evil 5

10. Batman: Arkham Asylum

11. Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

12. Pro Evolution Soccer 2010

13. FIFA 09

14. UFC 2009: Undisputed

15. Grand Theft Auto IV

16. Street Fighter IV

17. Infamous

18. Fight Night Round 4

19. Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection

20. Resistance 2

2009 Sony PSP Chart

1. FIFA 10

2. FIFA 09

3. Gran Turismo

4. Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters

5. Littlebigplanet

6. Tekken: Dark Resurrection

7. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories

8. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories

9. Invizimals

10. God of War: Chains Of Olympus

11. Need For Speed: Undercover

12. Ben 10: Alien Force

13. Daxter

14. Call of Duty: Roads To Victory

15. Medal of Honor: Heroes

16. Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition

17. Dissidia: Final Fantasy

18. Resistance: Retribution

19. Football Manager 2009

20. Monster Hunter: Freedom Unite

2009 XBox 360 Chart

1. Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

2. FIFA 10

3. Forza Motorsport 3

4. Assassin's Creed II

5. Halo 3: Odst

6. Call Of Duty: World At War

7. Resident Evil 5

8. Lego Batman: The Videogame

9. Grand Theft Auto Episodes - Liberty City

10. Left 4 Dead 2

11. Pure

12. Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

13. Need For Speed: Shift

14. Gears Of War 2

15. Halo Wars

16. FIFA 09

17. Batman: Arkham Asylum

18. UFC 2009: Undisputed

19. Grand Theft Auto IV

20. Halo 3

2009 PC Chart
1. The Sims 3
2. Football Manager 2010
3. Football Manager 2009
4. Empire: Total War
5. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
6. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn Of War II
7. World Of Warcraft: Wrath Of Lich King
8. Dragon Age: Origins
9. The Sims 2: Double Deluxe
10. The Sims 3: World Adventures
11. World Of Warcraft: Battle Chest
12. World Of Warcraft
13. Grand Theft Auto IV
14. Championship Manager 2010
15. Spore
16. Fallout 3
17. World Of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade
18. Rollercoaster Tycoon 3
19. Amazing Adventures Of The Lost Tomb
20. Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Please note: as Dixon Stores Group stopped reporting sales to GfK ChartTrack mid-year, software sales at PC World and Currys are not included in the figures for the full year. However, GfK ChartTrack has estimated the market for 2009 by extrapolating for the missing part of the year. In addition, GfK ChartTrack has made these estimates by only including entertainment software for the purposes of this analysis.

All sales information © ELSPA/GfK Chart-Track

Contacts:

For all press enquiries, please contact the ELSPA press office on T: +44 (0)20 7300 6143 or E: press@elspa.com

About ELSPA

The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association represents all the major publishers of games in the UK. Founded in 1989 to establish a specific and collective identity for the country’s interactive leisure software industry, membership includes companies publishing and distributing leisure software in the UK. As a gateway to Europe, ELSPA works to protect, promote and provide for the interests of all its members as well as addressing issues that affect the industry as a whole, such as age ratings, child safety and IP protection.

ELSPA works with members and media to illustrate the beneficial contributions that the UK videogames industry makes to the British economy as well as its influence in other industries. In addition, ELSPA works with GfK Chart-Track to compile weekly, monthly and annual retail charts and sales reports for the UK market.

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