Pokemania Transforms UK Chart In Nintendo’s Favor

Despite having its sales figures split between the two different versions, Pokemon Diamond/Pearl has kept Activision’s Transformers movie tie-in from the top spot in the weekly UK sales charts. Activision’s film license saw a 76 percent increase in sales from the previous week but in the end failed to beat Pokemon Diamond by just 217 units. What is essentially the fourth entry in the core Pokemon role-playing series has become the second fastest selling Pokemon game ever in the UK, behind only 2000’s Pokemon Yellow for the Game Boy Color. The release has also become the fastest selling Nintendo DS title so far in the UK. Elsewhere in the top ten, the UK charts have almost begun to resemble the Japanese charts with a total of six first party Nintendo titles. Although it fell one place to number five this week, Big Brain Academy on the Wii saw sales increase by 44 percent and Wii Play rose by 22 percent, despite a drop of two place to number seven. Ironically, Transformers would have beaten Pokemon Diamond to the top spot if not for the Nintendo DS versions being regarded as separate SKUs by Chart-Track – with two version themed around the Autobot and Decepticon factions. The former debuted at number thirty-eight this week, with the only other new entry being Electronic Arts’ Rugby 08 on PlayStation 2 and PC at number twenty-two. Also of note is the continued strong performance of PlayStation 3 launch titles Resistance: Fall of Man, up five places to number nineteen, and MotorStorm, up eleven places to number twenty-four. After re-entering the charts last week both games continue to do well as part of the new PlayStation 3 hardware bundle in Europe.

Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, (C)2007. ELSPA Ltd