In an attempt to represent the significantly changing PC game marketplace, Gamasutra tracks on a weekly basis the top ten best-selling PC games according to two major firms representing retail sales and digital distribution.
NPD data is aggregated from over thirty retail outlets, while Direct2Drive data is provided directly by that digital distribution services itself.
NPD
This week's NPD hasn't changed much from last week -- in fact, it contains the exact same ten titles, slightly rearranged.
In particular,
Left 4 Dead moved up two spaces, and last week's debuting
Demigod moved down three.
The full top ten list, reflecting the week ending April 25, is as follows:
1.
World Of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King (Blizzard Entertainment)
2.
The Sims 2 Double Deluxe (EA Maxis)
3.
World Of Warcraft: Battle Chest (Blizzard Entertainment)
4.
Left 4 Dead (Valve Software)
5.
Empire: Total War (The Creative Assembly, Sega)
6.
Demigod (Gas Powered Games, Stardock
7.
Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor (Relic Entertainment, THQ)
8.
World Of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment)
9.
Spore (EA Maxis)
10.
The Sims 2 Apartment Life (EA Maxis)
Direct2Drive
The Direct2Drive weekly chart is an interesting snapshot, as the storefront was running a 50 percent off special on several older Ubisoft titles, including
Assassin's Creed,
Far Cry 2 and
Rainbow Six Vegas 2. The sale ended on May 3.
New release
Neverwinter Nights 2: Mysteries of Westgate was able to control the top spot despite strong sales of discounted games.
The full D2D top ten list, reflecting the week ending May 2, is as follows:
1.
Neverwinter Nights 2: Mysteries of Westgate (Ossian Studios, Atari)
2.
Assassin's Creed Director's Cut (Ubisoft Montreal)
3.
Far Cry 2 w/ Fortunes Pack Bundle (Ubisoft Montreal)
4.
Call of Juarez (Techland, Ubisoft)
5.
Final Fantasy XI (Square Enix)
6.
Civilization IV (Firaxis, 2K Games)
7.
DCS: Black Shark (Eagle Dynamics, Take-Two)
8.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 (Ubisoft Montreal)
9.
Cryostasis (Action Forms, Aspyr)
10.
Rome: Total War Gold Edition (Creative Assembly, Activision)
