FIFA Street to the top of the charts
Monday, March 19, 2012 3:03 PM
EA recorded a third consecutive gaming smash hit, with 'FIFA Street' going straight to the top of the sales charts, following the successes of 'SSX' and 'Mass Effect 3'.
The publisher now holds the top four stops on GFK Chart-Track's all-format listing – a feat it last managed way back in 2003 with 'FIFA 2004', 'Lord of the Rings: Return of the King', 'Medal of Honor: Rising Sun' and 'Need for Speed: Underground'.
FIFA Street was designed to provide the "first truly great street football experience" and features the 'FIFA 12' game engine.
It appears to have achieved this aim, with Eurogamer saying it was a significant improvement on Street's "tedious" predecessors.
It displaces last week's chart topper, Bioware-developed 'Mass Effect 3', which holds the number two spot despite being the subject of a fan petition to have the ending of the game changed and high street retailer Game not stocking the title.
Fans are angry that the game, which is based on the premise of in game decisions affecting the outcome of events, has a generic ending.
The #RetakeMassEffect campaign said: "We are here to show a company [Bioware] that their devoted fanbase has been hurt, and alienated with some of their actions, and to ask for an explanation, and hopefully a solution."
Snowboarding game 'SSX' is also down one at three and EA's other new football title 'FIFA 12' is a non-mover at four, as is the first non-EA title in the top ten, Nintendo's 'Mario Party 9'.
One of a number of improvers, Sega's 'Mario and Sonic London 2012 Olympic Games' keeps benefitting from Olympic fever and is up a place to 6th, ID Software/Bethesda Softwork's first-person shooter 'Rage' jumps an impressive 13 places to 7th and Pipeworks/505 Games' 'Zumba Fitness' is up two places to 8th.
'Assassin's Creed: Revelations' from Ubisoft was once again a non-mover at nine.
Infinity Ward/Sledgehammer-developed 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3' rounds out the top ten, down two places.