The US results are in and Halo 3 has singlehandedly lead the charge on what can only be described as an unbelievably phenomenal month in September.
The figures compiled by US analysts, the NPD Group, make very impressive reading, especially if you happen to be a Microsoft or Bungie employee. But first things first and the month of September recorded total US games market sales of $1.36 billion. That's about £13.58 at current exchange rates – probably – but it's also a mighty 74% increase on the previous month. Jeepers!
According to NPD analysts it's mostly down to the enormo-success of Halo 3 too. Indeed, the three variants of the game – the Standard, Limited and Legendary editions – racked up 3.3 million copies shifted between them. This not only gave Microsoft the most popular game by a yawning chasm of a margin but gave it the best-selling console too. Yup, thanks to the platform-shifting prowess of Halo 3 the Xbox 360 saw off stiff competition from the Wii and DS, selling 527,800 units versus 501,000 and 495,800 respectively. Meanwhile the wheels fell off the PS3 bandwagon, which sold only a relatively paltry 119,400 boxes in comparison. Oh dear.
All things taken into account this awesome month has contributed much to an already record-breaking year in the US. Total sales now stand at $9.37 billion which is currently ahead 47% on last year. No doubt it'll all crash horribly in the not too distant future and conkers'll come back into fashion. In the meantime take a butcher's at the US software sales totals for September, which vividly illustrate that yawning chasm we were talking about earlier…:
1. Halo 3 (all 3 editions) – 3.3 million
2. Wii Play (Wii) – 282K
3. Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS) – 224K
4. Madden NFL 08 (PS2) – 205K
5. Skate (Xbox 360) – 175K
6. Madden NFL 08 (Xbox 360) – 173K
7. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii) – 167K
8. Bioshock (Xbox 360) – 150K
9. Brain Age 2 (DS) – 141K
10. Heavenly Sword (PS3) – 139K
Not every Halo game has been a banger, but the franchise still has a raft of the greatest games of all time.
Infinite is a dumpster fire and as much as I like ODST, in no universe it ranks above Halo 2. This list is trash.
Best to worst: Halo 3, Halo 2, Halo Reach, Halo CE, Halo 4, Halo ODST, Halo Infinite, Halo 5.
The Xbox 360 was a fantastic console in its day with some truly classic titles, but what are the seven best games for the console?
I'll go with,
Lost Odyssey, Blue Dragon, Culdcept Saga, Shadow Complex, Ace Combat 6 with the flight stick,A Kingdom for Keflings, A World of Keflings.
Bonus Kinect Games: Happy Action Theater and Sesame Street.
*Skyrim was so bad on PS3 that it almost deserves to be #1*
Ah yes, Shadow Complex! Good indies back in the day. Summer of Arcade. I enjoyed Trials Evolution as well.
Was this made by a.i.? No human being would put Shadowrun, Fable III, and Splinter Cell: Conviction into a list of the 7 best Xbox 360 games.
Would love to play Ace Combat6 on PlayStation, but Xbox decided to buy exclusivity and keep it off a competing platform.
The only mainline game I never played except for one level at a friends place. Game sold less than any other in the series if I remember correctly.
360 had Namco hitters AC6 and RR6... both quality titles. You should at least bust out the 360 for AC6 if you can score the flight stick. Its great.
When the current gen XBOX offering is so lacking people need to refer to games released two generations back....
It's a nostalgia peice same reason we get thousands of YouTube videos on sega genisis. Something people have fond memories for but the era is long gone.
It's xboxs golden year imo it was their genisis years the time where they stuck it to the market leaders Sony.
They stuck nothing. Sony screwed themselves giving Xbox an opening. They would have gotten the usual smack down if the PS3 had launched at $399 and was easier to develop for.
The Xbox 360 launched in North America 18 years ago, and is now officially old enough to buy you a drink in Europe.
Great platform, and many of its games (not bc) still hold up well to this day. Like the PS3, I keep a 360 hooked up for those games you can't play any other way.
The last gasp of greatness from XBox, you are missed, except the RROD that was lame, but amazing exclusives until the Kinect dropped.
I really enjoyed my X360, some great exclusives on it. Used to play the shit out ot Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey, two masterpieces
THe PS3 gets OWNED major once again, not only in quality games but sales as well. It's a lose - lose for the PS3.
wow madden 08 on the ps2 at number 4.. interesting
I wasn't aware that the US games market needed saving so I think this title is a little overdramatic. In any case, Halo 3 set fire to the US game sales charts just as everyone expected. And ya, Madden 08 on PS2 being at number 4 to me means that there are still a lot of PS2-owners out there who don't own any of the 3 new consoles, which will likely translate into HUGE console hardware sales this holiday when these gamers decide to jump into the current console generation.
That is why Sony needs to drop support of the PS2. Force these consumers to buy a next gen system and see what happens. As long as these casual gamers and few hardcore gamers can still buy a Madden game on the PS2, why should they upgrade their systems?
@Allan
Do you honestly believe Sony is happy about the PS2 still selling well and the PS3 selling like crap? They were expecting PS2 owners to already move on to the PS3, and they haven't. Besides, how much money could they be making on the PS2? It sells over here for 130 USD. How much money could they be making on the system now? I'm sure They would rather have the PS3 selling well.
Still dissapointed in the seriously crappy amount Heavenly sword has sold :(