Forbes has decided to compile a Top Ten of the best selling videogames on the American market, so it enlisted the help of the NPD, a company that watches the videogames market and puts out monthly reports on sales figures. The results were a bit surprising and showed a relative minority of titles having a secure grip on the top places.

There were no platform restrictions put into place when compiling the numbers. Sales for the Xbox 360 variant of the game were added to the sales of the PC version, so games that launched on multiple platforms have a clear advantage in the resulting Top Ten. Individual games that belong to long established franchises were also counted separately, as Forbes wanted to single out games and not intellectual properties.

So, the best selling game in the United States of America is, according to Forbes, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, with more than 9.4 million copies sold. The big open world adventure, which was marred by controversy following the release of the Hot Coffee mod, attracted mostly young adults and gamers over 33 with its depiction of the adventures of one thug that goes on to do great things, which involve shooting, carjacking and other anti-social actions. The Grand Theft Auto franchise also occupies fourth place with the Vice City title, and 9, where Grand Theft Auto 3 can be found.

Second spot goes to Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock which, if you factor in the price tag, brought the most money of the ten games listed. The attraction of fake plastic guitars is undeniable and Guitar Hero: World Tour might just be bigger than the previous game in the series.

The Top Ten also has its fair share of Madden games. No less than 4 football simulations from Electronic Arts make their way into the list, with the highest listed being Madden NFL 07 at number 3 on the list.

Halo 2 and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare also earn spots on the Top Ten, but don't manage to break into the first five positions. Halo 2, being an older title, is at number 6, while Call of Duty pulls in at number 8.

What does this tell us about the videogame market in the United States? It seems that American gamers like their games fast and adrenalin pumping, whether they are about sports, war or bands. And it also seems that the industry is moving at such great speed forward that older titles don't stand a change in the sales charts against newer releases. Expect GTA IV and Madden 09 to break into the chart when Forbes presents a revised version next year.