PC Sales Charts – Now More Accurate

The PC gaming market has been deemed by many analysts as dying and some have said that, soon, no big company will bring its titles to it. But every week, the sales data from the NPD group, which charts the retail market, and digital download services Steam and Direct2Drive, offer a much more optimistic picture for the PC platform.

This week is a special one, as Steam has finally decided to chart the revenue generated by the games it offers for download, and we can all analyze the same week across all of the three tops, in order for a much more detailed picture to be painted by these numbers.

In terms of retail sales, the week spanning from May 24 to May 30 doesn't hold any surprises, with the first five places being under the iron grip of the franchises from EA Maxis and Blizzard. Luckily, Empire: Total War is still managing to sell quite a number of copies, while Civilization IV: The Complete Edition shows that good titles are still valuable.

Steam charts, on the one hand, show the appetite for shooters and action games, as they are dominated by the likes of Team Fortress 2, which has just received the Spy/Sniper update, Killing Floor, Left 4 Dead, or Counter Strike: Source. Casual title Plants vs. Zombies manages to sneak in at number five, but the other spots are still occupied by shooters and action games.

Direct2Drive charts, on the other hand, showcase some very weird statistics, as the promotions and price cuts it has implemented on several titles have managed to bring BioShock back into the public spotlight, just as its sequel is getting ready to be released this Fall. Other surprise presences come from Firaxis, which manages to be present with four games in the top, like Sid Meier's Railroads, Pirates and two Civilization IV expansions.

NPD's Top Ten (5/24 - 5/30):

1. The Sims 2 Double Deluxe / EA Maxis / $20 2. World Of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King / Blizzard / $39 3. Spore / EA Maxis / $40 4. World Of Warcraft Battle Chest / Blizzard / $40 5. World Of Warcraft / Blizzard / $20 6. Empire: Total War / Creative Assembly / $49 7. Reel Deal Slots Adventure / Phantom EFX / $20 8. Civilization IV: The Complete Edition / Firaxis / $40 9. The Sims 2 Apartment Life Exp. Pack / EA Maxis / $20 10. Left 4 Dead / Valve / $29

Steam Weekly Top Sellers (by revenue, as of 5/24 - 5/30):

1. Team Fortress 2 / Valve 2. Killing Floor / Tripwire 3. Left 4 Dead / Valve 4. Counter-Strike: Source / Valve 5. Plants vs. Zombies / PopCap 6. The Orange Box / Valve 7. Unreal Deal Pack (Unreal Gold, U2, Unreal Tournament, UT2004, UT3) / Epic 8. Unreal Tournament 3 Black / Epic 9. Assassin's Creed / Ubisoft Montreal 10. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare / Infinity Ward

Direct2Drive's Top Ten (5/24 - 5/30):