sonycowboy
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http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=4152
Rob Fahey 08:05 01/09/2004
Stint on the podium for Athens title ends Activision's number one run
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has scored its first number one in the UK software charts in twelve months, with Olympics tie-in title Athens 2004 jumping two places to take the top spot in the last week of the Games.
The success of Athens 2004 - which has been hovering in the top ten since its release in July and gradually climbing the ranking since the Games began a fortnight ago - has ended Activision's reign at the top of the charts after seven weeks at number one for the publisher.
The company continues to show strongly in the chart, however, with Spider-Man 2 up one place to number two, while former top spot incumbent Doom 3 drops two places to this week's number three.
Elsewhere in the chart, there are disappointing performances from both of last week's major new releases, with long-awaited Xbox exclusive RPG Sudeki managing only a number 25 placing after a lukewarm critical response, while Sega's Headhunter: Redemption debuted at number 32.
Budget titles are the strongest performers in the chart this week by far, with several games climbing the rankings thanks to official budget releases - as in the case with The Simpsons Hit & Run, which climbs 17 places to this week's number nine.
Other titles benefit from unofficial discounting in retailer promotions, with Rockstar's Red Dead Revolver and Eidos' Hitman: Contracts being notable re-entries at number 20 and number 30 respectively thanks to this trend.
Outside of the top three, Atari's Driv3r and Ubisoft's Xbox Live enabled Rainbow Six 3: Black Arrow continue to perform strongly at numbers four and five, while yet another Activision title, Shrek 2, is at number six just ahead of a slew of EA budget releases - including FIFA 2004 (No.7), Need for Speed Underground (No.8) and Medal of Honor Rising Sun (No.10).
Vivendi's critically acclaimed Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, however, fares less well - the title sadly plummets down the rankings this week, falling nine places to number 17.
This week is Vietnam week at UK retail, as SCi's Conflict: Vietnam and Eidos' Shellshock: Nam' 67 both arrive on shelves on Friday, accompanied by three (count 'em!) new Megaman titles from Capcom, the superb Wario Ware, Inc: Mega Party Game$ on the GameCube from Nintendo, and Jaleco's World Championship Pool 2004, which slipped back a week from its planned date of last Friday.
Rob Fahey 08:05 01/09/2004
Stint on the podium for Athens title ends Activision's number one run
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has scored its first number one in the UK software charts in twelve months, with Olympics tie-in title Athens 2004 jumping two places to take the top spot in the last week of the Games.
The success of Athens 2004 - which has been hovering in the top ten since its release in July and gradually climbing the ranking since the Games began a fortnight ago - has ended Activision's reign at the top of the charts after seven weeks at number one for the publisher.
The company continues to show strongly in the chart, however, with Spider-Man 2 up one place to number two, while former top spot incumbent Doom 3 drops two places to this week's number three.
Elsewhere in the chart, there are disappointing performances from both of last week's major new releases, with long-awaited Xbox exclusive RPG Sudeki managing only a number 25 placing after a lukewarm critical response, while Sega's Headhunter: Redemption debuted at number 32.
Budget titles are the strongest performers in the chart this week by far, with several games climbing the rankings thanks to official budget releases - as in the case with The Simpsons Hit & Run, which climbs 17 places to this week's number nine.
Other titles benefit from unofficial discounting in retailer promotions, with Rockstar's Red Dead Revolver and Eidos' Hitman: Contracts being notable re-entries at number 20 and number 30 respectively thanks to this trend.
Outside of the top three, Atari's Driv3r and Ubisoft's Xbox Live enabled Rainbow Six 3: Black Arrow continue to perform strongly at numbers four and five, while yet another Activision title, Shrek 2, is at number six just ahead of a slew of EA budget releases - including FIFA 2004 (No.7), Need for Speed Underground (No.8) and Medal of Honor Rising Sun (No.10).
Vivendi's critically acclaimed Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, however, fares less well - the title sadly plummets down the rankings this week, falling nine places to number 17.
This week is Vietnam week at UK retail, as SCi's Conflict: Vietnam and Eidos' Shellshock: Nam' 67 both arrive on shelves on Friday, accompanied by three (count 'em!) new Megaman titles from Capcom, the superb Wario Ware, Inc: Mega Party Game$ on the GameCube from Nintendo, and Jaleco's World Championship Pool 2004, which slipped back a week from its planned date of last Friday.
Code:
Top 40 All Formats
Now Last Wk Title Publisher
1 2 ATHENS 2004 SONY COMPUTER ENT.
2 3 SPIDER-MAN 2 ACTIVISION
3 1 DOOM 3 ACTIVISION
4 5 DRIV3R ATARI
5 4 TOM CLANCY'S RAINBOW SIX 3: BLACK ARROW UBISOFT
6 6 SHREK 2 ACTIVISION
7 10 FIFA 2004 PLATINUM
8 7 NEED FOR SPEED: UNDERGROUND PLATINUM
9 26 THE SIMPSONS: HIT & RUN SIERRA
10 14 MEDAL OF HONOR: RISING SUN EA GAMES
11 9 FORMULA 1 04 SONY COMPUTER ENT.
12 11 AMERICA'S 10 MOST WANTED PLAY IT
13 13 LORD OF THE RINGS - RETURN OF THE KING PLATINUM
14 18 INTERNATIONAL CUE CLUB MIDAS INTERACTIVE
15 12 THE SIMS: BUSTIN' OUT PLATINUM
16 28 SINGSTAR SONY COMPUTER ENT.
17 8 THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK: BUTCHER BAY SIERRA
18 19 SONIC HEROES SEGA
19 22 GRAND THEFT AUTO: VICE CITY PLATINUM
20 RED DEAD REVOLVER ROCKSTAR
21 21 TOM CLANCY'S SPLINTER CELL: PANDORA UBISOFT
22 15 HARRY POTTER - PRISONER OF AZKABAN EA GAMES
23 17 THE SIMS PLATINUM
24 16 CATWOMAN EA GAMES
25 SUDEKI MICROSOFT
26 34 XIII UBISOFT
27 20 YU-GI-OH! RESHEF OF DESTRUCTION KONAMI
28 23 PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 3 PLATINUM
29 29 RAYMAN 3 UBISOFT
30 HITMAN: CONTRACTS EIDOS
31 ENGLAND INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL 2004 CODEMASTERS
32 HEADHUNTER: REDEMPTION SEGA
33 25 FINDING NEMO DISNEY INTERACTIVE
34 31 FIGHT NIGHT 2004 EA SPORTS
35 38 TONY HAWK'S UNDERGROUND ACTIVISION 02
36 MIDWAY ARCADE TREASURES MIDWAY
37 35 THE SIMS: UNLEASHED EA GAMES
38 SOULCALIBUR II NAMCO
39 33 PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME PLATINUM
40 32 THE SIMS: SUPERSTAR EA GAMES
