Ubisoft has collected sales figures from NPD, GfK Chart Track and Nielsen for 2012 and has released its findings. They have released the 10 biggest publishers by market share, as well as the bestselling franchises since 2005.

Activision overtook Electronic Arts in 2012 to become the biggest publisher. Activision’s market share grew to 19.5 percent, up from 15.7 percent in 2011, while Electronic Arts dropped to 19.4 percent, from 19.7 percent.

Ubisoft also beat out Nintendo in 2012. Ubisoft increased its market share to 11.2 percent, from 8.8 percent, while Nintendo’s market share decreased to 10.8 percent from 12.4 percent.

Take-Two and Microsoft both increased their market share to 6.4 percent and 5 percent, respectively. Sony’s market share dropped to 3.5 percent from 5.3 percent. THQ’s market share dropped to 3.3 percent, from 4.9 percent and Warner Bros. market share dropped to 3.3 percent from 3.7 percent. Capcom’s market share doubled to 2.4 percent, from 1.2 percent.

As for the bestselling franchises since 2005, the platforms include the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, and PC. Call of Duty was number one franchise, followed by Nintendo’s flagship franchise, Mario. FIFA was the bestselling sports franchise and the third bestselling franchise overall. Wii Fit, if you include sales of the hardware, was the fourth bestselling franchise. Assassin’s Creed rounds out the top five franchises.

Despite now being a dead franchise, Guitar Hero is the sixth bestselling franchise for the seventh generation of consoles. Microsoft’s flagship franchise, Halo, was the seventh bestselling franchise. Two Electronic Arts titles are in the 8 and 9 spots, Madden NFL and The Sims. Need for Speed is the bestselling racing franchise and rounds out the top 10.

Here are the top 20 franchises since 2005:

1. Call of Duty
2. Mario
3. FIFA
4. Wii Fit (includes hardware)
5. Assassin’s Creed
6. Guitar Hero
7. Halo
8. Madden NFL
9. The Sims
10. Need for Speed
11. Battlefield
12. Just Dance
13. Rock Band
14. Mario Kart Wii
15. Lego
16. Grand Theft Auto
17. World of Warcraft
18. WWE
19. Elder Scrolls
20. Sonic

Read more here: VG Charts

Overview

There is one game in the top 40 to be in their final week: Metro: Last light for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Four games have 200,000 or more pre-orders, up from three last week, and the top five has 100,000 or more pre-orders, the same as last week. One game, Call of Duty: Ghosts (X360), added 20,000 or more pre-orders, the same number as last week and five added 10,000 or more, up from two last week.

Games in Final Week Before Launch

Metro: Last Light (X360) added 2,978 pre-orders for a grand total of 70,292. Expect first week sales in the USA at retail to be in the 100,000 to 125,000 unit range. Expect the game to sell between 300,000 units and 500,000 units lifetime in the US.

Metro: Last Light (PS3) added 1,620 pre-orders for a grand total of 46,409. Expect first week sales in the USA at retail to be in the 60,000 to 80,000 unit range. Expect the game to sell between 250,000 units and 400,000 units lifetime in the US.

Major Performers in the U.S. – Week Ending May 17

There were no major releases the previous week.

Overall hardware and software sales are expected to drop slightly week-on-week.

Other Hot Games – In Order of Release

The Last of Us (PS3) added 9,996 pre-orders, up from 8,494 last week, for a total of 275,516. The game has fallen from 50,000 to 44,000 pre-orders ahead of Uncharted 3 during the same number of weeks before release. The game is five weeks away from launch in the USA, June 14, 2013.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf (3DS) added 11,441 pre-orders, down from 18,019 last week, for a total of 202,843. The game is five weeks away from launch in the USA, June 9, 2013.

Grand Theft Auto V (X360) is the number one most pre-ordered game in the US as it added 5,970 pre-orders, up from 3,467 last week, for a total of 282,328. The PlayStation 3 version added 3,659 up from 2,288 pre-orders for a total of 242,020. The game is 19 weeks away from launch in the USA, September 17, 2013.

Battlefield 4 (X360) added 8,069 pre-orders, down from 8,465 last week, for a total of 132,204. Battlefield 4 (PS3) added 5,814 pre-orders, down from 6,814 last week, for a total of 59,868. The game has a release date in the third quarter 2013.

Notable mentions: Tales of Xillia (PS3) added 10,682 pre-orders for a total of 90,130. Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX (PS3) added 17,213 pre-orders for a total of 32,786. Call of Duty: Ghosts (X360) added 21,569 pre-orders for a total of 25,507.

Requests: Resident Evil: Revelations (PS3) added 1,109 pre-orders for a total of 8,657. Resident Evil: Revelations (X360) added 1,172 pre-orders for a total of 7,973. Resident Evil: Revelations (WiiU) added 461 pre-orders for a total of 2,857. Dragon’s Crown (PSV) added 476 pre-orders for a total of 5,410. Killzone: Mercenary (PSV) added 302 pre-orders for a total of 3,581.

If your favorite game isn’t in the top 40, leave a comment requesting which game you want to see and the most requested games will be added in next week’s article!

The Top 40 can be seen below or click here to go to the USA pre-orders page.

Pos	Game	Weeks to Launch	Weekly Change	Total
1	Grand Theft Auto V (X360) Take-Two Interactive, Action	19	5,970	282,328
2	The Last of Us (PS3) Sony Computer Entertainment, Adventure	5	9,996	275,516
3	Grand Theft Auto V (PS3) Take-Two Interactive, Action	19	3,659	242,020
4	Animal Crossing: New Leaf (3DS) Nintendo, Action	5	11,441	202,843
5	Battlefield 4 (X360) Electronic Arts, Shooter	21	8,069	132,204
6	Tales of Xillia (PS3) Namco Bandai Games, Role-Playing	13	10,682	90,130
7	Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist (X360) Ubisoft, Action	15	2,284	73,364
8	Tom Clancy’s Rainbow 6: Patriots (X360) Ubisoft, Shooter	34	299	71,180
9	Metro: Last Light (X360) THQ, Shooter	1	2,978	70,292
10	Beyond: Two Souls (PS3) Sony Computer Entertainment, Adventure	22	3,265	68,850
11	Pokemon X/Y (3DS) Nintendo, Role-Playing	25	3,113	61,080
12	Battlefield 4 (PS3) Electronic Arts, Shooter	21	5,814	59,868
13	South Park: The Stick of Truth (X360) Ubisoft, Role-Playing	34	322	54,430
14	The Last Guardian (PS3) Sony Computer Entertainment, Action	N/A	85	52,045
15	Pikmin 3 (WiiU) Nintendo, Strategy	13	976	49,929
16	Metro: Last Light (PS3) THQ, Shooter	1	1,620	46,409
17	Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist (PS3) Ubisoft, Action	15	707	44,001
18	Shin Megami Tensei IV (3DS) Atlus, Role-Playing	10	4,360	43,045
19	South Park: The Stick of Truth (PS3) Ubisoft, Role-Playing	34	341	42,235
20	Tom Clancy’s Rainbow 6: Patriots (PS3) Ubisoft, Shooter	34	80	37,889
21	Prey 2 (X360) Bethesda Softworks, Shooter	34	33	34,226
22	Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX (PS3) Square Enix, Role-Playing	18	17,213	32,786
23	Project X Zone (3DS) Namco Bandai Games, Action	7	4,005	32,557
24	Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag (X360) Ubisoft, Action	25	1,791	28,135
25	Rayman Legends (WiiU) Ubisoft, Platform	17	251	27,342
26	Call of Duty: Ghosts (X360) Activision, Shooter	26	21,569	25,507
27	The Bureau: XCOM Declassified (X360) Take-Two Interactive, Shooter	15	451	25,095
28	Wii Fit U (WiiU) Nintendo, Action	34	321	24,322
29	Prey 2 (PS3) Bethesda Softworks, Shooter	34	33	23,857
30	Destiny (X360) Activision, Action	N/A	988	23,432
31	The Elder Scrolls Online (PC) Bethesda Softworks, Action	34	351	22,581
32	Fuse (X360) Electronic Arts, Shooter	3	1,368	20,692
33	Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag (PS3) Ubisoft, Action	25	1,170	20,000
34	Fuse (PS3) Electronic Arts, Shooter	3	548	19,700
35	Call of Duty: Ghosts (PS3) Activision, Shooter	26	16,519	19,303
36	The Bureau: XCOM Declassified (PS3) Take-Two Interactive, Shooter	15	324	18,991
37	Rune Factory 4: A Fantasy Harvest Moon (3DS) Marvelous Entertainment, Role-Playing	10	1,108	17,069
38	Dragon’s Crown (PS3) Atlus, Role-Playing	13	722	14,588
39	Muramasa Rebirth (PSV) Ignition Entertainment, Role-Playing	7	1,871	14,523
40	Disney Infinity (X360) Disney Interactive Studios, Action	15	2,157	13,591

Contact VGChartz at wdangelo@vgchartz.com

Read more here: VG Charts

Ubisoft financial report reveals standings of major franchises from this hardware generation

It goes without saying that Activision’s Call of Duty franchise rules the roost in gaming sales, but what about the rest of the top-sellers? An Ubisoft financial report has revealed the top twenty brands in gaming for this hardware generation–hit the jump to check out the list!

Read more here: Crunchy Roll

French publisher not modeling bigger sales for this year’s Assassin’s Creed entry compared to last year’s.

Ubisoft is not expecting this year’s Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag to perform better than last year’s Assassin’s Creed III. CEO Yves Guillemot said today during a investor conference call that the French publisher is not modeling year-over-year franchise sales to increase.

“To come back to Assassin’s Creed IV, in our numbers we have…we expect less than last year,” Guillemot said today in response to an analyst question.

Assassin’s Creed III has shipped and digitally sold 12.5 million copies to date.

Though Ubisoft is not forecasting Black Flag to outsell Assassin’s Creed III, Guillemot said the potential for the game is greater compared to last year. He said this is due to the game’s pirate theme being more relatable than last year’s American Revolutionary War setting.

“We are actually pushing to achieve more than last year because we think the pirate segment is a great segment that can generate a lot more on a worldwide basis than what was achieved last year,” Guillemot said. “But we wanted to be prudent on our expectations so that it can probably be a bonus if it comes.”

Ubisoft is not the only publisher to forecast diminished sales for a new entry to a blockbuster series. Activision is not expecting Call of Duty: Ghosts to outperform Call of Duty: Black Ops II, which is on track to become the best-selling entry in the series of all-time.

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

Read more here: Game Spot News

Electronic Arts has opened a new DICE studio in Los Angeles and it will focus on developing new Star Wars titles. A report on the Wall Street Journal has stated that the new studio is looking to hire 60 employees by the end of 2013.

This news comes a week after Electronic Arts secured a deal with Disney to exclusively develop and publish future Star Wars games. DICE Los Angeles will be using the Frostbite 3 engine to develop its Star Wars games. Battlefield 3 used the same engine.

Karl-Magnus Troedsson, the companies general manager, did say that the LA studio will have two main rivals also based in Southern California. The two studios are Activision’s Infinity Ward and Treyarch, who both develop Call of Duty titles.

The new LA studio has already hired several employees from the core team behind the Medal of Honor franchise. Troedsson hopes to draw from the same talent pool as its two rivals.

“There is an extreme talent pool over that we want a part of,” Troedsson said. “It’s no secret that our main competitor is there.”

Read more here: VG Charts

Activision Blizzard has released its quarterly report for the first quarter of 2013, which ended March 31, 2013. Revenue beat out expectations with $1.32 billion in sales, compared to the expected $1.16 billion. This is also an increase over the $1.17 billion earned during the first quarter of 2012. Profits reached $456 million, up from $384 million a year ago.

Of the total revenue 68 percent or $896 million came from retail channels, while 28 percent or $377 million came from digital channels. The other four percent came from distribution. By percent this is nearly identical to the first quarter of 2012, where 68 percent of the sales were at retail and 28 percent were digital.

World of Warcraft remains the most subscribed MMORPG with 8.3 million subscribers. However this is a drop of 1.3 million compared to the end of 2012. The company repeated that StarCraft II: Heard of the Swarm managed to sell 1.1 million units in its first two days.

Diablo III and StarCraft II: Heart of Swarm were both in the top 10 selling PC games for the quarter in North America and Europe. Activision Publishing was also the number one publisher for the quarter when you combine North America and Europe.

Skylanders Giants, when you add in the sales of accessories and figures, was the bestselling game in terms of overall dollars in both North America and Europe. The game was followed by Call of Duty: Black Ops II.

“Our first-quarter performance was driven by continued consumer interest in all of our key franchises,” said Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick. “Blizzard Entertainment’s StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm was the #1 PC game for the quarter.”

Kotick did add that while the start of 2013 has beaten expectations, the second half of the year has many questions that remain open. He stated the poor Wii U sales as a problem, as well as how well the PlayStation 4 and next Xbox will sell. He also mentioned the decline in the number of World of Warcraft subscribers.

“However, our focused and disciplined approach to our business has served us well in the past, and through continued investment and careful management of our costs, we expect to continue delivering shareholder value over the long term as we have for the last 20 years,” added Kotick.

Despite the uncertainties Activision did increase its expectations for revenue for the full 2013 fiscal year. The previous outlook was $4.09 billion and is now $4.22 billion. The publisher also expects revenue of $980 million for the second quarter of 2013.

Read more here: VG Charts

“Best wishes to the hardworking team at IW,” tweets Modern Warfare 3 co-developer.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 co-developer Sledgehammer Games will not be involved in Call of Duty: Ghosts, the studio has confirmed.

“Congrats to @InfinityWard on #CODGhosts!” tweeted the studio. “Our team is heads down on our next project, but best wishes to the hardworking team at IW!”

Sledgehammer Games was founded in 2009 by ex-Visceral Games heads Michael Condrey and Glen Schofield. The team was originally working on a third-person Call of Duty spin-off, but the project was cancelled when the studio was presented with the chance to work on the main series with 2011′s Modern Warfare 3.

The studio was last seen recruiting for what it dubbed “the next Call of Duty title,” which suggests Activision may have another Call of Duty title already in the works.

Call of Duty: Ghosts was announced by Activision yesterday, with the game coming to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, and next-generation platforms. Call of Duty: Ghosts gameplay will be shown during the unveiling of Microsoft’s next-generation console on May 21.

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

Read more here: Game Spot News

Masked Warriors teaser sets stage for reveal at Xbox event

Activision and developer Infinity Ward are gearing up for a big Call of Duty reveal. The next entry in the series, Call of Duty: Ghosts, is scheduled to hit Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, and next-gen consoles, and a “Masked Warriors” teaser sets the stage for an unveiling at the May 21 Xbox event. Check it out after the jump.

Read more here: Crunchy Roll

Unsurprisingly, the rumours were true. Activision has officially announced Call of Duty: Ghosts for current (PS3, Xbox 360) and next generation consoles (New Xbox, PS4), as well as the PC. No word yet on whether there will be a Wii U version. Mark Rubin, Executive Producer of Infinity Ward commented:

“We saw the console transition as the perfect opportunity to start a new chapter for Call of Duty. So we’re building a new sub-brand, a new engine, and a lot of new ideas and experiences for our players. We can’t wait to share them with our community.”

So the next Call of Duty will feature a brand new story, setting, and engine.

The full reveal for the title will take place during the next xbox’s reveal, which is dated for May 21st. For now you’ll have to make do with a teaser trailer:

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here – Call of Duty: Ghosts Announced – News

Read more here: gamrReview

Updated: Activision has clarified that a Wii U version is coming, but they aren’t talking about the next generation consoles yet: “We don’t have any news for the Wii U at this time, as we aren’t dating next generation platforms yet. Stay tuned.”

Unsurprisingly, the rumours were true. Activision has officially announced Call of Duty: Ghosts for current (PS3, Xbox 360) and next generation consoles (New Xbox, PS4), as well as the PC. No word yet on whether there will be a Wii U version. Mark Rubin, Executive Producer of Infinity Ward commented:

“We saw the console transition as the perfect opportunity to start a new chapter for Call of Duty. So we’re building a new sub-brand, a new engine, and a lot of new ideas and experiences for our players. We can’t wait to share them with our community.”

So the next Call of Duty will feature a brand new story, setting, and engine.

The full reveal for the title will take place during the next xbox’s reveal, which is dated for May 21st. For now you’ll have to make do with a teaser trailer:

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here – Updated: Call of Duty: Ghosts Announced – News

Read more here: gamrReview