The UK top 40 games chart listings are up for the week ending 24th May 2008 and it contains a few interesting points of conversation but most importantly that the Wii Fit has dropped fom it's top ten positioning to completely OUT of the top 40.



Here is the top 10:
1.Grand Theft Auto IV (Rockstar North-Xbox 360/PS3)
2.Age of Conan (Funcom-PC)
3.Haze (Free Radical-PS3)
4.Mario & Sonic @ Olympics (Nintendo-Wii)
5.Wii Play (Nintendo-Wii)
6.Rock Band (Harmonix-Xbox 360_
7.Pro Evo Soccer 2008 (Konami-PS3/Xbox 360/Wii/DS)
8.Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo-Wii)
9.Fifa 2008 (EA-PS3/Xbox 360/Wii/DS)
10.Guirar Hero III (Neversoft-PS3/Xbox 360/Wii)


Wii Fit
Now to that first point with Wii fit dropping from the sales charts all together apparently due to stock problems. Since it's release over here , during the week ending April 26th, it's held it's own slumping only to the number 2 position in the charts with it clocking in around £16.3 million of sales on the day of release. On the Wii sales chart front the stock shortage has seen Wii fit drop from the number one spot right down to 15th.

With three Wii excusive games in the top ten one of which, Wii play, has been on sales since the day the Wii was released and is still in the top five there is a good chance the Wii Fit will return to the top ten when Nintendo clears up the stock issue.

Nintendo and the Wii in general
Take one look at that list and and count the amount of games you see for the Wii. Out of ten games, three are exclusive to the Nintendo console while three more contribute to multiconsole sales of games. With that kind of influence on UK sales, it'll be interesting to see if the negative vibe surrounding Smash Bros Brawl european release will have any effect on it's sales and placement in the top ten.

Haze
Speaking of games with a negative vibe Haze, which some people have panned for various reasons after playing the demo and has recieved critcal backlash for it's instalation size and lack of full scale HD, debuts this week at number three making it the highest console exclusive game on the chart.

Rock Band
Yet more negative vibe for a game and yet another impressive debut. Currently the closest thing Microsofts console has to an exclusive in the chart with only a rumoured PS2, PS3 and Wii release date, the game was the focus of much anger from UK gamers when the price tag was revealed to be £180 (a point that was talked about on D'toids very own Podcastle). Though it would appear that most UK retailers decision to slash the price of the rockstar simulator to the £130 -£140 mark has made it more appealing to the point that is has trumped the multiconsole Guitar Hero III which is holding steady in tenth posistion.

Age of Conan
Congrats have to be given to PC MMORPG Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, which sits in second place and earns itself two big achievements. First it is the highest PC title launched this year and also the biggest MMO released here since World of Warcraft. It'll be intersting to see if sales continue as strong as they are or drop off in the coming weeks.

All the rest
As I mentioned before the Wii has strength in numbers here with Mario & Sonic and Wii Play hanging in there to it's numbers 4 and 5 spots respectively from last week, Mario Kart Wii however has taken a hit dropping from number 3 previously to 8th place.

As always with the UK chart the two biggest footbal games Konamis Pro Evo and EA's Fifa are still duking it out for dominance with Pro Evo standing highest this week. However the full time whistle is still some way away for these two as Pro Evo dropped a place from 5th to 6th to make way for Rock Band with Fifa jumping two places from 11th up to 9th. Also of note is that Englands failure to qualify for this years Euro International Tournament in Austria and Switzerland may have hurt sales of EA's Euro 2008 liscence with it moving up only three places from 23rd to 20th. With the tournament kicking off on the 7th of June will it make any difference?

Other notable mentions go to Big Brain Acadamy: Wii Degree and movie liscence Ratatouille both of which won't be threatening GTA IV's dominance anytime soon by debuting this week right at the bottom of the top 40 at 38th (Big Brain) and 40th (Ratatouille)

Full UK top 40 (all prices) for the Week ending May 24th