UK Charts: FIFA tops the table again
World Cup boosts sales further.
Football is once again dominating the charts this week, with EA's FIFA World Cup Germany 2006 back in first place despite an overall slump brought on by a combination of warm weather and World Cup excitement.
Eidos steals second and third place respectively as last week's champion, Hitman: Blood Money, steps graciously aside for FIFA and Tomb Raider: Legend holds onto third thanks to a PSP debut for Miss Croft's latest adventure.
THQ claims the highest new entry this week, bursting into the charts in fourth place with the launch of Moto GP '06 on the Xbox 360. Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer 5 drops a single place but maintains a respectable chart position in fifth.
Sixth place serves as a starter home for Dr Kawashima's Brain Training on Nintendo DS, though the June 23rd launch of the DS Lite in the UK could easily push the title much higher in the charts if the success of the redesigned handheld in the US and Japan can be repeated on these shores.
Another new entry makes its mark on the top ten, with classic football franchise Sensible Soccer debuting at number seven on PC, PS2 and Xbox. A mobile version is also on the way.
Valve's latest PC offering, Half Life 2: Episode One, holds firm in eighth place, Animal Crossing: Wild World slips three places from six to nine while Activision's summer blockbuster tie-in, X-Men: The Official Game, plummets from last week's number five to cling on at number ten.
UK software sales were down across the board this week, with no single title showing an increase in sales. Sony's PS2 racer Tourist Trophy: Real Simulation offered the most positive sales performance, shedding just five per cent on sales and climbing two places from 14 to 12.
New releases due this week are few and far between, which means next week's line-up is all about who can make the biggest splash at retail and push for the higher end of the all-formats listing.