The Software Chart

According to Michael Pachter, analyst for Wedbush Morgan Securities, 19 games sold over 100,000 units in February 2008 compared to 10 such games a year ago. Software sales are robust and will surge as games like Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Grand Theft Auto IV, and Metal Gear Solid 4 launch throughout this year.

Here are the top 10 software releases for February 2008:



The Xbox 360 version of Activison's Call of Duty 4 maintained its spot at the top of the charts for a fourth consecutive month. Considering both the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 versions, Call of Duty 4 is nearing 5 million units sold since it launched in November 2007, which is a remarkable level of sales. Activison's other hit property, Guitar Hero III, has maintained at least two spots in the top 10 software charts since it launched in October 2007. Guitar Hero III for the Wii continues to sell exceptionally well and maintains its monthly lead over the PlayStation 2 version. If it isn't the best-selling third-party Wii game already, it soon will be. Except for December 2007, the Wii version has placed in the top 10 for four of the five past months.

Capcom's Devil May Cry 4 made a strong debut as a cross-platform title. Previously a PlayStation-only franchise, the Xbox 360 version led the PlayStation 3 version in sales by around 60,000 units, a relatively small gap considering that the Xbox 360 has over twice the users. It is unclear how to read the relative sales numbers here. Do higher sales on the Xbox 360 indicate the defection of former Sony users to Microsoft's platform? Or should the relatively strong sales on the PlayStation 3 be seen as a sign that Sony is recruiting former PlayStation 2 owners to its next-generation platform? Regardless, the sales numbers probably indicate to Capcom that next-generation software risks can be mitigated through cross-platform development.

Unsurprisingly, Wii Play continues to sell well and has placed in the top 10 for its 13th straight month. Over 50% of Wii owners also own a copy of Wii Play.