Wednesday, December 13, 2006

PC game charts: November 26-December 2




There's big money to be had in fake lives. Electronic Arts claimed a full half of the top 10 PC games charts for the week of November 26 to December 2--including the top spot--thanks primarily to its lighthearted life-simulating franchise, The Sims.
According to the industry-tracking NPD Group, EA's The Sims 2: Pets expansion pack sold more copies than any other PC game for the week and led a quartet of Sims 2 products into the top 10 chart. The original Sims 2 came in seventh, while the Glamour Life Stuff and Happy Holiday Stuff add-ons landed in fifth and eighth, respectively. EA's fifth and final game in the top 10, the futuristic first-person shooter Battlefield 2142, was the ninth best-selling title for the week.
With Black Friday behind the industry, game retailers saw the average selling prices for a number of its titles return to their previous ranges. Microsoft's deluxe package for Flight Simulator X flew off shelves enough to warrant a fourth place standing in the charts, but the game sold for an average of $66 a pop, compared to the $29 it garnered the week before. Consumers also found Desperate Housewives not as cheap as last week, as the Buena Vista Games offering slid six spots to 10th place as its average selling price jumped from $9 to $16.

Obsidian developing Sega's Alien RPG


Some acclaimed creative minds have been involved in the Alien franchise, including directors Ridley Scott, James Cameron, and David Fincher, who crafted the sterile, spooky sci-fi movies, and Swiss surrealist H.R. Giger, who created the looks for the titular creatures.
Gamers can add one more name to that list, as Sega today announced that role-playing game specialist Obsidian Entertainment is developing the upcoming RPG set in the Alien universe.
The game, which as of now remains untitled, is coming to PCs and "next-generation systems." Sega has not dated the project but on Monday said that the first Alien-licensed game wouldn't arrive before 2009. No further details of the game were mentioned.
With Monday's announcement, Sega also revealed that a first-person shooter based on the movies was also in development but did not reveal the game's developer. However, Internet reports, including one from Gaming Target, noticed a few company names in the copyrights on Sega's Alien teaser page.
Along with mention of Obsidian, which was confirmed today, was Gearbox Software, the team behind the Brothers in Arms franchise. The two names were quickly removed, according to Gaming Target, and as of press time and following today's news, Obsidian's name was back on the page.
Sega did not respond to requests for comment as of press time.