Burning Crusade lights up '07 PC sales chart
Expansion to World of Warcraft sells 2.25 million copies at US retail, original game comes in second with 914,000 sold.
The industry-tracking NPD Group released its list of the best-selling PC games of 2007 at US retailers today, and it's no surprise which title topped the list. With Blizzard's World of Warcraft expansion The Burning Crusade selling 2.4 million copies worldwide in its first 24 hours on sale last January, the game was an instant hit internationally. It did well in the US as well, as the NPD Group's data shows the game moving 2.25 million copies at domestic retailers for the full year.
The Burning Crusade's parent product also proved a hot seller, as the massively multiplayer online role-playing game sensation World of Warcraft was the next best-selling title of the year, with 914,000 sales to its name. Blizzard's genre-dominating MMO debuted in 2004 and has been a frequent resident on the best-sellers charts since its release.
Another 2004 smash hit proved its lasting appeal, as Electronic Arts' The Sims 2 and its expansions claimed four spots on the top 10. The Seasons expansion pack was third, followed by the original Sims 2 in seventh, the Bon Voyage expansion pack at eight, and the Sims 2 Pets expansion at the 10 spot. EA wasn't content with those hits, as another Sim title, Sim City 4 Deluxe, placed sixth on the charts, and the publisher's Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars was fifth overall.
That left just two spots in the top 10 for publishers not named EA or Blizzard. Activision claimed the fourth position on the charts with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, while Microsoft made it into ninth place with the 2005 real-time strategy game Age of Empires III.
Best-selling PC Games of 2007, by units sold
1. World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade Expansion Pack--Vivendi Games--2.25 million
2. World of Warcraft--Vivendi Games--914,000
3. The Sims 2: Seasons Expansion Pack--Electronic Arts--433,000
4. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare--Activision--383,000
5. Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars--Electronic Arts--343,000
6. Sim City 4 Deluxe--Electronic Arts--284,000
7. The Sims 2--Electronic Arts--281,000
8. The Sims 2: Bon Voyage Expansion Pack--Electronic Arts--271,000
9. Age of Empires III--Microsoft--259,000
10. The Sims 2: Pets Expansion Pack--Electronic Arts--236,000
[UPDATE]: The NPD Group has since issued a corrected list of the best-selling PC games of the year. No explanation for the erroneous list was provided, but the changes are mostly slight; The Sims 2 jumped from seventh to third, and its Pets Expansion Pack fell off the charts entirely, replaced by Microsoft Flight Simulator X. The revised list is below:
Best-selling PC Games of 2007, by units sold
1. World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade Expansion Pack--Vivendi Games--2.25 million
2. World of Warcraft--Vivendi Games--914,000
3. The Sims 2--Electronic Arts--534,000
4. The Sims 2: Seasons Expansion Pack--Electronic Arts--433,000
5. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare--Activision--383,000
6. Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars--Electronic Arts--350,000
7. Age of Empires III--Microsoft--313,000
8. Sim City 4--Electronic Arts--294,000
9. Flight Simulator X--Microsoft--280,000
10. The Sims 2: Bon Voyage Expansion Pack--Electronic Arts--272,000
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