Halo: Reach hits top of UK chart

Halo: Reach has claimed this week's number one spot in the UK games chart, compiled by Chart-Track. Microsoft’s flagship first-person shooter has provided the publisher with its most successful launch ever and is also the fifth largest single-platform launch in UK history, behind Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, GTA: San Andreas on the PlayStation 2, and Grand Theft Auto IV on the Xbox 360.

The result means that Halo: Reach surpassed both Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST in terms of launch-week sales. According to Chart Track, Reach sold 20,000 more copies than Halo 3 and 200,000 more than ODST. Eager fans queued from the early hours of last Monday morning for midnight launches across the UK.

The success of Reach bumped Take 2's Mafia II down from first to third in the chart, but this week's other highest new entry was Sports Champions for the PlayStation Move at number two. Sony’s first-party title got off to a good start, but the Move's other launch software failed to make an impression in the top 10. Start the Party could only reach 29 and Ubisoft's Racquet Sports entered at 32. No other PlayStation Move-driven titles entered the top 40 this week.