UK Charts: EA kicks and punches to the top
FIFA Street and Fight Night sequels occupy the top two spots in the UK Chart this week, but it's a good week for UK-developed games in the top ten, with the likes of 24, Buzz and Driver making strong debuts.
Electronic Arts continues to enjoy strong success at the top of the UK Charts as FIFA Street 2 "does a Fulham" and holds on to a slim lead its over big-hitting rival. EA is unlikely to mind about the competition in any case, since its big-hitting rival is one Fight Night Round 3 - the latest from EA Chicago.
That's bad news for Ubisoft, whose Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (last week's number two) now sits in third in the All-Formats, although it remains the best-selling game on Xbox 360.
Sony, meanwhile, enjoys a double-taste of life in the top ten - its pairing of Buzz! The Big Quiz and 24: The Game back to back in fourth and fifth spots, and both developed by UK studios too.
In fact it's really quite a good week for UK studios in the top ten, with Criterion's Black hanging on at six while the Xbox 360 version of its arcade racing title Burnout: Revenge puts that game back in at number nine.
There's also room for Newcastle-based Reflections' Driver: Parallel Lines debuting on PS2 (Xbox next week) at number eight, and Codemasters' TOCA Race Driver 3 rounding out the top ten.
Other new additions to the all-prices top 40 include THQ's Xbox 360 World War II title The Outfit, despite middling reviews, Eidos' Commandos: Strike Force, Sonic Riders from Sega (also the best-selling Cube game of the week), and Capcom's PS2 slasher Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams.
Next week should see a change at the top one way or the other - with likely high entries for hugely anticipated Xbox 360/PC title The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and EA's long-awaited The Godfather, which is being heavily trailed at the moment.