PGA Tour 12 sets week-one franchise sales record

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters

EA opted to de-emphasize the titular Tiger Woods from the cover of PGA Tour 12: The Masters, but removing Woods' mug apparently didn't hit them in the pocketbook. EA has announced that according to internal estimates, the game has sold approximately 225,000 units in its first week in North America, outrunning the previous franchise record (Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08) by 17%. Meanwhile, week-one digital revenue for the PGA Tour series is up 200% year-over-year, and the iPhone and iPad versions were the top-grossing sports games on iTunes.

"We expected fans to be excited about the Masters and for sales to be up significantly," said EA Sports president Peter Moore in the announcement. "We're pleased that they are." He also casually mentioned that fans have played nearly two million rounds at Augusta National Golf Club in the game's first two weeks.

Though Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 enjoyed financial success, particularly on the Wii, PGA Tour 11 took a dip and sold only 32% of the prior year, according to NPD analyst Anita Frazier. The decision to feature the Masters tournament as a major selling point has apparently paid off.