December's Best-Selling PC Games Revealed

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Retail sales of PC games may have been down 14% in 2008, but that hasn't stopped marketing research firm NPD from providing us with its monthly list of best-sellers.

Of the 20 best-selling PC games at U.S. retailers in December 2008, 7 of them were within The Sims franchise. If you bring Spore and its parts pack into the equation, that means Maxis-helmed games accounted for almost half of the month's top sellers.

And let's not forget that The Sims 3 is due out February 20. Anyone want to bet how long that'll be at the top of the sales charts? Weeks? Months? Years? Decades?

  1. World Of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King / Blizzard / $39 (Average)
  2. The Sims 2 Double Deluxe / EA Maxis / $18 (Average)
  3. Spore / EA Maxis / $47 (Average)
  4. The Sims 2 Apartment Life Exp. Pack / EA Maxis / $18 (Average)
  5. Call Of Duty: World At War / Treyarch / $50 (Average)
  6. Left 4 Dead / Valve / $48 (Average)
  7. Fallout 3 / Bethesda / $49 (Average)
  8. World Of Warcraft: Battle Chest / Blizzard / $38 (Average)
  9. World Of Warcraft / Blizzard / $20 (Average)
  10. The Sims 2 Mansion & Garden Stuff Exp. / EA Maxis / $18 (Average)
  11. Bejeweled Twist / PopCap / $19 (Average)
  12. Spore Creepy & Cute Parts Pack / EA Maxis / $18 (Average)
  13. Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 / EA LA / $49 (Average)
  14. Grand Theft Auto IV / Rockstar North / $49 (Average)
  15. World Of Warcraft: Burning Crusade Expansion Pack / Blizzard / $28 (Average)
  16. The Sims 2 Pets Exp. / EA Maxis / $18 (Average)
  17. The Sims 2 Seasons Exp. / EA Maxis / $18 (Average)
  18. Nancy Drew: The Haunting of Castle Malloy / Her Interactive / $20 (Avearge)
  19. The Sims 2 FreeTime Exp. / EA Maxis / $18 (Average)
  20. The Sims 2 University Exp. / EA Maxis / $18 (Average)

Chris Faylor was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

From The Chatty
  • reply
    January 17, 2009 8:31 AM

    "Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 / EA LA / $49 (Average)"

    But it sells for $29.99 on steam.

    • reply
      January 17, 2009 8:51 AM

      NPD doesn't track digital distribution.

    • reply
      January 17, 2009 9:24 AM

      What?!

      It sells for 50€ on European steam.

      Unless It's a sale which we don't have (and won't have) I call BS.

      • reply
        January 17, 2009 2:09 PM

        European prices are often much higher then US prices. Plus they add your local sales tax on top of that. It's nothing uncommon at all. Steam price their stuff to match your local MSRP or something like that.

        • reply
          January 18, 2009 2:10 AM

          I bought RA3 at Direct2Drive for 20 pounds. That's even less than our local retail.

          1$ =/= 1€

    • reply
      January 17, 2009 1:05 PM

      These are Decembers numbers and it was just lowered to $30.

    • reply
      January 17, 2009 1:53 PM

      It's selling locally at Future Shop (here in Canada) for $29.99 (regular price) as well, retail boxed copy.

    • reply
      January 17, 2009 2:26 PM

      Hey, nice. It was $49.99 when it was first released on Steam a week ago.

    • reply
      January 17, 2009 9:48 PM

      It's also that price at GameStop (free shipping with code 'saver') http://www.ebgames.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=69403

    • reply
      January 18, 2009 7:18 AM

      Steam's Europe sales use Sweden's sales tax, which is 25%.

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