Research firm The NPD Group will no longer release its weekly charts of the ten best-selling PC games at United States retailers to the media, the company has confirmed with Shacknews. It will still issue monthly PC sales charts to the public, though, with the entirety of the sales data, as always, available to NPD's paying clients.

No reason was given for the switch, though we've asked for more details. Back in 2007, the company opted to stop publicly releasing its monthly sales figures and listings for consoles, though it quickly reversed that decision following public outcry.

However, PC digital distribution outlets Steam and Direct2Drive continue to release their weekly worldwide sales charts. And with NPD's week-long delay of its retail sales data no longer presenting an obstacle for per-week comparisons with Steam and Direct2Drive's data, the digital distribution charts will now be posted in a more timely manner.

As such, the past two week's worth of Direct2Drive and Steam charts follow:

Direct2Drive's Top Ten (6/7 - 6/13)

1. The Sims 3 - Electronic Arts
2. The Sims 3 (Mac) - Electronic Arts
3. Prototype - Radical... Read more

Given that The Sims 3 sold over 1.4 million units at launch, it's little surprise that it topped not only the weekly PC games sales chart but overall PC software sales too.

Digital distributer Direct 2 Drive also saw a glut of Sims 3 sales, including a flood of Mac edition sales. Over on Valve's Sims-less Steam, Left 4 Dead has risen to claim the top spot unperturbed by the E3 announcement that Left 4 Dead 2 is coming November 17.

NPD's Top Ten (5/31 - 6/6)

1. The Sims 3 / EA Maxis / $49
2. The Sims 3 Collector's Edition / EA Maxis / $69
3. The Sims 2 Double Deluxe / EA Maxis / $20
4. World Of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King / Blizzard / $38
5. World Of Warcraft Battle Chest / Blizzard / $40... Read more

Research group NPD's list of the 20 best-selling PC games in May shows mostly the usual players--Blizzard and Maxis--in their usual comfy chairs, slightly rearranged.

Spore climbs five places following a $10 price cut, while StarCraft 2's imminent beta no doubt plays a hand in the StarCraft Battle Chest's rise of two spots. Outsiders Left 4 Dead and Empire: Total War manage to retain their lofty positions from last month.

Fallout, Fallout 2 and Fallout Tactics make a welcome and notable comeback in the $20 Fallout Trilogy pack. Fellow RPG Oblivion also returns in Game of the Year form at 17.

1. World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King / Blizzard / $39
2. The Sims 2 Double Deluxe / EA Maxis / $20
3. World of Warcraft Battle Chest / Blizzard / $38
4. World of Warcraft / Blizzard / $20
5. Empire: Total War / Creative Assembly / $43... Read more

At long last, digital distribution outlet Steam has joined NPD and Direct2Drive in providing weekly sales data, providing for a wider view of the PC gaming landscape.

Of course, there's a twist. Steam lists its weekly sales by revenue, instead of unit sales, so comparisons between NPD's retail charts and D2D's downloads aren't valid. Regardless, it's more information than we had before, which is always nice.

Charts for the week of 5/24 - 5/30 follow below. Remember, NPD only tracks retail sales in North America, while Steam and D2D provide a glimpse of worldwide download sales. Lastly, expect The Sims 3, which hit on June 2, to dominate next week's listings.

NPD's Top Ten (5/24 - 5/30)

1. The Sims 2 Double Deluxe / EA Maxis / $20
2. World Of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King / Blizzard / $39
3. Spore / EA Maxis / $40
4. World Of Warcraft Battle Chest / Blizzard / $40... Read more

Creative Assembly's Empire: Total War gained ground on the sales list in an otherwise slow week for the PC retail sector.

The strategy title, bolstered by several recent patches, managed a third place finish, while list stalwarts World of Warcraft, Left 4 Dead, Spore and Fallout hung on for largely typical placement.

On the Direct2Drive side, the outlet's 75% off sale for Mount & Blade kept that game at the top, while Sacred 2, Battlestations: Pacific and the new Civilization IV: The Complete Edition rounded out the leading titles.

NPD's Top Ten (5/10 - 5/16)

1. World Of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King / Blizzard / $39
2. The Sims 2 Double Deluxe / EA Maxis / $20
3. Empire: Total War / Creative Assembly / $33
4. World Of Warcraft Battle Chest / Blizzard / $35
5. Left 4 Dead / Valve / $29... Read more

As with last week and the weeks before, the lack of a major PC release means that NPD's list of the best-selling PC games at US stores hasn't changed much. WoW and Spore moved up, Empire and Fallout went down, and Bejeweled replaced Demigod.

Fortunately, digital download provider Direct2Drive saw a bit more variety, thanks a 75% off sale on Mount & Blade and a 50% off promotion on Men of War and Cryostasis.

NPD's Top Ten (5/3 - 5/9)

1. World Of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King / Blizzard / $36
2. The Sims 2 Double Deluxe / EA Maxis / $20
3. Left 4 Dead / Valve / $29
4. World Of Warcraft / Blizzard / $20
5. World Of Warcraft Battle Chest / Blizzard / $40... Read more

Sales-tracking research firm The NPD Group has once again chimed in with its monthly analysis of the United States' software market, providing us with a list of the 20 best-selling PC games at traditional US retailers during April 2009.

The Warcraft III Battle Chest joined the six Blizzard games that were already on March's list, meaning that Blizzard served up 35% of the top 20--more than any other studio--all by itself. World of Warcraft's Lich King expansion regained the top spot from Creative Assembly's Empire: Total War, and Relic's Dawn of War II dropped from #4 to #15.

Also of interest is the sudden appearance of Illusion Softworks' 2003 shooter Hidden & Dangerous 2 at #20. I'm sure the $5 price helped, but that's certainly an odd revival.

1. World Of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King / Blizzard / $35
2. The Sims 2 Double Deluxe / EA Maxis / $20
3. World Of Warcraft Battle Chest / Blizzard / $36
4. Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor / Relic / $29
5. Empire: Total War / Creative Assembly / $48... Read more

If you've been paying attention to the recent sales charts, you pretty much know what to expect from NPD and its listing of the ten best-selling PC games at U.S. retailers.

Still, there's one surprise tucked away in there: Interplay's recent "Fallout Trilogy" bundle--packing Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics--popped up as #7 on NPD's chart.

As usual, digital distribution outlet Direct2Drive saw some significant changes to its best-sellers over last week, mostly thanks to a recent sale on Ubisoft-published titles.

NPD's Top Ten (4/26 - 5/2)

1. World Of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King / Blizzard / $32
2. The Sims 2 Double Deluxe / EA Maxis / $20
3. Left 4 Dead / Valve / $29
4. World Of Warcraft Battle Chest / Blizzard / $39... Read more

If you saw the sales charts from last week, then you've got a pretty good idea of what to expect from the latest listings. On the retail side, NPD reports that some games swapped positions in the US, but there weren't any new additions or subtractions.

As for Direct2Drive, the digital distribution outlet saw three games replaced in the top ten, with ACE Team's first-person brawler Zeno Clash debuting in the top spot.

NPD's Top Ten (4/19 - 4/25)

1. World Of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King / Blizzard / $31
2. The Sims 2 Double Deluxe / EA Maxis / $20
3. World Of Warcraft Battle Chest / Blizzard / $32
4. Left 4 Dead / Valve / $29
5. Empire: Total War / Creative Assembly / $50... Read more

The software sales charts are in for the second full week of April, showing a strong debut for the piracy-ridden Demigod at US retailers, with Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor continuing to do well at both retail outlets and digital distributor Direct2Drive.

While NPD's list mostly reorganized that of last week, Direct2Drive saw some more significant changes, with MLB 2K9 and Civ IV charting due to newly lower prices.

NPD's Top Ten (4/12 - 4/18)

1. World Of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King / Blizzard / $38
2. The Sims 2 Double Deluxe / EA Maxis / $20
3. Demigod / Gas Powered Games / $39
4. Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor / Relic / $29
5. Empire: Total War / Creative Assembly / $50... Read more

It's been five months since one of Her Interactive's Nancy Drew games broke into the top ten, but the prodigal daughter has returned thanks to a cheap jewel case edition.

While Direct2Drive's top ten downloads packs several of that week's new releases, including The Chronicles of Riddick, only Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor managed to appear on both D2D's chart and NPD's list of top-selling games at US retailers.

It was also a week for returning vets, with Left 4 Dead and the StarCraft Battle Chest both re-appearing on NPD's weekly list, and Universe at War hitting D2D's due to a sale.

NPD's Top Ten (4/5 - 4/11)

1. World Of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King / Blizzard / $36
2. The Sims 2 Double Deluxe / EA Maxis / $20
3. Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor / Relic / $29... Read more

Rolling its weekly charts into one monthly bundle, sales-tracking firm NPD has compiled a list of the 20 best-selling PC games at US retailers during March 2009.

As seen below, Empire: Total War has ended Lich King's four month-long reign of the monthly charts, with the Diablo and StarCraft Battle Chests continuing to hold ground.

1. Empire: Total War / Creative Assembly / $48
2. World Of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King / Blizzard / $38
3. The Sims 2 Double Deluxe / EA Maxis / $19
4. Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War II / Relic / $48
5. World Of Warcraft Battle Chest / Blizzard / $38
6. World Of Warcraft / Blizzard / $20
7. The Sims 2 Apartment Life Exp. Pack / EA Maxis / $19... Read more

As we kick off the new week, PC software sales data from the first week of April has arrived from both marketing research group NPD and digital retailer Direct2Drive.

Without any major releases that week, The Sims 2 and its expansion packs once again overtook the traditional United States retailers that NPD tracks, while Direct2Drive saw sales of Space Siege pick back up thanks to a half-price sale on the action-RPG.

NPD's Top Ten (3/29 - 4/4)

1. The Sims 2 Double Deluxe / EA Maxis / $16
2. World Of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King / Blizzard / $38
3. Empire: Total War / Creative Assembly / $50
4. The Sims 2 Apartment Life Exp. Pack / EA Maxis / $16... Read more

The latest sales charts for PC software are in, showing that, during the week of March 22, World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King lead retail U.S. sales--ending the lengthy three-week rule of Empire: Total War.

As for Direct2Drive, BattleForge was that week's most popular digital download.

Remember, NPD's list only accounts for brick and mortar retailers in the United States, while Direct2Drive's list is only representative of one particular digital download outlet.

NPD's Top Ten (3/22 - 3/28)

1. World Of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King / Blizzard / $33
2. Empire: Total War / Creative Assembly / $46
3. The Sims 2 Double Deluxe / EA Maxis / $20
4. World Of Warcraft Battle Chest / Blizzard / $33
5. Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War II / Relic / $47... Read more

It's that time of the week again, as the marketing research gurus at NPD have released their list of the best-selling PC games at US retailers during the week of March 15.

For the most part, NPD's list is unchanged from that of the previous week, the only tweak being the addition of Civilization IV, which bumped Ravenhearst down a spot.

However, Direct2Drive's list of best-selling games was a bit more active--Defense Grid: The Awakening topped the digital download provider's chart thanks to a half-price sale, with newcomers HAWX, Men of War and The Path also appearing in the top ten.

NPD's Top Ten (3/15 - 3/21)

1. Empire: Total War / Creative Assembly / $41
2. World Of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King / Blizzard / $39
3. The Sims 2 Double Deluxe / EA Maxis / $20
4. Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War II / Relic / $42... Read more

The PC sales data from the second week of March are in, with Empire: Total War reigning NPD's chart while EA LA's download-only Red Alert 3 expansion Uprising took the top spot at digital download outlet Direct2Drive.

Remember, NPD's list only accounts for brick and mortar stores in the United States and does not include digital distribution. Meanwhile, Direct2Drive's chart only represents one of many online digital download platforms.

NPD's Top Ten (3/8 - 3/14)

1. Empire: Total War / Creative Assembly / $49
2. World Of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King / Blizzard / $39
3. The Sims 2 Double Deluxe / EA Maxis / $20
4. Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War II / Relic / $49... Read more

Marketing research firm NPD has issued its weekly list of the ten best-selling PC games at United States retailers, this one covering the first week of March.

That week saw the debut of The Creative Assembly's historical strategy game Empire: Total War, which also topped the chart for digital distribution site Direct2Drive. Mythic's Warhammer Online also reappeared, probably due to a lowered average price.

As NPD's figures do not include digital distribution, you'll find Direct2Drive's corresponding list of PC best-sellers below. However, please note that this only covers one of many online outlets, while NPD covers a variety of brick and mortar stores.

NPD's Top Ten (3/1 - 3/7)

1. Empire: Total War / Creative Assembly / $48
2. World Of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King / Blizzard / $39
3. Warhammer Online: Age Of Reckoning / EA Mythic / $16
4. The Sims 2 Double Deluxe / EA Maxis / $20
5. Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War II / Relic / $48
6. The Sims Carnival: Bumper Blast / Electronic Arts / $2... Read more

Following up on its weekly sales charts, marketing research group NPD has compiled a list of the 20 best-selling PC games at United States retailers during February.

While the chart sees the debut of Dawn of War II and F.E.A.R. 2, both of which were released during February, most of the listed games haven't changed from January.

1. World Of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King / Blizzard / $38 (Average)
2. The Sims 2 Double Deluxe / EA Maxis / $19 (Average)
3. Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War II / Relic / $49 (Average)
4. World Of Warcraft: Battle Chest / Blizzard / $37 (Average)
5. F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin / Monolith / $50 (Average)
6. Spore / EA Maxis / $45 (Average)
7. World Of Warcraft / Blizzard / $18 (Average)
8. The Sims 2 Apartment Life Exp. Pack / EA Maxis / $20 (Average)
9. Fallout 3 / Bethesda / $47 (Average) ... Read more

NPD's list of the ten best-selling PC games at United States retailers didn't change all that much during the week of February 22-28. Like the last week, Dawn of War II is still on top, Lich King is still in second, and The Sims take up the two spots below that.

Apart from some reshuffled positions later down the list, the only noteworthy changes are the disappearances of F.E.A.R. 2 and Crysis Warhead. They were replaced by the incredibly cheap Sims Carnival: SnapCity and the first World of Warcraft expansion.

1. Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War II / Relic / $48
2. World Of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King / Blizzard / $38
3. The Sims 2 Double Deluxe / EA Maxis / $20
4. The Sims 2 Deluxe / EA Maxis / $2
5. World Of Warcraft / Blizzard / $16
6. World Of Warcraft Battle Chest / Blizzard / $35
7. Spore / EA Maxis / $44
8. The Sims Carnival: SnapCity / Electronic Arts / $2
9. The Sims 2 Apartment Life Exp. Pack / EA Maxis / $19
10. World Of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade / Blizzard / $25

Having sold over 1.2 million copies since its October 2007 debut, The Witcher is now among the 100 best-selling PC games of all time, claims developer CD Projekt RED.

"Because of those numbers, The Witcher has jumped onto the list of the 100 bestselling PC games in history," CD Projekt RED marketing coordinator Karol Zajaczkowski wrote in a forum post announcing the 1.2 million unit milestone.

The 1.2 million figure includes both retail and digital distribution sales, a CD Projekt representative confirmed with Shacknews.

Based off the works of Andrzej Sapkowski, the morally ambiguous fantasy role-playing game saw an enhanced re-release arrive last year with new content. A rebuilt console version, The Witcher: Rise of the White Wolf, will hit PS3 and Xbox 360 this fall.