Although each game failed to emulate the sales of its respective predecessor, Battlefield 4 and Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag stormed the UK charts this week; but it was Ubisoft’s swashbuckling outing that came out on top. It’s worth noting, however, that the current number one benefited from its early Tuesday release, whereas EA’s first person shooter didn’t release until Friday in the UK.
Here’s this week’s top ten list, courtesy of UKie:
1. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
2. Battlefield 4
3. FIFA 14
4. Grand Theft Auto V
5. Batman: Arkham Origins
6. Football Manager 2014
7. WWE 2K14
8. Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition
9. Skylanders Swap Force
10. Pokémon Y
Launching within the same week meant that Assassin’s Creed IV and Battlefield 4 were always likely to be at loggerheads from the get-go. Of course, it’s worth keeping in mind that these statistics only represent the current generation of systems, and it’s highly likely that many gamers will be holding out on both EA and Ubisoft’s titles until the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 launch later this month.
In terms of the other new entries, Sega’s Football Manager 2014 recorded a commendable debut at 6th place considering that the footie simulator is, after all, a PC exclusive. Furthermore, following the franchise’s shift from THQ to Take 2, WWE 2K14 entered the chart a little lower at 7th. Last week’s chart topper Batman: Arkham Origins slipped to fifth place with a sales drop of 56%, whereas FIFA 14 recorded a 5% rise courtesy of a hardware bundle, allowing EA’s popular series to retain 3rd spot.
With the impending release of Call of Duty: Ghosts, though, it’s almost inevitable that Infinity Ward’s blockbuster franchise will knock Ubisoft’s high seas adventure from the top. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see whether its sales are affected by the current hesitation in the build up to the new console generation.
Until then, though, what do you make of this week’s all-formats chart? Are you surprised that Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag pipped Battlefield 4 to the summit? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below and be sure to check out our reviews for both Ubisoft and EA’s titles, too.
