And some of you are worried about console gaming...

BTFzor_Freestyle

I'm sorry but did I miss a meeting where PC gamers got together and decided that this is a must have game? Well, at least it isn't Maxis/Blizzard heh. Should be back to normal soon anyway.

Sims IKEA is still there... really?

SylvyLombax

Awesome. Go Nancy! :)

Has anyone played the Nancy Drew DS game that just came out? I couldn't find a review of it...

quen

I have an african parrot just like that one. ^_^

Shiryu

1. Nancy Drew: The Phantom Of Venice

[es]

+ Watch video

LordCiego

@Covert_Knight: Heh.... the fun thing is that that's precisely how I use to defend Mac gaming... we might not get all the games, but we get enough to keep us going (I have a library of over 200 titles... despite not owning a single WW2 shooter :P ). But back then the PC gamers would act like the console gamers do now.

But then I'm not a "pure" mac gamer. I'm just a gamer... I don't care what platform a game is for, I just care if it's fun or not. That's why I own a Wii, 360, DS and will get a PS3 once the new 80GB gimp is out here in Europe.

PC gaming isn't dying, it's changing and the interesting part is that it's turning more into what Mac gaming used to be. Fewer "hardcore" titles out of which most are ports, and tons of casual games. It's still a stronger market than Mac gaming ever was though, I'm not trying to claim anything else... it's just the nature of the games it gets that's similar to what I'm used too... plus the PC exclusive titles have waaaaay higher production value than Mac exclusives ;)

The Whaleman

Release top10 selling games that isnt warcraft or sims. dang it

zaagis

@mva5580:
"You think consoles wouldn't be in the EXACT same situation if piracy was as easy to do on the 360/PS3?"

In fact, playing copies on a 360 IS as easy as on a pc. You just have to buy a device, which flashes your disc drive and then you play your copy. No case opening, no warranty issues, no danger of being banned from Live. Heck, you even can play online with this without MS noticing. Remember the people having achievements in GTA4, a few days BEFORE the official release day? That's the only way, you can tell if someone is playing a copy.

And if you want to play your original games, just reset and remove the device.

"Piracy" ... no, i hate this misleading word, ... "unlicensed use of copyright protected content" is as big on the Wii and the 360, as it is on the PC. And the PS3 joining in, is just a matter of time.

Kajetan

Next time you want me to be depressed about the state of PC gaming, don't distract me with an adorable African Grey.

D'awwww...

RedRaptor

Man.. now i actually feel kinda bad for buying the new Nancy Drew Game.....

BryanGuitarDude

Just goes to show that any gamer with good sense doesn't pay for a box and an outdated manual and game disc.

liquidnumb

@ViciousViper: I thought IKEA stuff was bad enough without having 3-inch virtual replicas of it!

NiceMissMayonnaise

gotta admit, the phantom Venice is a clever name. I laughed at it.

SW33TLOU

Coming soon to theaters, Spielberg's next blockbuster:

Nancy Drew: The Phantom Menace

Fvash

And who else thinks it is just CRAZY that Diablo battle chest is up tp #4? Diablo 3 here we come! w00t!!!

Blah-Blah-Blah

I just checked Amazon's top 10 list for PC games, and Nancy Drew is #4 on that list, with the top 3 being Blizzard titles, and the rest being other Blizzard things, Sims things, and Spore. Nancy Drew, you go girl! (hah.)

meatee

Star Craft 2 anyone?

Blah-Blah-Blah

@Pezdispenser:
I was just thinking the same thing. How would these numbers look when you add all the online sales. Ever since I got steam I don't buy anything in meat space any more.

I really don't understand everyone's obsession with boxes and discs. I usually toss em aside as soon as I've got everything installed (usually crack it too because i hate having to put in the disc every F*CKING time i want to play a game)

With steam I just double click and I'm good to go. when new games are out on steam I just click on BUY NOW. And within an hour it's on my PC and ready to play.

Online Distribution is the future, time for the sales lists to get with it.

LlamaNL

@Covert_Knight: This man wins.

For PC Gamers, it's a marathon, not a sprint. I mean Jesus H. I go to Gamestop and there are already TONS of copies of GTA IV on the shelf pre-owned. Tons. The game has been out BARELY 3 months, and an incredibly large number of console gamers are done with it.

Meanwhile PC Gamers can play the great games pretty much forever.

PC Gaming, no matter how much console "apologists" want to believe it, is far, far from dead. And it never will "die."

It's the best platform, and it always will be, period-end-of-story. It's not even debatable. And I would bet you that even developers know this, they just can't beat the piracy issues on PC because it's so easy to do. You think consoles wouldn't be in the EXACT same situation if piracy was as easy to do on the 360/PS3? You're kidding yourselves. And I bet a great majority of you would contribute to it. I really wish the same people who try to condone piracy on the PC could be given the same moral decision when it came time to either pay $60 for the next PS3/360 game, or just download it for free. Please.

Oh and of course here come the "I like to play games on my couch!" arguments, and all I can do is "lol" as I type this from my couch, using my gaming PC on my 46" 1080p Bravia. Being educated on a subject, as the kids say, FTW.

mva5580

Everyone talks about how pc gaming is dead, it's just different. We're not like console players. We're just too content where we are. Console players move from game to game, and when they're done with a game they're pretty much done with it. I mean honestly to all the console players, how many of you play a game that is 3 years or older? There are thousands of players still playing Half-Life! There's over 3,000 ranked servers for Battlefield 2, and while not all of them are occupied, there are plenty filled with 64 players. We're here, we just don't need to buy a new game every month, and just because we don't measure up to how console fanboys measure their wars, doesn't mean we're dead/non-existant.

/rant.

Covert_Knight

While I realise that girls smell, you would do well to stop whinging for a second and actually play one of the Nancy Drew games. I haven't played this one, but this one (from the same team) was excellent.

So people are buying a game where the main character's a girl, and where the gameplay does not revolve around bloody mortal combat. This is so not bawwwww-worthy. Dear lordy.

frostcircus

Are you cereal?

Delvar15

I have that kind of parrot, it's called an African Grey
is the one in that picture yours Luke?

SupaPhly

@Katorok: The Nancy Drew games are ALWAYS #1 upon release. They are cheap, and even parents who don't advocate video games see a familiar title.

Dreadfish

I know that Will Wright has spent the last few years making spore creatures look more and more kiddie, but I think it obviously wasn't enough.

Certainly the man was coming close to stripping out his own eyeballs before making another game for 8 year old girls like the Sims 3, but how will he deal with the loss of an audience full of idiots who will buy anything that looks cute.

Nintendo is riding that same, stupid audience to money-land with the Wii and DS, so it would seem like that kind of... 'gamer' is a growing force in the industry...

I wish that Will Wright would make something ostensibly for hardcore gamers... Spore is trying to straddle the Hardcore/Casual line, and i'm curious to see which kind of consumers end up taking the bait.

cookiesareafriend

@Madriker: I probably contributed to this number by purchasing an extra D2 key or two a little while ago. What better way to feed the D3 hype than to dust off your old copy(ies) of D2 and go tri-boxing? :D

SmilingPolitely

the sims is making EA trillionaire! this game is in the top 10 since when.. 2002-2003? geez

juancriollo

Has to be shens. Everyone, grab your brooms.

Gloibin

@Pezdispenser: I find that list more depressing, as it confirms the myth that PC gamers have the imagination and flexibility of a dead cock.

Personally, my favourite toplists are the ones at Gamersgate. That site has such a specific demographic; there's no way the creators of the site would've seen it coming. It's quite a strange phenomenon.

frostcircus

eh, pc gaming doesnt have any new games out atm.

TheNocturnalSun

Wow PC gaming, is this really what you've come to? Nancy fuckin' Drew?

Guys, I think it's time for an intervention.

CitizenInsane27

5. The Sims 2 IKEA Home Stuff

WTH people pay for virtual Ikea furniture??

I thought the sims was bad enough.

ViciousViper

Bear in mind folks, these are brick and mortar store sales only. Online distribution is not counted.

Assuming Steam keeps its Top Sellers list up to date, I can tell you right now that the top 10 games over Steam are:

1-Counter Strike Source
2-Team Fortress 2
3-Call of Duty 4
4-Orange Box
5-Counter Strike
6-Garry's Mod
7-Company of Heroes Gold
8-Audiosurf
9-Day of Defeat Source
10-Grid

A lot less depressing IMO.

Pezdispenser

This totaly blows! Nancy Drew isnt even on the shelves in my country. Then again, girls dont play PC games here :(

KroKan

Mr. Plunkett I approve highly of that picture.

Somehow I think number 1 is lies...at least Im hoping it is.

Witzbold

This is just like when High School Musical was the #1 selling cd last year. You know piracy is bad when everyone over 12 gets their music and games for free.

Elwood2112

Sorry, gameternet, but you can't complain about the death of the adventure genre and complain when an adventure game tops the charts. In fact, I'm pretty sure there's an idiom specifically about this. You'll like it, it involves cake.

frostcircus

"1. Nancy Drew: The Phantom Of Venice"

Mr. Plunkett has made a glaring typo on today's NPD sales charts.

Kotaku has now lost all credibility.

Ping5000

@periodical: A week's worth of sales, not a month's.

DrWyrm

@NeoAkira:

True. I even raised an eyebrow over Bed, Bath and Beyond's top 10 bestsellers (tupperware moved up 2 spots!), but I just lowered by head in shame after reading this list.

LittleBigPlaneteer

Well... There goes Conan.

everybest

I guess players in AoC aren't the only thing hitting a cap >_>

okenny :)

Possibly the only sales chart that isn't even remotely interesting.

NeoAkira

The Phantom of Venice came out of nowhere!

LittleBigPlaneteer

so basically it is:
1 - omgwtf?! game
2 to 9 - mix between The Sims and Blizzard
10 - COD4

way to go pc gaming, way to go

luir

awful list games for a top10

bubassi

I'm more surprised that Sims 2 is STILL on the top 10 list. You would think everyone has it already

WasabiJoe

Let's make huge strawman arguments based on a month's worth of NPDs! INTERNET ASSEMBLE!

periodical

And this is why I hate letting birds play on the PC.

BPMο

My sister used to love those Nancy Drew games.

PUZZLEZ N MYSTRY

Arelan

Who say girls don't play games?

ahmeng

And again, I don't really care, because NPD doesn't track online sales of any kind.

I'm not sure if any of them would beat these top 10, but still.

BenKenobi88

PC Gamers just failed. Casual gaming has taken over.

It's a sad day in the world (and yes, I am a PC Gamer).

LegendK1ll3r

There must be a glitch in the system.

There's no possible way this could be true.

Wolfenburg

1. Nancy Drew: The Phantom Of Venice

wat...

Katorok

I can't help but scratch my head at this one...

However, I'm not too surprised with Diablo II's position. Most people have already bought the game by now. If not, they've dusted off their old copies that've been stashed away for years.

Madriker

ENTER ALL 32 PC GAMING APOLOGISTS.

THATS RIGHT. LOOK AT WHAT YOUR DIRTY, BOOTLEGGIN' HANDS HAVE WROUGHT.

makes me wanna go play some more mario party.

TheIrishNinja

That's right Spore, get beat by a sleuthy little girl. Get beat and take it like the alien galaxy sim you are.

crayola77

Is it me or is that a pretty shitty sales list?

TK423

I.....err.......what!?

ApertureScienceIntern

Nancy Drew is the most balla shit evah

pandafresh

So girls are helping to keep the point & click adventure genre alive on the PC? Yay, girls!

Knukleur

@Covert_Knight: @mva5580: @The Whaleman:

If PC gaming is becoming like Mac gaming it's proof positive that PC gaming is in its death throes.

No, it will never outright "die", but surely I'm not the only person here who remembers when PC Games were a force to be reckoned with. When PC Gamers got titles with frequency and often made console gamers jealous because we were getting AWESOME games that maybe got ported to consoles, usually with crappier graphics and half the features missing to accommodate console players. I remember when the local GameStop had three walls of PC games. Now they have a kiosk. And only one side of it is PC games, the other side are PC peripherals that sit there for months until they get thrown into the "please buy this" bin at 50-60% off.

My how the times have reversed themselves. Now PC gamers get half assed ports of popular console games, three to six months (or later) after the rest of the world has already played them. Prime example: Halo 2. 2 years after it came out for the original Xbox it finally comes out for the PC. Oh and it's still the number one played original Xbox game via XBL so there goes the argument that console players aren't playing aging games right out the window. PC Gamers who used to be able to rub new releases that weren't even being planned for console release in the faces of console gamers now stand here and make the ridiculous argument that they have classic games that keep them entertained while us poor console gamers keep revolving games.

I guarantee you PC gamers would trade in games just like console gamers do if policies allowed them to. However, due to 'piracy' concerns, once a PC game is opened, the resale value of the game is between $0 and however much someone on ebay will pay.

One day the PC Gaming crowd will wake up, look in the mirror and realize they've been pushed out of the market, especially with consoles gaining more KB/M support. You are the kid in the family who gets all the thrift store hand me downs but you continue to delude yourselves that somehow, because you can still play a four year old, modded HL2 or CS:S while waiting forever for the occasional Crysis, Starcraft 2 or Diablo 3 and that PC gaming is just fine.

Those of us who know better know that PCs have become the bastion of MMORPGs, PopCap Games and The Sims. We look back on how formidable PC gaming USED to be, shake our heads and plunk down our money so we can play releases on our consoles without having to wait for half a console generation before it appears on PC with inflated system requirements.

Captiosus

@TheIrishNinja: you tell em! Amen!

PC gaming is hurting in a big way.

SAKY

You wouldn't believe how many people come in looking for that game, and they are always pissed because we only get like one copy at a time.

Satis24

This is Nancy's 18th title. EIGHTEEN. The series is regarded as one of the best female marketed game available.

NANCY DREW PC SERIES
#18 - The Phantom of Venice
#17 - Legend of the Crystal Skull
#16 - The White Wolf of Icicle Creek
#15 - The Creature of Kapu Cave
#14 - Danger by Design
#13 - Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon
#12 - The Secret of the Old Clock
#11 - The Curse of Blackmoor Manor
#11DVD - The Curse of Blackmoor Manor DVD Game for TV
#10 - The Secret of Shadow Ranch
#9 - Danger on Deception Island
#8 - The Haunted Carousel
#7 - Ghost Dogs of Moon Lake
#6 - Secret of the Scarlet Hand
#5 - The Final Scene
#4 - Treasure in the Royal Tower
#3 - Message in a Haunted Mansion
#2 - Stay Tuned for Danger
#1 - Secrets Can Kill

If you like adventure games you'd do well to try them out as some of them are pretty decent, good even. They have consistently sold well. Sure they are not the Longest Journey, Gabriel Knight or Syberia, but definitely worthy of a number 1 slot if only for a week.

fontainne

This is actually good news!

At the risk of sounding sexist, the reality is that I doubt very highly that there's a lineup of little boys all eager to play Nancy Drew.

This means that there are more and more girl gamers starting young, if my logic holds.

Werrick

People still pay for games? Really??

PsychoticX

Wow, send in the haters. Don't you have a list topped by Wii Play you can go polish?

PositivelyGreg

@Captiosus:
It's sad, but you hit the nail on the head on each and every point. Some people are still clearly in denial.

orangedude

@Captiosus:
While PC gaming is not as strong as it used to be, you are definitely dramatizing the issue. Yes, the trend of PC to console ports is reversing, but in the end PC gets the superior product. GTAIV, Mercenaries, FF13, Fallout, Far Cry, and many other big console releases this year are coming or have come to PC. The PC version is often less money, has a superior online community, and have the freedom that is mods. Look at Mass Effect, free content and better UI, Gears of War, more levels and free online, the list goes on.

Plus, PC gaming is one of the few mediums where gaming isn't being completely dumbed down, with interesting titles like STALKER, AudioSurf, and Galactic Civilizations which you just don't get on consoles.

I own and love a 360 and Wii, but when it comes down to it I would get rid of both to keep my PC. It is just a much more fulfilling entertainment experience. Sure, it is more expensive, but the freedom it allows you is worth it.

mattmoto

Yeah, real surprising. Someone made a game for girls they actually want to play, and low and behold THEY BOUGHT IT.

Why is this a surprise?

Brendar

these sales charts could technically be considered anti-PC propaganda, lol. even if steam or D2D or whatever online distribution don't publish their numbers, at least mention that they fucking exist.

warxsnake

I think it's time to register gamerswithbirds.com.

driph

Well, at least it's not WoW or the Sims.

Pantsman

creature creator is sold in B&M stores? wow.

and lol, diablo battle chest, and all three WoW titles.

man in gauze is king ramses II, silly.