To judge by the chart positions below, probably not. It’s absolutely no surprise to see MW2 take the top two positions, and no surprise to see the 360 version outsell the PS3, and even less of a surprise to see the PC version in there as well.

However, what we don’t know is exact numbers. We’re still waiting on Activision to release their launch sales figures for Australia, as they’ve already done for the US and the UK.

Expect to see New Super Mario Bros., Wii Fit Plus and Wii Cricket continue to hang around the top of the chart all summer.

Next week should be interesting. Will Modern Warfare 2 hang on against Assassin’s Creed II?

All Format Full-Priced Games Top 10 for the w/e November 15:

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (360)
2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PS3)
3. New Super Mario Bros. (Wii)
4. Wii Cricket (Wii)
5. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PC)
6. Wii Fit Plus (Wii)
7. Mario & Sonic at the Winter Olympic Games (Wii)
8. Forza Motorsport 3 (360)
9. Bakugan (DS)
10. Wii Play (Wii)

Can’t say we can remember the last time a single game got its own store. Actually, it’s rare a game company gets its own store, so a one-title shop is just bananas.

There’s a catch, though; both stores are only open for a limited time, with the shutters coming down on December 14.

[Image: Gary Whitta @ NeoGAF]

While we’ve touched briefly on the performance of two titles not making the top 10, let’s look at the other nine. Yes, nine, because DJ Hero’s sales were so dismal (it’s best-performing SKU being the 360 version, with 62,000 sold) that it couldn’t even make the top 20.

So, without further ado, here are October’s almost-there games.

11. Demon’s Souls (PS3, Atlus)
12. Brutal Legend (360, Electronic Arts)
13. FIFA Soccer 10 (PS3, Electronic Arts)
14. Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story (DS, Nintendo)
15. WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw 2010 (360, THQ)
16. Tekken 6 (PS3, Namco Bandai)
17. Borderlands (PS3, Take 2)
18. Madden NFL 10 (360, Electronic Arts)
19. Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers Of Sky (DS, Nintendo)
20. Mario Kart Wii / Wheel (Wii, Nintendo)

Well played, Demon’s Souls! And well played FIFA (the 360 version was #10), showing that maybe, just maybe, Americans are coming around.

Music Games Aren’t Dead, Just Waiting to Be Reborn [Wired]

Take this one, for example. It’s been put together by The Business Insider, and charts the decline in video game sales since 2007. As it says, it’s based on a year-to-year percentage change, so a dip means the industry was down on where it was at the same point the year before.

CHART OF THE DAY: Video Game Industry Not So Recession Proof After All [TBI, via 1UP]

The museum was erected just outside Nintendo’s store in Rockfeller centre, a few metres from the Today Show Studios and pretty much on the spot where people stand and yell for Al Roker most weekday mornings.

There was no Roker today, but there was Trinen and Ellis, providing the following tour. We shot this just before the museum opened to Nintendo fans. Attendees were able to buy New Super Mario Bros. Wii at the store today and enter a tournament featuring the game.

A storm was picking up as we began:

Explaining the move, GameStop COO Paul Raines told Reuters “A large market for full game downloads is not imminent, (but) the add-on downloadable market will grow”.

Here’s how they figure they can help cash in. Backed by both Microsoft and Sony (no word on Nintendo as of yet), this isn’t some fancy scheme where you can buy DLC on a disc. You’re buying it from GameStop, then when you get home, you still have to download it. Saving you from having to do…

GameStop to sell digital game downloads [Reuters]

Brutal Legend managed to move 215,000 copies when you combine the figures from PS3 and 360. For a game with a niche appeal, that’s not too bad. But for a game that had Jack Black popping up every five seconds to promote it… yeah, maybe EA were hoping for a little more.

It’s a veritable Modern Warfare 2 when you compare it to DJ Hero, however, which only sold 122,300 units. Across four platforms. Yes, it was only on sale for five days in October (still a long enough time to pick up decent numbers), but this was Activision’s first crack at their own “Hero” game. It had an expensive marketing campaign, and was backed by heavyweights like Daft Punk, Jay-Z and DJ Shadow.

Then again, maybe that was the problem. My distaste for the game has always been down to its scattershot approach to its soundtrack: a little hip-hop here, a little electronica there, some dance, all meeting over some ill-advised pop remixes… it’s a mess. Perhaps it would have been better served picking, say, hip-hop and just running with that, so it was a must-have for at least one market.

That or not being $US120. Or making its song downloads $US3. Those might have helped, too.

Wonder if it’ll do any better in November…

Anyway, here’s the platform breakdown for those interested, courtesy of GameSpot:

Brutal Legend (360) – 150,000 units
Brutal Legend (PS3) – 66,000 units
DJ Hero (360) – 62,000 units
DJ Hero (PS3) – 39,000 units
DJ Hero (Wii) – 19,000 units
DJ Hero (PS2) – 3300 units

Brutal Legend sells 216K, DJ Hero 123K [GameSpot]

Rabbids Go Home, the nonsense platformer where our heroes collect junk to build a tower (of babble?) to the moon, leaps in at #4. It completes a quartet of Wii titles at the top of the chart. Perennials Mario Kart and Wii Fit take the top slots, while the rejigged Ashes Cricket bats at first drop.

Hey, where did Uncharted 2 go?

All Format Full-Priced Games Top 10 for the w/e November 8:

1. Mario Kart (Wii)
2. Wii Fit Plus (Wii)
3. Wii Cricket (Wii)
4. Rabbids Go Home (Wii)
5. Forza Motorsport 3 (360)
6. Tekken 6 (PS3)
7. Episodes From Liberty City (360)
8. Wii Sports Resort (Wii)
9. Mario & Sonic at the Winter Olympic Games (DS)
10. Wii Play (Wii)

You’ll see Wii Fit and Wii Sports Resort up there, which is awful swell of them, but if the 360 and PS3 versions of MW2 aren’t sitting in their spots next week I’ll eat whatever hat you put in front of me. Nacho, beret, bowler, doesn’t matter.

Matter of fact, FM2010 in third place is probably also in danger, what with MW2 also shipping on PC. I know, the British charts aren’t normally very PC-friendly (aside from, you know…FM2010), but if ever a PC game was going to crack it, it’s going to be this one.

Yes, while anyone buying a boxed copy of Modern Warfare 2 on PC had only to wait until November 10 (i.e. now) to play the game they already own, if you’ve pre-purchased the game over Valve’s Steam service, you have to wait a little longer.

Despite both games employing Steam as a means of DRM — hence the lockout — Valve confirmed with Kotaku today that customers purchasing a copy of the game over the same system allowing retail buyers to play on the 10th have to wait an extra two days until Thursday, November 12. In Valve’s own words:

Those who purchase the retail copy will be able to activate and play the game on November 10 via Steam.

Those who purchase on Steam will be able to activate and play on November 12.

We asked “uh, why?” and have yet to hear back from Valve, though we suspect it may have something to do with avoiding the rush. We’ll update if we hear anything more.