Ben-DutkaYou know, just because American football is arguably the most popular sport in North America (NASCAR fans will have something to say about that, we're sure), this doesn't mean the rest of the world's love affair with soccer lessens. Nope, as evidenced by the most recent Chart Track numbers, FIFA in Europe is very much like Madden here.
As of right now, FIFA 09 is already topping the selling rate of last year's effort by 37.5%, and it debuted at the very top of the sales charts for most all major platforms (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PS2, PSP). As good news for Sony, the PS3 version of FIFA 09 comprised 40% of the overall sales, which makes it the 2nd-fastest selling game on the platform in Europe, behind only Grand Theft Auto IV . Yes, this means it's selling even quicker than the masterpiece that was Metal Gear Solid IV: Guns of the Patriots , and that's no small accomplishment. The 360 version was the 3rd-fastest selling title on Microsoft's platform behind Halo 3 and Grand Theft Auto IV , and quite obviously, Europe dearly loves their soccer games. Of course, Pro Evolution Soccer 09 is the competition, but at this point, EA is basking in the glow of their success.
We have yet to see how well FIFA 09 is faring in the U.S., but we're willing to bet it's not quite as popular. Even so, EA can certainly rely on the PAL territories to make them a tremendous profit, and there's nothing wrong with that.
Related Game(s): FIFA 09
