This seems pretty stupid to me, why on earth are they doing this? from the guardian (who hate the new album btw):
Resident Evil 5 outsold every item in the UK Singles Chart (Based on physical and digital sales of UK Top 200)
Resident Evil 5 outsold U2's chart-topping new album's total sales since release in one weekend (in the UK)
Resident Evil 5 grossed more than the top five movies in the UK this weekend - combined (Source: IMDB.com)
So what does all this mean?
It's an interesting situation really, as the game has come in for a certain amount of criticism on forums and throughout the specialist press. There is, after all, little real sense of progression from Resident Evil 4, either in terms of the structure or the unwieldy control system. Of course, the visuals are stunning, but the Majini are Los Ganados with a different ethnic background and some motorcycle riding skills; the end-of-level bosses are the same old mutating freaks, with briefly emerging weakspots; the story is recognisable pulp conspiracy gumph, with the odd 'surprise' character return. It is the very definition of formulaic.
And yet many of us are still enthralled. By contrast, compare Resident Evil with another big franchise that kicked off in 1996, Tomb Raider. It was in that game's fifth installment that the public started to lose interest; the never-changing concept of a sexy archeologist leaping about in grotty tombs seemed stretched and tired. I suppose the difference is, Tomb Raider Chronicles was a really mediocre game, slovenly wallowing in the successes of the past without coming close to replicating them. Resi 5 might not push the envenlope but, hell, at least it knows what's inside it.
Of course, there are external factors influencing the comparative success of the game. The U2 album is poor, current movies aren't amazing, and ultimately, both of those media are more convenient to illegally download than games. And as for rival game releases, it's March, for heaven's sake, not much else is out. Wii Fit and Professor Layton are still skulking about in the top five, accompanied by H.A.W.X, a new flight combat sim, and Killzone 2, a PS3 exclusive. At the same time, we have an economic climate in which people are looking for value in their entertainment purchases. Although there's no multiplayer in the boxed Resi 5 (another issue entirely), there's a good twenty hours of single-player/co-op enjoyment - and that's if you're really fast and miss lots of secret stuff.
Resident Evil 5 outsold every item in the UK Singles Chart (Based on physical and digital sales of UK Top 200)
Resident Evil 5 outsold U2's chart-topping new album's total sales since release in one weekend (in the UK)
Resident Evil 5 grossed more than the top five movies in the UK this weekend - combined (Source: IMDB.com)
So what does all this mean?
It's an interesting situation really, as the game has come in for a certain amount of criticism on forums and throughout the specialist press. There is, after all, little real sense of progression from Resident Evil 4, either in terms of the structure or the unwieldy control system. Of course, the visuals are stunning, but the Majini are Los Ganados with a different ethnic background and some motorcycle riding skills; the end-of-level bosses are the same old mutating freaks, with briefly emerging weakspots; the story is recognisable pulp conspiracy gumph, with the odd 'surprise' character return. It is the very definition of formulaic.
And yet many of us are still enthralled. By contrast, compare Resident Evil with another big franchise that kicked off in 1996, Tomb Raider. It was in that game's fifth installment that the public started to lose interest; the never-changing concept of a sexy archeologist leaping about in grotty tombs seemed stretched and tired. I suppose the difference is, Tomb Raider Chronicles was a really mediocre game, slovenly wallowing in the successes of the past without coming close to replicating them. Resi 5 might not push the envenlope but, hell, at least it knows what's inside it.
Of course, there are external factors influencing the comparative success of the game. The U2 album is poor, current movies aren't amazing, and ultimately, both of those media are more convenient to illegally download than games. And as for rival game releases, it's March, for heaven's sake, not much else is out. Wii Fit and Professor Layton are still skulking about in the top five, accompanied by H.A.W.X, a new flight combat sim, and Killzone 2, a PS3 exclusive. At the same time, we have an economic climate in which people are looking for value in their entertainment purchases. Although there's no multiplayer in the boxed Resi 5 (another issue entirely), there's a good twenty hours of single-player/co-op enjoyment - and that's if you're really fast and miss lots of secret stuff.
