Tracking firm Nielsen has put together its Top 20 Games To Watch, saying that a survey of desire for upcoming titles puts Activision's Modern Warfare 3 at the top of the list. According to Nielsen, 27 percent of respondents placed the game in their top 5 games they hoped to get in the next few months. This put the Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games-produced title well ahead of the second and third-place Gears of War 3 and Madden NFL 12, both at 19 percent. As Nielsen points out, only one game on its list of twenty -- Deep Silver's Dead Island -- is a new IP, with the remaining 19 being either sequels or continuations of existing game franchises. The online survey was conducted between August 21 and September 17 between Nielsen and 5,000 of what the company described as "active gamers." Also popular on the list were Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed: Revelations (17 percent), Warner Bros.' Batman: Arkham City (15 percent) and Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (14 percent). The full list, courtesy Nielsen, follows. Note that key elements of online conversations were assessed and provided by NM Incite:
Title | Genre | Platforms | Publisher | % Choosing as Top 5 | Key Elements of Online Conversations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 | Shooter | 360, PS3, Wii, PC | Activision | 27% | upcoming launch parties, changes in the new game, ‘darker mood’, hardened version vs standard |
Gears of War 3 | Shooter | 360 | Microsoft Game Studios | 19% | high anticipation for launch, best prices at retailers, sharing info on codes and downloads |
Madden NFL 12 | Sports (Simulated) | 360, PS3, Wii, PSP | Electronic Arts | 19% | challenge matches, calling in sick in order to play |
Assassin’s Creed: Revelations | Action / Adv | 360, PS3, PC | Ubisoft | 17% | downloadable previews, multi-player functionality |
Batman: Arkham City | Action / Adv | 360, PS3, PC | Warner Bros Interactive | 15% | new villains in the game |
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword | Action / Adv | Wii | Nintendo | 14% | nostalgia for series brings back ‘old school’ gamers, similar feel to Ocarina Of Time |
Battlefield 3 | Shooter | 360, PS3, PC | Electronic Arts | 12% | many feel this title is superior to competing titles in the genre, differences in game performance by platform |
Just Dance 3 | Music / Rhythm | 360, PS3, Wii | Ubisoft | 12% | excitement for new tracks announced |
NBA 2K12 | Sports (Simulated) | 360, PS3, Wii, PC, PSP | 2K Interactive | 9% | online demos, discussions of how to adjust schedule to allow more time to play |
Need for Speed: The Run | Racing / Driving | 360, PS3, Wii, PC, 3DS | Electronic Arts | 9% | exclusive Porsche models in the game, anticipation as a holiday gift |
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception | Action / Adv | PS3 | Sony Computer Entertainment | 9% | high expectations of this title being even better than the previous iterations |
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games | Sports (Arcade) | Wii, 3DS | SEGA | 8% | gaming experts mention this title alongside other titles announced at the 3DS conference |
LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 | Action / Adv | 360, PS3, Wii, PC, PSP, DS, 3DS | Warner Bros Interactive | 8% | sharing previews and speculation on the upcoming game |
FIFA Soccer 12 | Sports (Simulated) | 360, PS3, Wii, PC, PSP, DS, 3DS | Electronic Arts | 8% | FIFA vs Madden, desires for more pro and career mode options in the new release |
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim | RPG | 360, PS3, PC | Bethesda Softworks | 8% | M rating / graphic nature not a deterrent, daily countdown until release |
Dead Island | Action / Adv |
