Combined software, hardware and accessory sales dropped from $1.14 billion in January 2011 to $750.6 million, a 34% decrease.

Software sales amounted to $355.9 million with hardware coming in at $199.5 million, each representing a 38% year-on-year decrease. Accessories dropped 18% to $195.2 million.

NPD analyst Liam Callahan noted that the NPD’s figures cover only traditional retail channels, and noted a probable consumer spend of $350 million to $450 million on digital and online channels.

Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter said January 2012′s sales are lower than those of January 2004.

Software
Callahan said the percentage of sales accounted for by new releases dropped a startling 99%.

“Games like Dead Space 2, Little Big Planet 2, and DC Universe Online ranked within the top ten last year, making for a poor comparison in January ’12 where there were no major releases,” he said.

“As shoppers were not drawn to stores due to new launch activity, this potentially impacted additional software purchases made on impulse.”

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 took the number one position for the third consecutive month since it’s launch. Activision’s successes didn’t end there – surprise mega-hit Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventures continued to sell through the post-holiday lull, taking the eighth spot.

Shooter rival Battlefield 3 also maintained sales, coming in fifth, but it was The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim which proved the strongest rival to Modern Warfare 3′s crown, in second place.

3DS was under-represented, with just one exclusive entry, but beleaguered publisher THQ will be happy to see Saints Row: The Third proving a reliable meal-ticket.

The top ten best-selling games across all platforms are listed below.

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (PC, PS3, Wii, X360)
2. Just Dance 3 (Wii, X360)
3. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (PC, PS3, X360)
4. NBA 2K12 (PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, X360)
5. Battlefield 3 (PC, PS3, X360)
6. Madden NFL 12 (PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, X360)
7. Mario Kart 7 (3DS)
8. Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventures (3DS, PC, PS3, Wii, X360)
9. Zumba Fitness 2: Party Yourself (Wii)
10. Saints Row: The Third (PC, PS3, X360)

Platform Wars

Microsoft revealed that Xbox 360 shifted 270,000 units during January, a 29% decrease on December. The company claimed to hold a 49% market share on hardware sales, putting combined PS3, Wii and 3DS sales at around 280,000 – a significant drop on last year’s hardware sales, despite the addition of a new handheld.

January is the Xbox 360′s 13th consecutive month as the best-selling console in the US during January.

“Historically, after several years in the console lifecycle there is a softening of demand, but Xbox 360 continues to defy that convention. Xbox 360 has found new ways to extend the lifecycle of the console by re-imagining entertainment and delivering new technologies like Kinect for Xbox 360, a new Xbox dashboard, and new entertainment content partners in 2011,” the company said in a statement.

Microsoft claims a platform total retail spend of $301 million – the 11th consecutive month the Xbox 360 has out-performed all comers.

“In 2012, Xbox 360 will again launch blockbuster games, including additions to the famed Halo and Fable franchises. The more than 50 Xbox LIVE entertainment partners will continue to expand with many more launching this year. Xbox 360 will also launch entirely new ways to interact with favorite television shows with groundbreaking experiences like Kinect Sesame Street TV and Nat Geo TV, forever changing the way people interact with entertainment,” the company said in closing.

Sony didn’t have much to boast of this month, but it did out-perform its own expectations.

“Following a strong December at retail, PlayStation continued the momentum in January through multi-retailer promotions such as ‘Play Days’ where we saw a 2x lift over forecast in peripheral sales and solid results for the PlayStation 3,” senior corporate communication’s director Patrick Seybold said.

“February will be a landmark month for PlayStation and the gaming industry with the launch of PlayStation Vita on February 22. Pre-order sales for PS Vita and the launch lineup of 25 titles continue to accelerate as more consumers seek the ultimate in handheld gameplay.”

“Scott [Campbell, Eat, Sleep, Play co-founder] has been itching to get into iPhone and Android games for a while. I love those kinds of games, but the article that ran in Salt Lake misrepresented me by saying I wanted to do casual games,” Jaffe told Game Informer at DICE.

“I love those games, and one day I may want to make them, but I’m very interested in the browser space as well as the next-gen space. But I will be on Twisted Metal until the end of March at the moment and probably later. We’re working on patches and playing the game all the time and tuning things.”

Jaffe announced earlier this week he was leaving ESP following the completion of Twisted Metal to set up a new studio in San Diego for next-gen and browser-based core games.

He said to GI it could be as long as ten months before the new studio, its name and key staff are announced. If the new IP Jaffe is making goes to browser, he said he’d be looking at 25-40 people for the studio, but he’ll need “substantially more” if it’s next-gen.

Asked if it could go exclusive or multi-platform, Jaffe left all options open.

“Anybody who knows who I am knows who I am because of the kindness and faith of Sony. So I’m certainly loyal to that company. If they would like to have me I’d be honored and grateful to work with them,” he said.

“I’ve always been very open about being an Xbox and Nintendo fan, too. It’s more to the point about who’s the right partner. But it’s very new. The equivalent is something like just logging into my new online dating account. I just signed up. There’s nothing right now.”

Twisted Metal launches in the US next week and in Europe on March 7 for PS3.

PlayStation Plus

• The Simpsons Arcade Game
• Hungry Giraffe, Gold Medalist (minis)
• Final Fantasy V (PSone)
• The House Of The Dead III Exclusive Playstation Plus Demo
• Qore Episode 45 – February
• Catherine trial

PSN games

• Jak 3 ($14.99)
• Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy ($14.99)
• Jak II ($14.99)
• Shank 2 ($9.99)
• The Simpsons Arcade Game ($9.99)
• Gotham City Impostors ($14.99)

PS3 games

• Jak and Daxter Collection ($39.99)
• Top Spin 4 ($29.99)
• LEGO Pirates Of The Caribbean ($39.99)

Demos

• Jimmie Johnson’s Anything With An Engine Demo
• Cubixx HD Demo
• Gotham City Impostors Demo

Add-ons

• Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception Add ons (x23) ($0.49 – $5.99 each)
• Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3 – Weapon Expert Pack ($3.99)
• Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning – Finesse Bonus Pack ($2.99)
• Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning – Might Bonus Pack ($2.99)
• Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning – Sorcery Bonus Pack ($2.99)
• Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning House Of Valor (Online Pass Paid) ($9.99)
• The King Of Fighters XIII Unlock Gallery ($2.99)
• Final Fantasy XIII-­‐2 – Noel’s Outfit: Battle Attire ($2.99)
• Final Fantasy XIII-­‐2 – Opponent: Lightning & Amodar ($2.99)
• UFC Undisputed 3 -­‐ Ultimate Fights Rivals Pack (Free)
• UFC Undisputed 3 -­‐ Ultimate Fights: Submission Pack (Free)
• UFC Undisputed 3 Alistair Overeem ($0.99)
• UFC Undisputed 3 Season Pass ($16.99)
• Rocksmith – Black By Pearl Jam ($2.99)
• Rocksmith – Jeremy By Pearl Jam ($2.99)
• Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-­‐7 – 5 Spell Pack ($1.99)

Get the full list here.

The rise has been attributed to the ascension of free-to-play and social markets, which have drawn new users in through phones and browsers, Gama reports.

The report estimates that that 18 percent of all US players download games through their phones, up from 7 percent in 2008.

Games are proving very popular on tablets: 71 percent of adult owners and 79 percent of teen owners used them for games for at least one hour per month.

A whopping 80 percent of American gamers now play either free-to-play online games or Facebook games.

There’s more through the link.

As TSA reports (via GAF), Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational is $35.99, ModNation Racers: Road Trip is $26.99, Super Stardust Delta is $9.99, and Uncharted: Golden Abyss has no discount at $49.99. WipEout 2048′s is $35.99.

The games haven’t appeared on the EU PSN as yet. These downloads – aside from Uncharted – are around 10% lower than buying the physical games.

Although unconfirmed, it seems owners of Japanese Vitas can now buy and download these games as the handheld is region-free. You need to transfer them to the console via a PS3, and you’ll need a US PSN account, obviously.

Vita releases in the US and Europe on February 22.

According to the analyst firm, 56% of US households own a seventh generation gaming console. 65% are kept in the living room, although that figure rises to 75% when considering the Wii alone, and 13% in bedrooms. Up to 45% of all consoles are primed to serve as entertainment hub, being positioned in the living room and connected to the Internet; streaming entertainment usage of consoles climbed over 2010 results.

Time spent gaming is also increasing, with a 7% growth over last year. Tablets and mobiles are growing quickly, but the Wii had dropped by 22%. Nielsen said growth in gaming is being driven by increased engagement, saying more than half of all players use more than one device.

The research firm said gaming spend is largely flat compared to 2010, but what people are spending on is changing – the Xbox 360 has managed to increase its share by 10% and the digital market is up 8%. The Wii dropped 10%, while sales of both new and used packaged games had decreased by 8%.

Nielsen noted that half of all kids aged between six and 12 play on a DS, and that 39% of all US households have an iOS device. 66% of households with kids who own handheld consoles also have an iOS device. Android gaming is more popular among adults 25-34,but iPhone gaming is popular with all age groups.

Nielsen revealed the figures as part of a webinar on US gaming trends earlier today; the full presentation will be made available soon.

Thanks, Shack. [image]

“SCEA will not be offering the UMD Passport program,” a statement issued to GiantBomb advised, throwing a small bone to those with downloaded PSP games.

“U.S. consumers who already own digital versions of select PSP titles will be able to seamlessly transfer those games to their PS Vita system. What’s great for PS Vita owners is that they can enjoy PSP games with upscaled video quality that’s ideal for the system’s 5-inch OLED screen, along with controls that are optimized for its features such as the dual analog sticks,” the representative continued.

“More than 250 PSP titles (including minis) will be available at the launch of PS Vita, and hundreds of additional titles will be available post-launch.”

The lack of UMD Passport at US launch was outed by Kotaku earlier today. The apparently Japan-only scheme allowed players to register their PSP games and receive a discount on downloadable, Vita-compatible versions. No explanation was given for the omission, and no similar plan has been announced for the European launch.

The Vita goes on sale on February 22, or February 23 in Australia.

Thanks, 1UP. [image]

Thanks, Engadget.

“I can confirm that there will be a discount on the downloadable PS Vita titles from PSN,” a representative told Shack News.

“Exact details have not yet been revealed, but be on the lookout for an announcement in the very near future.”

No percentage figure has been set for the price cut on online versions, but pre-orders spotted by a NeoGaf user at BestBuy show discounts of around 10%.

Earlier rumours had a digital discount pegged at a much more substantial 40%.

In the past Sony has matched physical and digital pricing, but is making a strong push for download sales with day-and-date digital releases on Vita. The new handheld launches on February 22.

Thanks, PSN Stores.

The Twisted Metal multiplayer demo is well worth a look, especially if you’ve never tried the series before – like Eat Sleep Play always says, think of it as jousting, fighter jets, or duelling rather than racing and shooting. There are eight vehicles, all with unique weapons, and both free-for-all death match and a team mode called Nuke. Plus, for the nervous, there’s a challenge mode for getting some practice in.

Elsewhere, the Kane and Lynch games are available for download in full. Both hail from Hitman developer IO Interactive, but the second is significantly less popular. Mini Ninjas and a PSN game called Puddle are up, too, along with a Naruto game for PSP.

On the DLC side, Soul Calibur V has a number of music packs as well as the first set of add-ons for its character customisation suite; the new Dead Island pack is up; there’s a collection for Need for Speed: The Run; and you’ll find a whack of new Rock Band 3 songs.

Get the update highlights below; for new avatar and theme details, please visit the US PS Blog.

PlayStation Plus

• Full Game Trial: Madden NFL 12
• Avatars: Squirrel Avatar
  - Tank Commander Avatar
• Themes: Abstract Art Dynamic Theme

PSN Games

• Puddle ($9.99)

PS3 Full Games

• Madden NFL 12 ($29.99)
• Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days ($19.99)
• Kane & Lynch: Dead Men ($14.99)
• Mini Ninjas ($19.99)

PSP Downloadable Games

• Naruto Shippuden: UN Impact ($39.99)

Game Demos (free)

• Twisted Metal Multiplayer Demo
• Syndicate Demo
• Puddle Demo

Add-on Game Content

• LittleBigPlanet Groundhog Day Costume (Free)
• Assorted PlayStation Home Packs x 15 ($2.99 – $4.99)
• Dead Island – Ryder White ($9.99)
• Need For Speed: The Run – Italian Pack ($6.99)
• The King Of Fighters XIII Unlock Icons ($2.99)
• Soulcalibur V Customization Equipment 1 ($1.99)
• Soulcalibur V Downloadable Music 1 -10 ($0.99 each)
• Soulcalibur V Downloadable Music Pack 1 ($2.99)
• Soulcalibur V Downloadable Music Pack 2 ($2.99)
• Scene It? Movie Night Sci-Fi Movies DLC ($9.99)

Rock Band 3

• “Fat Lip” – Sum 41 ($1.99)
• “Head Over Heels” – Tears for Fears ($1.99)
• “Still Waiting” – Sum 41 ($1.99)

Rock Band Network v2.0

• “Africa” – Quartered ($1.99)
• “Against the Wall” – Ill Niño ($1.99)
• “El Monstro” – Dance for the Dying ($0.99)
• “Hysteria” – Aiden ($1.99)
• “Turn Around” – Bumblefoot ($0.99)

Updates

• Mahjong Tales: Ancient Wisdom (Sale) (PS3) (now $4.99, original price $9.99)

A demo for the 3DS version of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games is probably the top entry.

Also on the eShop and DSiWare, you’ll find three new games – Mutant Mudds, Lola’s Alphabet Train, and Flipper 2: Flush the Goldfish.

For the increasingly neglected WiiWare, there’s Newton vs. The Horde – a game which apparently requires the use of physics to get rid of a horde of ravening monsters attempting to eat all the scientists. I find many principals of physics are well demonstrated by the chainsaw, but, you know.

According to court documents filed on January 9 and obtained by MMOCulture, Bluehole has been accused of stealing software and artwork from NCsoft and using the assets in TERA. The firm developing the project is made up of former NCsoft employees who were part of the Lineage III team.

“These individuals did not leave NCsoft empty-handed or with benign intent,” the complaint states. “To the contrary, they made off with copious amounts of confidential and proprietary NCsoft information, computer software, hardware and artwork relating to Lineage III.

“Their business plan was simple and audacious: create a competing product using the very work they had done while at NCsoft, launch it themselves to great fanfare and acclaim, and, in the process, deal a crippling blow to their former employer.”

In April 2007, Seoul Metropolitan Police arrested seven former employees of NCsoft who were suspected of selling the Lineage III source code to a major Japanese game company. In 2009, the former NCsoft employees were convicted in Korea for stealing trade secrets from the company, and the majority of the convictions were upheld by an appellate court.

However, NCsoft lodged a civil complaint against the individuals and Bluehole in 2010, winning damages and had an injunction placed barring the individuals from using information gleaned. The damages were eventually overturned by an appellate court,and appeals for both the criminal and civil cased are currently pending in South Korea’s high court.

Bluehole launched TERA in Korea last year despite the ongoing legalities, and plans to launch the MMO in Europe and the US in May.

Duke Nukem Forever and Mortal Kombat have both joined the ranks of full, downloadable PS3 games, while the newest PSN-only title is Scarygirl.

A demo is available for that last one, and there’s also PixelJunk SideScroller, The Darkness II, and UFC Undisputed 3 to try.

The Gotham City Impostors beta has gone public, and there’s new DLC for LittleBigPlanet, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, and Magic 2012 – among others. On the music side, there’s a Creedence Clearwater Revival pack and singles for Rock Band 3.

The PSP gets some love this week, with two new bundles at $14.99. There’s the MotorStorm & Twisted Metal Dual Pack, and the Patapon and LocoRoco Dual Pack, which comes with my highest recommendation.

PS Plus subscribers gain access to a trial version of Mortal Kombat; free dynamic themes for Assassin’s Creed Revelations and Hitman: Absolution, contined access to the Starhawk beta and website, and 75% off the Capcom Super Pack.

Head on over to the US PS Blog for all the details.

Additionally, Gravity Rush, the gorgeous-looking adventure, is now officially expected on February 22.

Thanks, Siliconera – twice.

Thanks, Joystiq.

PIPA postponed

In a statement, Reid said he was “optimistic that we can reach a compromise in the coming weeks,” and hopes the bill’s backer, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (VT), can help resolve issues with its legislation.

“Counterfeiting and piracy cost the American economy billions of dollars and thousands of jobs each year, with the movie industry alone supporting over 2.2 million jobs,” Reid said. “We must take action to stop these illegal practices.”

On Thursday, in move which surprised some of his more liberal constituents, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (KY), encouraged Reid to postpone action on the bill, as other senators previously behind PIPA and the similar bill SOPA, dropped support.

Last week, Leahy, has said more study was needed regarding DNS blocking proposed in his bill before it went to vote. His backpedaling was due to the outpouring of protest from his constituents in Vermont.

“I and the bill’s co-sponsors have continued to hear concerns about the Domain Name provision from engineers, human rights groups, and others,” Leahy said in a statement. “I have also heard from a number of Vermonters on this important issue. I remain confident that the ISPs – including the cable industry, which is the largest association of ISPs – would not support the legislation if its enactment created the problems that opponents of this provision suggest.

“Nonetheless, this is in fact a highly technical issue, and I am prepared to recommend we give it more study before implementing it.”

The PIPA vote, originally moved to Tuesday, January 23 has yet to be rescheduled as of press time. Via Reuters.

SOPA off the table, ESA backs out

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) has also announced his panel would not proceed with pushing the SOPA bill until a compromise is reached regarding its contents.

“I have heard from the critics and I take seriously their concerns regarding proposed legislation to address the problem of online piracy,” said Smith. “It is clear that we need to revisit the approach on how best to address the problem of foreign thieves that steal and sell American inventions and products” (via BBC).

Meanwhile, the ESA has also decided to drop its support of SOPA after-the-fact, saying in a statement this afternoon: “From the beginning, ESA has been committed to the passage of balanced legislation to address the illegal theft of intellectual property found on foreign rogue sites. Although the need to address this pervasive threat to our industry’s creative investment remains, concerns have been expressed about unintended consequences stemming from the current legislative proposals.

“Accordingly, we call upon Congress, the Obama Administration, and stakeholders to refocus their energies on producing a solution that effectively balances both creative and technology interests. As an industry of innovators and creators, we understand the importance of both technological innovation and content protection and are committed to working with all parties to encourage a balanced solution.”

The ESA also supported PIPA and spent $190,000 on lobbying efforts in support of the bill in Washington.

Eurogamer reports PIPA co-sponsors, Florida senator Marco Rubio and Missouri senator Roy Blunt, have both reversed position, along with Utah senator Orrin Hatch, the Democrats’ Ben Cardin and the Republican party.

On the SOPA side, Republican house members Ben Quayle of Arizona, Dennis Ross of Florida and Lee Terry of Nebraska withdrew support.

Ars Technica reports Lamar Smith, the Texan Republican who has been a primary driving force of SOPA, has remained firm in the face of dwindling support.

“I realize some people are nervous because of misinformation about this bill, but I am confident that ultimately the facts will overcome fears,” he wrote.

“Contrary to critics’ claims, SOPA does not censor the Internet. It only targets activity that is already illegal, and only targets foreign websites that steal and sell America’s technology, inventions and products.”

Smith has indicated he is willing to address concerns over the acts intricacies, but is clearly fairly confident the central premises are in the right.

A number of developers and games media outlets went dark to protest the controversial legislation, despite the ESA’s support of both proposed acts.

RPS‘s John Walker announced last night on the site it was to join the protest today, which has seen several big websites, including Wikipedia, Mozilla and Google, take part in some form.

A message now greets users attempting to access the site, along with a video explaining the situation surrounding the SOPA and PIPA acts.

“We’re sorry if this frustrates or angers you. Really. But it’s nothing compared to what could happen were the Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect IP Act to succeed in the US,” it says on the RPS homepage.

“Under those new rules, a single errant comment left by a reader could see RPS invisible in the United States, removed from search engines, ad revenue frozen, and thus destroyed. And despite Monday’s news that SOPA is temporarily shelved, PIPA is still planned to be rushed through, and just as dangerous.”

Full service will resume tomorrow at 9.00am.

US trade publication Gamasutra has also vowed to go dark from 8.00am PST (4.00pm GMT) until 8pm PST (4.00am GMT), with EIC Kris Graft saying that, while noting the news on Monday that the vote on the SOPA and PIPA bills would be delayed until a consensus is found, both were still a “clumsy attempt” at removing copyright and trademark infringement.

“The bill is still all about internet censorship that’s akin to the kind used in countries like Iran and China. For our non-U.S. readers who think this won’t affect you, think of how much of the internet’s power lies in the U.S., and the kind of precedent this could set for other governments,” he said in a post on the site.

“SOPA is a particular threat to video game companies and their fans who partake in user-generated content, such as mods, videos and screenshots. In general, SOPA would place a chilling effect upon many ways that game companies interact with and foster their communities, and judging how the games industry has been taking its products online and worldwide for years, and positioning games as services, that’s a bad thing.”

Bargain site SavyGamer, headed by IndieGames contributor Lewie Procter, has also gone down in protest. Destructoid had already vowed last week it would also go dark.

On the game development side, the website of UK developer Just Add Water, who’ve been recently working on the Oddworld series including a PS3 release of Stranger’s Wrath, has been also taken as a stand against both SOPA and PIPA. The official Oddworld website has been pulled also in response.

As detailed earlier in the week, Sony is throwing a 12 for ’12 sale, with discounts on a round dozen flagship PSN titles.

However, for those after meatier fare, six new full PS3 games have arrived, including ICO and Shadow of the Colossus, in HD revamp format.

On the DLC side, everyone’s keen on the Uncharted 3 stuff, but there’s also loads of Dynasty Warriors 7 Xtreme Legends, some Rock Band, and even Gran Turismo 5.

Thos subscribed to PlayStation Plus can get in on the Starhawk beta, too.

See the full details below, courtesy of the US PS Blog.

PlayStation Plus
• Full Game Trials:
  - Cars 2
  - Crysis 2
  - Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas
  - Tom Clancy’s Splinter Call Double Agent
• Beta:
  - Starhawk Beta

PSN Games
• Zack Zero ($12.99)
• Amy ($9.99)

PS3 Full Games
• Shadow of the Colossus ($19.99)
• ICO ($19.99)
• Crysis 2 ($39.99)
• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas ($19.99)
• Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Double Agent ($19.99)
• Cars 2: The Video Game ($39.99)

Game Demos (free)
• Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning Demo
• Castlevania: Harmony Of Despair Demo

Add-on Game Content
• Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception Flashback Map Pack #1 ($9.99)
• Gran Turismo 5 Speed Test Course Pack ($3.99)
• Gran Turismo 5 Car Pack 3 ($5.99)
• SingStar Song Pack ($6.99)
• Everybody Dance Pack 6 ($8.99)
• Battlefield 3 Specact Kit & Dog Tag Bundle ($2.99)
• Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3 Femme Fatale Pack ($3.99)
• Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3: New Age Of Heroes Pack ($3.99)
• Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3: Villain Pack ($3.99)
• Worms 2: Armageddon Mayhem Pack (FREE)
• Saints Row The Third – Genkibowl VII ($6.99)
• Saints Row: The Third – CheapyD Pack (FREE)
• Dynasty Warriors 7 – Xtreme Stage Pack 2 ($2.99)
• Dynasty Warriors 7 – New Weapon Pack 4 ($1.99)
• Dynasty Warriors 7 – Original Costume Pack 5 ($4.99)
• Dynasty Warriors 7 Xtreme Legends – Costume Pack 3 ($0.99)
• Dynasty Warriors 7 Xtreme Legends – New Weapons Pack 2 ($0.99)
• Dynasty Warriors 7 Xtreme Legends – Xtreme Stage Pack 2 ($2.99)
• Disney Universe Jungle Book Costume Pack ($2.99)
• Disney Universe Baby Elephant Costume ($0.99)
• Disney Universe Bagheera Costume ($0.99)
• Disney Universe King Louie Costume ($0.99)
• Disney Universe Mowgli Costume ($0.99)
• Disney Universe Shere Khan Costume ($0.99)
• Rocksmith – (Don’t Fear) The Reaper By Blue Öyster Cult ($2.99)
• Rocksmith – Barracuda By Heart ($2.99)
• Rocksmith – Space Oddity By David Bowie ($2.99)

Rock Band 3
• “Any Other Heart” – Go Radio ($1.99)
• “California” – Winds of Plague ($1.99)
• “Estranger” – Vangough ($0.99)
• “Falling Away from Me” – KoRn ($1.99)
• “Frankenstein” – The Edgar Winter Group ($1.99)
• “Freak on a Leash” – KoRn ($1.99)
• “Free Ride” – The Edgar Winter Group ($1.99)
• “Pirats ‘Til We Die” – Halfbrick Studios ($0.99)
• “Torture” – Rival Sons ($1.99)

Updates
• Eufloria (Sale) (PS3) (now $6.99, original price $9.99)
• Neo Geo Station PS3 Bundle Pack (Sale) (PS3) (now $39.99, original price $79.99)
• Alpha Mission II (Sale) (PS3) (now $4.49, original price $8.99)
• Art Of Fighting (Sale) (PS3) (now $4.49, original price $8.99)
• Baseball Stars 2 (Sale) (PS3) (now $4.49, original price $8.99)
• Baseball Stars Professional (Sale) (PS3) (now $4.49, original price $8.99)
• Fatal Fury (Sale) (PS3) (now $4.49, original price $8.99)
• League Bowling (Sale) (PS3) (now $4.49, original price $8.99)
• Magician Lord (Sale) (PS3) (now $4.49, original price $8.99)
• Metal Slug (Sale) (PS3) (now $4.49, original price $8.99)
• Metal Slug 2 (Sale) (PS3) (now $4.49, original price $8.99)
• Samurai Shodown (Sale) (PS3) (now $4.49, original price $8.99)
• Shock Troopers (Sale) (PS3) (now $4.49, original price $8.99)
• Super Sidekicks (Sale) (PS3) (now $4.49, original price $8.99)
• The King Of Fighters ’94 (Sale) (PS3) (now $4.49, original price $8.99)
• The King Of Fighters ’95 (Sale) (PS3) (now $4.49, original price $8.99)
• The King Of Fighters ’96 (Sale) (PS3) (now $4.49, original price $8.99)
• World Heroes (Sale) (PS3) (now $4.49, original price $8.99)
• Dungeon Defenders (Sale) (PS3) (now $10.49, original price $14.99)
• Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection (Sale) (PS3) (now $6.99, original price $9.99)
• PixelJunk SideScroller (Sale) (PS3) (now $6.99, original price $9.99)
• Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition (Sale) (PS3) (now $10.49, original price $14.99)
• Funky Lab Rat (Sale) (PS3) (now $2.99, original price $9.99)
• Bloodrayne: Betrayal (Sale) (PS3) (now $10.49, original price $14.99)
• Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken (Sale) (PS3) (now $8.39, original price $11.99)
• Hydrophobia: Prophecy (Sale) (PS3) (now $2.99, original price $9.99)
• Cubixx HD (Sale) (PS3) (now $6.99, original price $9.99)
• Okabu (Sale) (PS3) (now $10.49, original price $14.99)
• Payday: The Heist (Sale) (PS3) (now $13.99, original price $19.99)
• Rochard (Sale) (PS3) (now $6.99, original price $9.99)
• Sideway: New York (Sale) (PS3) (now $6.99, original price $9.99)
• Gold Fever (Sale) (PS3) (now $2.49, original price $3.99)

Game Videos
• Pulse 1/17 Edition
• The Tester: Season 3 Trailer
• Bioshock Infinite – 2011 VGA Trailer
• Hyperdimension Neptunia Mk2 Trailer
• Sonic CD Launch Trailer
• Sonic CD Dev Diary Trailer

Avatars & Themes
• Silent Hill 2 Avatar Collection ($2.99)
• Silent Hill 2 Avatars (X10) ($0.49 each)
• Silent Hill 3 Avatar Collection ($2.99)
• Silent Hill 3 Avatars (X10) ($0.49 each)
• Christmas Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
• Abstract Dancer 2.0 Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
• Sci Fi: Space Flight ($2.99)
• Abstract: World At Night ($2.99)
• Abstract: Hypnotic Flower ($2.99)
• Claus Of War Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
• Bria Myles as Ms Croft Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
• Claus Of War PSP Theme ($1.99)

Modern Warfare 3 was far less popular on the digital side, but rival Battlefield 3 performed well in both realms.

While multiplatform titles appear on both lists the digital chart plays host to a number of PC-exclusives, as well as titles more strongly favoured by PC gamers than their console kin, like Crysis 2.

The retailer released both lists to Joystiq, and you can look over them below.

Physical (all platforms, collector’s editions are not included)
1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
2. Just Dance 3
3. Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
4. Battlefield 3
5. Batman: Arkham City
6. Madden NFL 12
7. Portal 2
8. Just Dance 2
9. Gears of War 3
10. FIFA Soccer 12

Digital
1. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
2. Battlefield 3
3. The Sims 3
4. Battlefield Bad Company 2
5. Sid Meir’s Civilization V
6. Dead Island
7. Total War: Shogun 2
8. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3
9. Crysis 2
10. Dragon Age 2

Thanks, GameInformer.

The 12 for ’12 sale runs between January 17 and January 23 inclusive, and offers 30% off 12 games. PS Plus subscribers actually enjoy a full 50% off.

See the full list of discounts below, courtesy of the US PS Blog.

• PixelJunk SideScroller – Regular $9.99, Sale $6.99, PS Plus $4.89
• PAYDAY: The Heist – Regular $19.99, Sale $13.99, PS Plus $9.79
• Dungeon Defenders – Regular $14.99, Sale $10.49, PS Plus $7.34
• Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection – Regular $9.99, Sale $6.99, PS Plus $4.89
• Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition – Regular $14.99, Sale $10.49, PS Plus $7.34
• Eufloria – Regular $9.99, Sale $6.99, Plus $4.89
• BloodRayne: Betrayal – Regular $14.99, Sale $10.49, PS Plus $7.34
• Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken – Regular $11.99, Sale $8.39, PS Plus $5.87
• Cubixx HD – Regular $9.99, Sale $6.99, PS Plus $4.89
• Sideway New York – Regular $9.99, Sale $6.99, PS Plus $4.89
• Rochard – Regular $9.99, Sale $6.99, PS Plus $4.89
• Okabu – Regular $14.99, Sale $10.49, PS Plus $7.34

Thanks, Shack.

The vote was expected to take place on Wednesday, but Republican House Oversight chairman Darrell Issa said over the weekend that he’d been assured by Republican majority leader Eric Cantor that a vote wouldn’t happen until a consensus was reached.

“While I remain concerned about Senate action on the Protect IP Act, I am confident that flawed legislation will not be taken up by this House,” said Issa in a statement, as reported by US political blog The Hill (via Kotaku).

“Majority Leader Cantor has assured me that we will continue to work to address outstanding concerns and work to build consensus prior to any anti-piracy legislation coming before the House for a vote.”

Over the weekend, the bill’s main sponsor, Republican Lamar Smith, made a concession over the weekend, in which it seen the component that required ISPs to block access to non-US websites accused of copyright and piracy violations.

Nvidia, Bungie, GOG.com, Runic and Razor all decried the SOPA bill over the weekend, while Mojang, Firefall developer Red 5 and Destructoid were all planning to pull their respective websites on the day of the vote in protest.

The Obama administration also said on Saturday that it wouldn’t support “legislation that reduces freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risk, or undermines the dynamic, innovative global Internet” in its present format.

New in TV for the week are episodes from Season 1 of Boardwalk Empire, 30 Rock, and more.

TV Shows

• US Store: Boardwalk Empire: Season 1, 30 Rock: Season 6, Rob: Season 1, 2012 BCS Championship Series, Roswell: Seasons 2-3, Greatest Tank Battles: Season 1, and more.

• Canada Store: Boardwalk Empire: Season 1, Roswell: Season 2-3, and more.

New Release Movies

• US Store: Paranormal Activity: The Chronology, Moneyball, What’s Your Number?, Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption, An Inconvenient Tax, Answer This!, Higher Ground, Killer Elite, Mr. Fix-It, Once Fallen, A Mile in His Shoes, and many more.

• Canada Store: Paranormal Activity: The Chronology, Moneyball, What’s Your Number?, Transfer, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, Cougar Hunting, Killer Elite, Higher Ground, The Chameleon, Brighton Rock, Answer This!, and more.

Over on the Music Unlimited section, Sony said the Best of 2011 Premium Channel will be coming down on Tuesday, so be sure to fire it up over the weekend.

Featured new releases for the week include tracks from: Yo Gotti, The Little Willies, David Crowder Band, Nightwish, Train, and more.

Hit up the US PS Blog for full updates on both.