Whilst everyone is going nuts over today’s release of Halo 3, how about we reign in the “most successful video game ever” hyperbole and take a walk down sales-figure lane to recall the 25 best-selling video games of all time. And before you predict H:3’s eventual place on a revised version of this list, take note of where Halo 2 already falls in sales history.

Video Gaming is a multi-billion dollar industry where over two (2) billion video game titles have been sold. Below, we examine the top twenty five best selling video games of all time including a title that sold over 20 million copies. Some of these games will surprise you. (The sales of games listed below represent independent sales of packaged games, for example packaged with Nintendo Super Mario Bros. sold 40 million copies. This list includes international sales.)

1. Pokémon Red, Blue and Green (Gameboy) - 20.08 Million Copies Sold
2. Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES) - 18 Million Copies Sold
3. The Sims (PC) - 16 Million Copies Sold
4. Nintendogs (Nintendo DS) - 14.75 Million Copies Sold
5. Pokémon Gold and Silver (Gameboy) - 14.1 Million Copies Sold
6. Super Mario Land (Gameboy) - 14 Million Copies Sold
7-tie. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (Playstation 2) - 13 Million Copies Sold
7-tie. Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire (Game Boy Advance) - 13 Million Copies Sold
7-tie. The Sims2 (PC) - 13 Million Copies Sold
10. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (Playstation 2) - 12 Million Copies Sold
11-tie. Super Mario 64 (Nintendo 64) - 11 Million Copies Sold
11-tie. Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec (Playstation 2) - 11 Million Copies Sold
11-tie. Grand Theft Auto III (Playstation 2) - 11 Million Copies Sold
14. Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen (Game Boy Advance) - 10.66 Million Copies Sold
15. New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo DS) - 10.52 Million Copies Sold
16. Gran Turismo (Playstation 1) - 10.5 Million Copies Sold
17. Pokémon Diamond and Pearl (Nintendo DS) - 10 Million Copies Sold
18. Super Mario Bros. 2 (Nintendo) - 10 Million Copies Sold
19. Final Fantasy VII (Playstation 1) - 9.8 Million Copies Sold
20. StarCraft (PC) - 9.5 Million Copies Sold
21. World of Warcraft (PC) - 9 Million Copies Sold
22. Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day! (Nintendo DS) - 8.61 Million Copies Sold
23. Gran Turismo 2 (Playstation 1) - 8.5 Million Copies Sold
24. Mario Kart 64 (Nintendo 64) - 8.47 Million Copies Sold
25-tie. Halo 2 (XBox) - 8 Million Copies Sold
25-tie. Donkey Kong Country (Super Nintendo) - 8 Million Copies Sold
25-tie. Super Mario Kart (Super Nintendo) - 8 Million Copies Sold
25-tie. GoldenEye 007 (Nintendo 64) - 8 Million Copies Sold
25-tie. Pokémon Yellow (Game Boy) - 8 Million Copies Sold

Just like PG-13 movies inherently make more money than R-rated movies–because they are accessible to a much wider audience–games that appeal to a wide age range always outsell even the most successful mature titles. Thus, until Master Chief starts tangling with Pikachu, Halo 3 will carry much more marketing heft than it does sales clout.

List via Forever Geek.

GameFly Requests Again Topped By BioShock , 360

This week's top rental charts from U.S. game rental company GameFly, representing the most requested games for the week ending August 13, highlight both to-be-released and already released games in a unique demand-specific chart.

The three most requested titles this week mirrored last week's top games, with 2K Games' upcoming underwater action shooter BioShock again leading the pack, followed by SouthPeak's Xbox 360 RPG Two Worlds and EA's seminal professional football title Madden NFL 08. While each of these titles will be released this month for the Xbox 360, the week's fourth most requested title is the upcoming Wii exclusive Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.

What follows is a break down of the top titles requested by GameFly subscribers across each of the major platforms:

Xbox 360

1. BioShock (Take Two)
2. Two Worlds (South Peak)
3. Madden NFL 08 (EA)
4. Stranglehold (Midway)
5. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 (EA).

Take Two's BioShock again ranked as the top requested Xbox 360 title this week, building on the game's much anticipated August 21 release. Other notable entires this week are Midway's Stranglehold, which ranked as the fourth most requested Xbox 360 title this week, just ahead of EA's Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08.

Nintendo Wii

1. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Nintendo)
2. Mario Strikers Charged (Nintendo)
3. Brunswick Pro Bowling (Crave)
4. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Nintendo)
5. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 (EA).

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, shipping later this month, ranked as the top requested Wii title this week, followed by the recently released Mario Strikers Charged. Like with the Xbox 360, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 rounded out the console's top five requests, while interestingly, EA's rhythm action game Boogie, just released last week, was nowhere to be found on the weekly chart.

PlayStation 3

1. Madden NFL 08 (EA)
2. Heavenly Sword (Sony)
3. Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 (Ubisoft)
4. Ninja Gaiden Sigma (Tecmo)
5. Lair (Sony).

Sony's Lair, the top requested PS3 title last week, dropped off significantly in subscriber interest this week, landing at fifth. EA's upcoming Madden release replaced the action game in the top spot, followed by Sony's own Heavenly Sword.

PlayStation 2

1. Madden NFL 08 (EA)
2. Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s (Activision)
3. Persona 3 (Atlus)
4. God of War II (Sony)
5. Transformers (Activision).

As with its next-gen cousin, EA's Madden NFL 08 also ranked as the top requested title for the PlayStation 2, followed by Activision's Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s and Atlus' niche RPG Persona 3. One again, Transformers continued to hold out as well, this week ranking as the fifth most requested PS2 title on the chart.

Xbox

1. Madden NFL 08 (EA)
2. Halo 2 (Microsoft)
3. Knights of the Old Republic II (LucasArts)
4. Ninja Gaiden Black (Tecmo)
5. NCAA Football 08 (EA).

Madden's popularity extended to the original Xbox as well, with the latest game in the series taking top honors for the week ahead of longtime favorite Halo 2. LucasArts' Knights of the Old Republic II remained a top pick in third, with EA's NCAA Football 08 falling off slightly from last week into fifth.

GameCube

1. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Nintendo)
2. Super Smash Bros. Melee (Nintendo)
3. Mario Party 7 (Nintendo)
4. Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness (Nintendo)
5. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door (Nintendo).

While last week saw a surprising drop in requests for Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, this week saw the game again take up its rightful place on top of the GameCube chart ahead of last week's top request, Super Smash Bros. Melee. Mario Kart: Double Dash also fell off dramatically from last week to ninth among overall GameCube requests, while Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door took up in the chart's fifth position.

Nintendo DS

1. Brain Age 2 (Nintendo)
2. Heroes of Mana (Square Enix)
3. Picross DS (Nintendo)
4. Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon (Natsume)
5. High School Musical: Makin' the Cut (Disney).

Nintendo's forthcoming Brain Age 2 trained its way to the top of the DS chart this week, knocking last week's top title, Square Enix's RTS Heroes of Mana, into second. Interestingly, Disney's High School Musical: Makin' the Cut, absent from last week's chart, managed to sing and dance its way onto the DS chart as the fifth most requested title for the handheld.

Game Boy Advance

1. Pokemon: Emerald (Nintendo)
2. Pokemon:Fire Red (Nintendo)
3. Pokemon: Sapphire (Nintendo)
4. Pokemon: Ruby (Nintendo)
5. Pokemon: Leaf Green (Nintendo).

The Game Boy Advance chart, still dominated by Pokemon titles, remained unchanged from last week, with Pokemon: Emerald still on top as the most requested title for the platform. However Nintendo's Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap, ranking sixth this week on the chart, threatens to break up Pokemon's lock on the chart, possibly echoing building anticipation for The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass for the Nintendo DS.

PlayStation Portable

1. Dungeons & Dragons Tactics (Atari)
2. Jeanne D'Arc (Sony)
3. Brave Story: New Traveler (Xseed)
4. Madden NFL 08 (EA)
5. Dragoneer's Aria (Koei).

Atari's upcoming Dungeons & Dragons Tactics topped all other PSP requests for the portable, followed Sony's vaguely historical Jeanne D'Arc. Last week's top title, Brave Story, dropped off this week, ranking as the third most requested PSP title overall.

"Entertainment for All Expo" (E for All) Announces Flagship Exhibitor: Nintendo of America Anchors New Consumer Show in LA

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. -- Thursday March 29, 2007 8:00 am ET -- IDG World Expo today announced that Nintendo of America has signed on as an anchor exhibitor for IDG World Expo's newest event: Entertainment for All(TM) Expo (E for All(TM)), scheduled for October 18-21, 2007, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Nintendo leads an A-list of game companies signing on for a show that is rapidly shaping up to be the premiere event in interactive entertainment.

Entertainment for All Expo (E for All) is a new event created for people who are passionate about video games and everything related. The Expo was launched in response to strong demand within the consumer audience for an opportunity to see and try new products before they reach store shelves. Event organizers anticipate its mid-October dates will launch an early and successful holiday shopping season for the industry.

"The E for All Expo supports Nintendo's mission to reach as many types of consumers as possible to expand the world of video games to new audiences," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "Our Wii and Nintendo DS systems are all about gaming for the masses, and the E for All Expo will give consumers a chance to try out the hottest new Nintendo video games."

"Nintendo's early involvement in E for All demonstrates the importance of a broad consumer-focused event for this industry," says Mary Dolaher, executive vice president of IDG World Expo. "E for All has been shaped from the ground up with all gamers in mind, and Nintendo has proven its commitment to embracing the spectrum of gamers, as we've seen with their launch of the Wii. In addition to being our flagship exhibitor, Nintendo of America Executive Vice President of Operations Don James has agreed to serve on our Exhibitor Advisory Board. I couldn't ask for a more universally respected colleague in this new venture."

E for All Expo will offer consumers the opportunity to test-drive the latest in games and gadgetry, as well as purchase products they enjoyed over the course of the 4-day event at on-site retail facilities. Additional attractions are in the works, including high-profile videogame tournaments; job fair/networking opportunities; and the acclaimed Video Games Live concert. In addition to the Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center, the event will take advantage of soon-to-be-expanded LA Live/NOKIA Theatre area directly adjacent.

E for All Expo has been endorsed by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the U.S. association exclusively dedicated to serving the business and public affairs needs of companies that publish video and computer games for video game consoles, personal computers, and the Internet. ESA members collectively account for more than 90 percent of the $7 billion in entertainment software sold in the U.S. in 2005, and billions more in export sales of U.S.-made entertainment software.

For more information about E for All Expo or to register for updates about the event, please visit www.EforAllExpo.com. Companies interested in learning more about exhibit opportunities, please contact Richard Kazarian at (508) 424-4828, or email richard_kazarian@idg.com.

About Nintendo of America

The worldwide innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii(TM), Nintendo DS(TM), Game Boy® Advance and Nintendo GameCube(TM) systems. Since 1983, Nintendo has sold nearly 2.2 billion video games and more than 387 million hardware units globally, and has created industry icons like Mario(TM), Donkey Kong®, Metroid®, Zelda(TM) and Pokemon®. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company's Web site at www.nintendo.com.

About IDG World Expo

IDG World Expo (www.idgworldexpo.com) produces tradeshows, conferences and events for professionals seeking world-class education, peer-to-peer networking and one-stop comparison shopping. IDG World Expo's portfolio of conferences and events includes Entertainment for All(TM) (E for All(TM)), Macworld Conference & Expo®, LinuxWorld Conference & Expo®, LinuxWorld® OpenSolutions Summit(TM), Next Generation Data Center(TM) (NGDC(TM)), and SaaScon(TM). IDG World Expo is a business unit of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research and event company.

About International Data Group (IDG)

International Data Group (IDG) is the world's leading technology media, events, and research company. IDG publishes more than 300 magazines and newspapers in 85 countries including CIO, CSO, Computerworld, GamePro, InfoWorld, Macworld, Network World, and PC World. IDG's online network includes more than 450 Web sites spanning business technology, consumer technology, digital entertainment and gaming worldwide. IDG's lead generation service, IDG Connect, matches technology companies with an audience of engaged, high-quality IT professionals, influencers, and decision makers.

IDG is a leading producer of more than 750 technology-related events including E for All(TM) Expo, LinuxWorld Conference & Expo, Macworld Conference & Expo, DEMO, and IDC Directions. IDC, a subsidiary of IDG, is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events. Over 850 IDC analysts in 50 countries provide global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends. Additional information about IDG, a privately held company, is available at http://www.idg.com.

Note: Product names and company names are trademarks of their respective companies.

"Gears of War," "Okami" and "Wii Sports" Lead the Recipients of The 7th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards

Indie Internet Phenomenon "Line Rider" Takes Home Award for Innovation..

SAN FRANCISCO — March 7, 2007 — Epic Games and Microsoft Game Studios’ Xbox 360 shooter Gears of War was the recipient of three honors including Best Game at the 7th annual Game Developers Choice Awards. The blockbuster hit game also received the awards for Technology and Visual Arts. Following close behind with two awards each were Clover Studios and Capcom Entertainment’s Okami and Nintendo’s Wii Sports. The ceremony, produced and hosted by the Game Developers Conference (GDC) and presented by the International Game Developers Association (IGDA), is the only peer-based, open nomination awards program in the industry where honors are bestowed to developers by developers. Recipients were announced tonight at the 2007 Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco.

“A Game Developers Choice Award is like no other award presented in our industry, as it is the only prize that gives the community the chance to appreciate and honor individual developers,” said Jamil Moledina, Executive Director of the Game Developers Conference. “By celebrating our visionaries by name, we give the audience and the public at large a chance to give credit where credit is due.”

Nominations were free of charge and open to all IGDA members, ensuring that the nominees reflect the international development community's opinions. The IGDA membership voted on the finalists.

The recipients for the 7th annual Game Developers Choice Awards are:

Best Game

Gears of War (Epic Games / Microsoft Game Studios)
- Cliff Bleszinski, Michael Capps, Rod Fergusson

Audio

Guitar Hero II (Harmonix Music Systems / RedOctane)
- Jeff Allen, Eric Brosius, Izzy Maxwell

Character Design

Ōkami (Clover Studio / Capcom Entertainment)
- Mari Shimazaki, Sawaki Takeyasu, Kenichirou Yoshimura

Game Design

Wii Sports (Nintendo)
- Keizo Ohta, Takayuki Shimamura, Yoshiaki Yamashita

Technology

Gears of War (Epic Games / Microsoft Game Studios)
- Michael Capps, Ray Davis, Tim Sweeney, Daniel Vogel

Visual Arts

Gears of War (Epic Games / Microsoft Game Studios)
- Jerry O'Flaherty, Chris Perna

Writing

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Nintendo EAD / Nintendo)
- Kyogoku Aya, Nate Bihldorff, Mitsuhiro Takano

New Studio

Iron Lore Entertainment (Titan Quest)
- Paul Chieffo, Jeff Goodsill, Brian Sullivan

Innovation

Line Rider
- Boštjan Cadež

Ōkami (Clover Studio / Capcom Entertainment)
- Atsushi Inaba, Hideki Kamiya

Wii Sports (Nintendo)
- Keizo Ohta, Takayuki Shimamura, Yoshiaki Yamashita

Recipients for the evening's special awards were:

Lifetime Achievement
Shigeru Miyamoto

First Penguin
Alexey Pajitnov

Maverick
Greg Costikyan

Community Contribution
George “The Fat Man” Sanger

"Once again, the Game Developers Choice Awards have shown that gaming greatness can be found within every type of game—from the most hardcore of experiences, to those that have brought all new audiences into our industry’s fan base," said Jason Della Rocca, Executive Director, IGDA. “Each year, I am humbled by what our members can do with this great art form.”

For more information about the awards and all the recipients, please visit: http://www.gamechoiceawards.com/