Bookies Tip Shooters to Top Xmas

EA and Activision titles are faves.

Each year, message boards, playgrounds and office canteens overflow with one argument: Which videogame will come out on top over the Christmas season? Ladbrokes and ELSPA have announced their predictions, and despite the recent deluge of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Halo 2 hype, neither game finds itself at the top of the pile.

At the moment, the odds-on co-favourites are World War II shooter Call Of Duty: Finest Hour by Activision and EA's Bond title GoldenEye: Rogue Agent, with Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Halo 2 coming in just below at No. 2 and No. 5.

"This year promises to be incredibly exciting with many titles in real contention for the No.1 slot," said ELSPA's Roger Bennett.

Encouragingly, home-grown titles feature prominently at the bookies. This is good news for the UK development scene, which has witnessed countless closures over the last year.

"The UK industry should be especially proud of its achievements as homegrown British-developed software will account for much of this season's revenues," said Bennett.

The current favourites, according to Ladbrokes, are listed below:

4/1 (joint favourite) - Call Of Duty: Finest Hour
4/1 (joint favourite) - GoldenEye: Rogue Agent
7/1 - Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
7/1 - Need For Speed: Underground 2
8/1 - Halo 2
10/1 - FIFA 2005
10/1 - Burnout 3: Takedown
10/1 - The Getaway: Black Monday
12/1 - Tony Hawk: Underground 2
16/1 - Half Life 2
20/1 - Pro Evolution Soccer 4
20/1 - WWE: Smackdown Vs Raw
25/1 - SingStar: Party
25/1 - Prince Of Persia: The Warrior Within
33/1 - Star Wars: Battlefront
33/1 - Lord Of The Rings: The Third Age
33/1 - The Urbz
33/1 - Mortal Kombat: Deception
33/1 - Fight Club
50/1 - Miami Vice
50/1 - Football Manager 2005
50/1 - Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events
50/1 - Ratchet And Clank 3

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games