Ladbrokes and ELSPA Announce Their Xmas List News

Itâ??s that time of year when people start preparing for Christmas (if youâ??re a supermarket, youâ??ve been preparing for at least two months already), and the final push for Christmas supremacy in the videogames charts is well underway with the unveiling of the leading contenders according to ELSPA and bookmakers, Ladbrokes.

The list is:

• 4/1 (joint favourite) - Call of Duty: Finest Hour
• 4/1 (joint favourite) - GoldenEye: Rogue Agent
• 7/1 - GTA: 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

  Announcing the list Roger Bennett, Director General of ELSPA, commented that "This year promises to be incredibly exciting with many titles in real contention for the No.1 slot...But it also looks certain that record books will need to be re-written once again as all the expectations are that the industry will enjoy a truly bumper festive season. Projected revenues for the period firmly establish video games above both music and film, putting games and consoles at the top of Christmas wish lists up and down the country. The UK industry should be especially proud of its achievements as homegrown British-developed software will account for much of this season's revenues."

  David McMorrow, Ladbrokes Marketing Manager said: "We are absolutely thrilled to be associated once again with ELSPA and the official computer and video game number one. Last year's winner took some people by surprise and it was not even considered a dead cert or even a favourite early on. This year, with such a hotly contested leader board already, and the potential for outsiders to break ahead of the pack, it really is all to play for. Industry pundits may wish to add a crystal ball to their wish lists!"

  With just under 6 weeks to go until the big day, the race for UK number 1 is certain to be a close one with any of the top titles able to win.

  Weâ??ll have more news shortlyâ?¦