Compared to the same week last year, sales over Christmas were up nearly ten per cent by units and nearly five per cent by value. The rise on the week before Christmas was even starker, with unit and value sales improving by over 30 per cent.

Meanwhile, EA is celebrating its most successful year in the UK chart for the 26th time this year.

Despite its dominance over Christmas, FIFA 07 was beaten by EA’s own Need for Speed: Carbon, with the racer shunting the football title into second place.

Elsewhere in the Top Ten, Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer 6 claims third place ahead, of Activision’s Call of Duty 3 in fourth. EA’s The Sims 2: Pets is at five, with THQ’s WWE Smackdown vs Raw in sixth place and Midway’s Happy Feet in seventh.

Nintendo’s ever popular Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training climbs three places to claim eighth spot ahead of Microsoft’s Xbox 360 shooter Gears of War which falls two places to ninth. LucasArts’ Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy claims the final Top Ten position.

Many Wii titles see a slight resurgence this week as hardware continues to hit the High Street. Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess climbs one place to 11th whilst Ubisoft’s Rayman Raving Rabbids and Red Steel re-enter the Top 40 in 32nd and 34th.

MCV will be publishing a full analysis of the Christmas market in its next issue, out on January 12th.