Ubisoft has a monster hit on their hands, kids. Just Dance has topped the UK charts this week, becoming the company's fastest-selling Wii title. Only a few weeks, ago, Ubisoft was planning to shift their focus to Microsoft and Sony, citing disappointing sales. Now they are burning up the charts with one of the hottest video game of the season.
In addition, Just Dance reached #1 on the weekly Amazon charts in the US and the UK. The game has steadily climbed the charts since its late-November release, which is a genuine rarity in this business; with the exception of Nintendo's evergreen titles, most games sell big in their first weeks and then sharply drop off (much like mainstream movies).
If you want to see the enthusiasm generated over Just Dance, just read through the Amazon Customer Reviews. This is the sort of dedication you typically see with Nintendo's stelllar first-party titles. This really is the ultimate party game; endlessly fun, physically challenging, always good for a laugh, always inspiring one more round to win those elusive crowns.
This is a genuine Long Tail success, and at this point, I say the sky's the limit. I always felt way; Just Dance has that perfect mix of style and substance. It feels new, inventive, and everybody wants to give it a go. If Ubisoft is wise and patient enough not to rush out sequels too early (the Wii market is very hostile to yearly sequels), they will have the evergreen blockbuster currently enjoyed by Nintendo. The implications for third-party publishers are enormous. Stay tuned.
Update: Is it telling that Just Dance knocked Modern Warfare 2 from its nine-week run at #1? Very interesting. That's an attention-grabbing headline if there ever was one.
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