While we won't know the #1 holiday title in the US until next month, in the UK, the race is already over. They have a winner. And that winner is, for once, a deserved one.
With usual contender Need for Speed dropping off the pace this year following a sub-par release, and Pro Evo 2009 serving only as evidence of Konami's fear of change, the battle came down to Call of Duty: World at War and FIFA 09. A battle from which FIFA 09 emerged the victor.
The team at EA Canada have made huge strides in recent years towards plugging the quality gap between themselves and Pro Evo, and this year finally saw them overtake Konami's franchise in both the punter's and, more importantly, the critic's eyes, so the win - their sixth in eight years - is, for once, a just one.
The full holiday charts, tracking the best-selling games in the lead-up to Christmas, are below:
1. FIFA 09
2. Call of Duty: World at War
3. Mario Kart Wii
4. Need For Speed Undercover
5. Dr Kawashima's Brain Training
6. Wii Play
7. Quantum of Solace
8. Professor Layton and the Curious Village
9. Tomb Raider Underworld
10. Wii Fit