Number one. This week. It’s Halo 3. Who’d have thought it?

Yep, Halo 3 has surprised precisely nobody by launching straight in at the top of the all formats/full price charts – with a hail of bullets and, erm, Spartan Laser fire or something.

Well, with sales already topping $170 million across the pond and likely doing pretty darned good over here too it was not exactly unexpected, was it. That said, we did hear a whisper earlier on today that Halo 3 would be denied its crown by FIFA 08, which is this week’s new number two. In terms of its chart position, we mean. Anyway it did not come to pass, thanks, in no small part, to the untold billions Microsoft has spent ensuring just such a thing.

Aside from that piece of minor excitement, then, the rest of the top ten is looking in remarkably fine fettle, featuring five brand new entries. And not a duffer amongst ‘em either. Viddy well, my droogs:

1. Halo 3 (NE)
2. FIFA 08 (NE)
3. MySims (2)
4. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 (1)
5. Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights (NE)
6. Sega Rally (NE)
7. Super Paper Mario (3)
8. Transformers: The Game
9. Skate (NE)
10. Stuntman: Ignition (12)

So FIFA is denied, but we should think its time will come soon enough – and then it’ll last for a further 26 weeks, or whatever it was, just like last year.

There are few other shocks outside the top ten, with just five new entries to report – Quake Wars: Enemy Territory at 13, Ratatouille at 28, Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts at 30, Formula 1: Championship Edition at 39 and Conan making a not especially sparkling debut at 40. The big loser of the week is Heavenly Sword, which plummets a startling 19 places from eight to 27. Hmmm, so much for the PS3 selling as well as the Xbox 360, eh...!

Leisure software charts compiled by Chart Track, © 2007 ELSPA Ltd.