Call of Duty bookies' favourite for Christmas Number 1

Ladbrokes releases full list of hopefuls

12 December 2008 16:46 GMT / By Verity Burns

The list of games battling it out for the number one spot in the All-Format charts this Christmas has been released, and leading bookmaker Ladbrokes as Call of Duty: World at War as its favourite.

The Activision-Blizzard game, also chosen as favourite for the top spot by 56% of games retailers this week, has odds of 1/3.

The list of possible candidates spans a variety of gaming genres and caters for all age groups. It features some newcomers and some that have been hanging around the chart for the majority of the year.

There are also a few family orientated titles and social titles in the mix, including Guitar Hero World Tour, Wii Music and Wii Fit.

However according to the bookies, Call of Duty will fight it out with FIFA Soccer 09, available at 6/1 and 7/1 chance Mario Kart Wii, which has closed in from a previous price of 40/1.

The full list in order, is as follows:

Call of Duty: World at War - 1/3
FIFA Soccer 09 - 6/1
Mario Kart Wii - 7/1
Fallout 3 Bethesda - 10/1
Need for Speed Undercover - 12/1
Wii Fit - 16/1
Tomb Raider: Underworld - 16/1
Gears of War 2 - 20/1
WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2009 - 20/1
Guitar Hero World Tour - 25/1
Fable II - 25/1
Resistance 2 - 25/1
Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 - 33/1
Far Cry 2 - 40/1
Wii Play - 50/1
Quantum of Solace - 50/1
Little Big Planet - 66/1
Mirror's Edge - 66/1
Wii Music Nintendo - 66/1
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - 100/1

Michael Rawlinson, managing director of ELSPA, said: "Christmas 2008 will be yet another great year for video games and we are all dying to know which of the amazing front runners this Christmas will make it to No1.

There are, as always, a remarkable array of competitors for the number one slot and it is impossible to tell if the favourite will make it or be pipped to the post".

However Ladbrokes' spokesman, Nick Weinberg, thinks the winner is more certain than that. He said: "The battle for Christmas supremacy gets bigger and better each year. It's now a staple part of our festive betting diet. Call of Duty is the field's stand out favourite. It's going to take a monumental effort to wrest the gong from the market leader's hands".