While 
video game sales totals have been anyone’s guess for the past few years, the rankings on the video game industry’s sales charts have been fairly predictable.
Megafranchises like “Call of Duty” and “Assassin’s Creed” have been at or near the top—with family friendly “Just Dance” not too far behind when the final rankings come in. And the midyear check typically doesn’t show a lot of divergence from that pattern.
September typically 
marks the beginning of the holiday shopping season for the videogame industry. From this point through late November, publishers will release at least one potential blockbuster each week.
Holiday sales make up roughly 40 percent of the overall industry revenue—and the year’s biggest hits are born then. But as publishers prepare for the fourth-quarter battle, what better time to see what has been driving sales this year?
Perhaps more than 
any other entertainment field, video games are seasonal. While an occasional blockbuster is released in the first or second quarter, the Sept.-Dec. timeframe is when publishers really make their bank.
The last four months of the year not only make up more than half of the industry’s annual sales, but the titles released in that period can pay dividends well into the following year, as illustrated by the best-selling games of 2011 (through the end of August).
Chris Morris: Journalist 