To help narrow the focus of this analysis, Nielsen filtered the field to those titles releasing on at least one of the three major consoles (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii) during the timeframe of late August to late November. This year’s list underscores the various interests of gamers—as well as the strength of video game brands. All but one of the Top 20 titles stem from a franchise, with brands such as Madden NFL and The Legend of Zelda dating back more than 20 years. Deep Silver’s Dead Island represents the lone new IP included on this year’s list.

Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, an expected juggernaut for this holiday season, is desired by more than one quarter (27%) of active gamers. Microsoft’s Gears of War 3 and EA’s Madden NFL 12 follow closely behind; both titles were selected by nearly one out of every five (19%) active gamers. Apart from Gears of War 3 for Xbox 360, other platform exclusives expected to resonate strongly with consumers in the coming months include Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for Wii and Sony’s Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception for PS3.

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 - 27 percent
2. Gears of War 3 - 19 percent
3. Madden NFL 12 - 19 percent
4. Assassin's Creed: Revelations - 17 percent
5. Batman: Arkham City - 15 percent
6. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - 14 percent
7. Battlefield 3 - 12 percent
8. Just Dance 3 - 12 percent
9. NBA 2K12 --9 percent
10. Need for Speed: The Run - 9 percent
11. Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception - 9 percent
12. Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games - 8 percent
13. Lego Harry Potter: Years 5-7 - 8 percent
14. FIFA Soccer 12 - 8 percent
15. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - 8 percent
16. Dead Island - 7 percent
17. Kinect Sports: Season 2 - 6 percent
18. Resistance 3 - 4 percent
19. Dance Central 2 - 4 percent
20. Deus Ex: Human Revolution - 3 percent