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Though executives at the publisher routinely discuss the diminishing importance of physical sales numbers, EA nevertheless managed to sell more discs last year than its closest rival Activision.

Boosting its performance in the UK was the record-breaking sales of FIFA 13, which on a global scale sold 4.5 million copies worldwide in five days. The footy sim was heralded as the "biggest sports videogame launch of all-time" and had sold through 2 million units some two weeks faster than its predecessor.

Other 2012 releases, such as Mass Effect 3 and Need for Speed: Most Wanted, helped push total disc sales beyond Activision, which came in second place.

The GfK Chart-Track data, as cited on MCV, put Ubisoft in third-place.

Unit sales don't necessarily translate to higher revenue or profit margins overall. In the past year, Electronic Arts' share price has fallen from $20.53 to $14.74.

2012's TOP BOXED GAMES PUBLISHERS

1. EA
2. Activision
3. Ubisoft
4. Nintendo
5. Microsoft
6. Sega
7. Warner Bros
8. Take-Two
9. THQ
10. Square Enix