Sophomore slump?

Perhaps there is some dispute after all to the earnings potential of "UFC Undisputed 2010," the second installment in THQ's video game series based on Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the world's largest mixed martial arts promotion.

The combat-inspired video game, a sequel to their wildly successful "UFC Undisputed" release in 2009, hit store shelves on May 25 to much hype and industry fanfare. And while sales have been strong, they haven't been able to meet the lofty expectations that THQ set heading into the fiscal year.

From THQ President and CEO Brian Farrell (via The Wall Street Journal):

"UFC Undisputed 2010 is a high quality game, with a Metacritic score of 85, based on the tremendous UFC brand. Preorders were up 50% over last year and we saw strong retail and consumer demand for the title coming into launch, resulting in shipments of 2.6 million units to date. Unfortunately, total sell through to date has been below our expectations and prior-year results. We will continue to drive demand through a strong marketing campaign and by working with our partners at the UFC, including the upcoming July 4th UFC 116 event featuring our cover athlete, Brock Lesnar."

Despite positive reviews, it's possible that some fans who already purchased the 2009 version were holding off on a 2010 upgrade until some of the user feedback started popping up Online.

Or maybe some video game enthusiasts are saving their fifty-bucks for the Strikeforce-based EA Sports "MMA Live" due out later this year.

Any Maniacs out there who did (or didn't) purchase the game have some insight into the sales performance?

Let's hear your take!