01/05/2008 by swordfish.

“Grand Theft Auto IV”, the gangster-themed computer game that earned both critical claim and strong criticism, broke first day sales records in Britain, according to an industry body’s initial estimates on Thursday.

The Entertainment Retailers Association, which represents 5,000 stores selling games, music and films, said the game sold about 609,000 copies on Tuesday.

That beats the previous record held by an earlier title in the same series, “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas”, which sold 501,000 copies on October 29, 2004.

“The past 24 hours have been like it’s Christmas all over again for our members,” ERA Director Kim Bayley said in a statement. “GTA IV is a phenomenon.”

Its release was one of the most hotly anticipated in the gaming world in years. Fans queued outside shops around the world to be the among the first to get a copy.

The ERA said the 40-pound game had eclipsed big releases in the film and music industry.

Source: Yahoo News

Return to the main QBS site

Posted in Xbox, PC Games, Software | Print | 1 Comment »

28/04/2008 by swordfish.

Highly-anticipated video game Grand Theft Auto (GTA) IV has received a string of near-perfect reviews ahead of its worldwide release on Tuesday.

The game is expected to break records for the fastest-selling game of all time and many shops are opening their doors at midnight for gamers.

The game has been classified as 18 in the UK and Mature for US gamers.

In the US, regulators have reminded parents that the title is not designed for children under 17 years old.

Source: BBC Technology

Return to the main QBS site

Posted in PC Games, Software | Print | 1 Comment »

10/03/2008 by swordfish.

Microsoft Corp cut the prices of its Xbox 360 video game console in Europe by up to 28 percent on Monday to try to spur sales in a key battleground in the fast-growing industry.

The 80-euro decrease results in cuts of 18 percent to 28 percent across the three Xbox 360 models, bringing the cheapest Arcade version to 200 euros (152 pounds) and the high-end Elite to 370 euros (282 pounds). Prices reductions in Britain range from 20 pounds to 50 pounds.

“Xbox 360 is now mass market in Europe,” Chris Lewis, vice president of Microsoft’s interactive entertainment business in Europe, said in a statement.

Source: Yahoo News

Return to the main QBS site

Posted in PC Games, Software, Microsoft | Print | 2 Comments »

14/02/2008 by swordfish.

I came across a great description of the fourth level of the Tomb Raider Underworld game currently being developed by Crystal Dynamics for a hoped for launch in December 2008.

This is a written preview with static in game views but well worth a read. The brand new weather system will certainly make a great improvement to the look and feel of the game.

Source: Planet Lara

Return to the main QBS site

Posted in PC Games, Software | Print | No Comments »

28/01/2008 by swordfish.

First-person-shooter Call of Duty 4 was last year’s biggest selling game, according to sales figures.

It has sold more than seven million units since its launch in November, says its publisher Activision. The claim is based on sales figures from research firms The NPD Group, Chart Track and The GFK Group.

The game was just one of a raft of high profile releases in 2007 including the third instalment of the Halo series for the Xbox 360.

Source: BBC Technology News

Return to the main QBS site

Posted in PC Games, Software, Technology News | Print | 1 Comment »

10/01/2008 by swordfish.

Eidos has officially announced Tomb Raider Underworld during the Company’s interim trading statement.

“Following a review of our 2008 platform and product line up, we have decided to move the release date of 4 titles into the 4th calendar quarter. The most significant of these titles is the next Tomb Raider game, Tomb Raider: Underworld, which we are now scheduling to launch on 6 platforms simultaneously during the Christmas season as opposed to the previously planned 3 platforms (PC, PS3 and Xbox 360) in June.

Return to the main QBS site

Posted in PC Games, XP, Vista | Print | No Comments »