via Games Industry


Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare blasted its way to the top of the charts this week thanks in particular to a strong performance on Xbox 360, which accounted for 63 per cent of the multi-platform game's weekend sales according to Chart-Track's latest data.

THQ's WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 claimed second place, having launched on six formats including next-generation consoles. However, PlayStation 2 owners accounted for 44 per cent of its sales, demonstrating that the console still has plenty of support.

Elsewhere in the top ten, The Simpsons Game held firm at number three thanks in part to the launch of PS3 and PSP SKUs, while last week's top two - Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 and EA Sports' FIFA 08 - sank to four and five respectively as sales slowed.

Nintendo once again bucked that trend, however, as both its Brain Training titles rose up the top ten to take sixth (Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training) and seventh (More Brain Training From Dr. Kawashima) ahead of The Sims 2: Castaway (down one place), Ratatouille (down five places to nine) and Microsoft's Halo 3 (down five to ten).

Other new releases fared less well, with Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga struggling to find purchase in a busy week, managing only 17th place, while Sony will likely be disappointed that the critically acclaimed Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction - described by some as the best PS3 game to date - could only find its way to 19th in the All-Formats Chart. Worse still, it could only make it to third on the PS3's own chart, taking up position behind WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 at number two and Call of Duty 4 at one.

Activision's multi-format first-person shooter certainly won the week - thanks to releases on PC, PlayStation 3 and DS - and picked up strong review scores in the run up to launch, including a 9/10 from our sister site Eurogamer. The game marks a return to form for the series after original developer Infinity Ward reassumed control for the fourth instalment.

It recorded the 11th biggest weekly sell-through ever, according to Chart-Track, and is second only to Halo 3 in terms of Xbox 360 titles in that regard.

Whether it will hold on for a second week is hard to say though, as Nintendo (Super Mario Galaxy - Wii), Ubisoft (Assassin's Creed - PS3/360) and EA (Crysis - PC) all make extremely strong claims starting this Friday. Nintendo, in particular, will be expecting an upsurge in hardware sales as it introduces Mario to the Nintendo Wii in his most traditional guise yet - and in a game critics are describing as the spiritual successor to Super Mario 64, one of its most acclaimed games ever.

The full top ten is as follows:
1. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
2. WWE Smackdown vs RAW 2008
3. The Simpsons Game
4. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
5. FIFA 08
6. Dr Kawashima's Brain Training
7. More Brain Training from Dr Kawashima
8. The Sims 2: Castaway
9. Ratatouille
10. Halo 3 ...

via Eurogamer


Tomorrow Microsoft will release its 100th title for Live Arcade, and will celebrate with cake.

There are actually two games being crashed into our faces tomorrow - the first being tilty-roly-maze game Shrek 'n Roll. All you have to do is guide Rooney and friends around 16 puzzling courses, either on your own, co-operatively or against your chums. Shrek will be available for 800 Magic Beans (GBP 6.80 / EUR 9.30).

Following this is the self-proclaimed exciting title Screwjumper! It's a free-falling action game where you have to destroy alien mining equipment so they get fed-up and leave. There are four planets to clear up, and it will set you back 800 Moon Acres (GBP 6.80 / EUR 9.30).

As always, if you are a little bit unsure about these, just wait a couple of days for our reviews. ...

via Eurogamer


Konami says it is working on fixes for a number of issues specific to the PlayStation 3 version of Pro Evolution Soccer 2008.

Online gameplay quality, stuttering graphics and game freezes are all addressed in the latest update to the publisher's online FAQ, which also suggests some short-term solutions while they work on proper fixes.

For example, people experiencing "stuttering" are very likely "not playing the game in high definition", it says here. "The solution to this problem is to play the game on an HDTV with an HDMI or component cable and the PS3 set to output in 720p resolution or above." (Er.) Calm down though, because they are "continuing to work on finding a solution for those people who do not have access to an HDTV".

What about online gameplay? "We have uncovered issues which affect online gameplay quality of PES 2008," the FAQ says. "We are working at full strength to find a solution as quickly as possible. We sincerely apologise for this inconvenience."

Meanwhile, if you're having problems with the game freezing in the Master League or when starting a match, you're advised that these issues mainly present themselves when the game has been installed to the hard disk. In the Master League's case, a combination of auto-saving and hard disk storage causes problems, so turning off auto-save is a short-term workaround, while matches freezing up are apparently down to a mixture of hard-disk install and players with camera-customised appearance - something you can dodge by playing PES 2008 without installing the game to the hard disk. ...

via Computer and Video Games


There are fresh rumours doing the rounds this morning that a sequel to Insomniac's PS3-launch shooter, Resistance: Fall of Man will, be with us next year.

Ripten.com claims to have received info from a "trusted source" that Sony is preparing to put Resistance 2 through a major stress test in January.

Sony, of course, has yet to confirm the existence of Resistance 2, but you just know it's in the pipeline.

A rumour on the sequel appearing last month suggested that the follow-up is being tentatively prepared for launch next November, and will relocate the alien-bashing action to the States.

It even went as far as to say that the sequel will feature a cliff-hanger ending paving the way for a third game in the series. ...

via Computer and Video Games


Ubisoft has pencilled in Haze for December 14 in its latest release schedule, meaning the shooter will just manage to squeeze in amongst the Christmas rush.

It also means the game has been pushed back a month - it was originally scheduled to release in November.

Developed by Free Radical, Haze is currently exclusive to PS3, although it's widely thought that PC and Xbox 360 versions will hit next year (but this remains unconfirmed by official channels). So it might not be exclusive to PS3 for very long with the slip to December.

Anyway, it's set in a near-future where the government has outsourced military operations to private multinational corporations. You play Shane Carpenter, a soldier who works for the Mantel Corporation who has access to high-tech vehicles, kick-ass weapons and performance enhancing bio-medical support.

Free Radical director David Doak has said previously that one of the developer's key goals with the game is "to make people think" in addition to "pushing the bar with gameplay and presentation". ...

via Eurogamer


The full soundtrack for Halo 3 will be in shops later this month, which is about as surprising as doing your teeth.

Officially the US will get it on 20th November, while retailer Amazon believes we will have it on 26th November. Microsoft Europe was unavailable to comment, helpfully.

The two-hour soundtrack contains some really rather impressive music from Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori, which has been recorded by a full orchestra and voices of real people who can sing.

It is one of the most memorable scores from one of this year's biggest games, and we had a chance to talk to O'Donnell about it at the Videogames Live concert held recently as a part of the London Games Festival. ...

via Eurogamer


Gas Powered Games has revealed that Supreme Commander will be heading to Xbox 360 early next year.

It will be ported over by developer Hellbent Games and be published by Aspyr Media - the same team responsible for Guitar Hero III on PC - rather than THQ.

The 360 version will be given exclusive units, updated maps, new multiplayer modes and a revised control system and HUD. Chances are you will be as excited as us to have a machine that can do the game justice without needing an upgrade, too.

Supreme Commander is a real-time strategy game from Total Annihilation mastermind Chris Taylor. And while unashamedly hardcore and a little daunting to get used to, it raised the bar in the genre and only narrowly missed out on top marks.

Pop over to our Supreme Commander PC review from earlier in the year to find out what it is all about.

Meanwhile those of who do have powerful enough PCs should be looking forward to the standalone expansion pack Forged Alliance, which will be out on 23rd November. ...

via Games Industry


In recognition of Xbox Live's 5th anniversary, Microsoft has announced a pair of giveaways and a new download service.

Gamers who originally signed up for Xbox Live back in 2002 will be rewarded with 500 free Microsoft points.

Carcassonne, an Xbox Live Arcade game, will be made available as a free download for all worldwide (except Korea) Xbox Live users on November 15. Gamers in Korea will instead be able to download Hexic 2 for free.

As previously reported, after the December 4 dashboard update, Microsoft will make original Xbox games available for download from the Xbox Live Marketplace. Select titles include Halo, Psychonauts, Crimson Skies, and Fable and will be priced at 1,200 Microsoft points.

"In just five short years, Xbox Live has revolutionized the way friends and family have fun in the living room," said John Schappert, corporate vice president of Live, software and services at Microsoft.

"On its fifth birthday, Xbox Live truly is the place for hanging out with friends and enjoying downloadable TV shows, movies, videos, game add-ons and now downloadable Xbox games on demand."

According to Microsoft, some 8 million people are members of Xbox Live. ...

via Kotaku


Last week's decision by the NPD Group to discontinue posting monthly reports on console hardware sales didn't go over too well. The gaming press hated it because the NPD console numbers are an excellent resource. Gamers hated it because console sales numbers are an excellent source of angry, gloating forum posts. NPD PR rep David Riley was caught unawares by the backlash, but now he's back with good news.


Ah sweet, sweet console sales numbers are now ours to behold each month indefinitely, and everyone lived happily ever after. The end. ...