'Murder game' is making a killing

Published on Thursday 11 November 2004 13:37

A CONTROVERSIAL video game developed by a city company and described by critics as a "murder simulator" has become the fastest-selling title to hit the shelves in the UK.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas has sold more than a million units in Britain alone in its first nine days on sale.

The phenomenal sales of the game, developed by Edinburgh-based Rockstar North, are likely to have been repeated around the world, where retailers have reported massive interest in the game.

The hype for the launch at the end of last month was so great that stores including Game and HMV opened their doors at midnight to allow hundreds of eager gamers the chance to get their hands on it as soon as possible.

James Macpherson, owner of independent store Games and Movies on Dalry Road, said demand for the game had been so great he was finding it difficult to get copies for his shop.

"The initial 75 copies I had ordered in were sold almost straightaway and since then I have just been trying to keep up with demand," he said.

"Every time I get more copies they go almost straight away. I’m sure it will get easier when the hype dies down but it is such a massive game that it is not surprising there is this kind of demand."

Ryan Frampton, owner of the Chips store on Nicholson Street, described sales as "blistering" and said: "We sold out on day one and since then it has been constant struggle to keep stock in.

"As soon as copies of the game come in they are sold and I think it will only get worse the closer we get to Christmas. We have sold well over 200 copies so far, which for the size of store we are is a lot."

Gennaro Castaldo, a spokesman for HMV, said:

"The games industry has fewer blockbuster releases than the film industry so when a follow-up to a popular game is released it can have a huge built-in following.

"This game has become something of a cult and it is probably a bigger franchise now than Tomb Raider ever was. For months before its release it was all over internet chatrooms so it is clear that the expectation was huge."

The sprawling interactive tale of gang life in three fictional American cities, featuring drug dealers, pimps and drive-by killings, received rave reviews from industry magazines and UK newspapers on its release.

And its popularity has seen the official guide, which gives players tips to finishing the game, reach 39 on the UK bestseller lists.

Roger Bennett, director general of Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association, said it was great to see a product developed in Britain dominating such a huge global market.

"This is a magnificent achievement and the sales equate to a staggering estimated value of more than 35 million," he said.

The entire Grand Theft Auto series has been a phenomenal success worldwide, generating sales of more three and half million units in the UK alone.

The high sales have come despite the game’s 18 rating and the fact its code was released on the internet by hackers days before its launch. . The code allows it to be downloaded and played on modified PlayStation 2 consoles.

In the US, however, where exit polls at the recent presidential election showed moral values to be the number one issue with US voters, it continues to attract controversy.

Two Florida lawyers, who linked the game’s predecessors with murder and violent crimes, have launched a lawsuit stopping the sale of the game to minors.

Attorneys Ray Reiser and Jack Thompson claim selling Grand Theft Auto to children under 18 already violates laws in 48 states.

Games retailers have said they operate by the industry guidelines and do not sell to youngsters, but the two lawyers want this loose arrangement to be made law.

Released in 1997, the original Grand Theft Auto was a runaway global success and generated sales of 400 million worldwide.

As in previous games, players of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas can carry out drive-by killings, pick up prostitutes and murder pedestrians. And they can now rob banks, houses and pedestrians.

In the game, the player’s virtual character has to eat to survive. But if he eats too much junk food, he will become fat, slow and useless.