'Modern Warfare 2' game breaks records

SALES OF a video game expected to become the biggest-selling title began early yesterday.

Thousands of shops around the world opened at midnight to begin selling combat game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

In Ireland, some 30 Gamestop shops opened at midnight on Monday, with queues at some stores having formed since that morning. The game has generated the largest orders even seen for a game and so far sales have been “breaking all records”, said Michael Finucane, commercial director of Gamestop Ireland.

“We are selling games for over 15 years and this is the biggest demand we have ever seen, double the next biggest,” he said.

HMV also opened its Grafton Street store in Dublin at midnight and about 140 of its stores in the UK. It expects the game to become the fastest-selling title in UK games history, with one million copies sold in the first week.

This compares with record-holder Grand Theft Auto IVwhich sold 800,000 copies in its first week last April, HMV said.

The cost of the game in Ireland varies from €38 to €159 for a limited edition title. It is available for XBox, Playstation 3 and Windows.

“The appeal of the game is its high graphics and an online element which adds to its longevity,” Mr Finucane said.

The game is the sixth instalment in the “Call of Duty” franchise. Players portray soldiers hunting targets in South America, Russia, Kazakhstan and Afghanistan. It has been criticised as being too violent for children. It is rated 18 in Ireland by Pan European Game Information (PEGI).

“It is 18 for a reason and shouldn’t be sold to minors under any circumstances,” Mr Finucane said, adding that Gamestop shops have refused sales to a number of young people.

– (Additional reporting: Reuters)