Games Toaster

GameStop opens midnight for Halo 3

Gamestop say they will open 14 of its 46 in the Republic and Northern Ireland at at midnight on Tuesday for the European release of Halo 3.

The retailer are to have midnight openings at Henry St, Stephens Green, and Clare Hall in Dublin, along with their outlets in Belfast, Derry, Limerick, Drogheda, Wexford, Tralee, Letterkenny, Mallow, Midleton, Killarney, and Bangor.

Other retailers, such as HMV, GAME, and Smyths, are also likely to have midnight openings in at least the main cities.

A Microsoft spokesperson told us this evening that, in Ireland, "Michael Finucane from Game stop says that pre-orders are running at twice the rate of Halo 2", while a statement released this afternoon says the company worldwide is "running off 81 games per second to ensure that they meet global demand for this title".

"It is fantastic to see the level of interest shown by Irish gamers, all of whom are eager to be one of the first people in the country to get their hands on what is set to be the must have game this Christmas," said Orla Sheridan, country manager at the entertainment and devices division of Microsoft Ireland.

GAME: Ireland & UK sales boosted by PS3

Retailer GAME says that the PS3 pushed sales up; pictured: a customer handing over cash at the PS3 midnight launch at GAME on Dawson Street in Dublin.

PlayStation 3 has accounted for over 40 percent in growth in sales at the games retail giant GAME according to a statement released today by the firm.

GAME have stores around Ireland but it is hard to tell what trends are exclusive to the State or the island as the company treats the UK and Ireland as the one market.

PlayStation 3 price questions for Ireland

Details on prices and versions of the PlayStation 3 that will apply in the Republic and Northern Ireland are still uncertain...

Dublin - Belfast rail line halved for PC game

 
A computer game depiction of the Belfast to Dublin ‘Enterprise’ train

The ‘Enterprise’ rail service from Belfast to Dublin has been cut in two, at least in a computer game add-on. ‘Irish Enterprise North’, an add-on for the Microsoft Train Simulator, will feature the Belfast to Dundalk section of the service. It is set for release on May 26, at around £24.99 (or about 35 euro). While a planned released, ‘Enterprise South’, will continue to Dublin, completing the line.

“After about a years work the team building the route have had to come to conclusion that the original scope of the route was too large to manage in a reasonable time frame”, stated a release. The company realises that this could be a disappoint to some and apologised, explaining, “There are genuine reasons for making this change, mainly a re-evaluation of the amount of extra work a non freeware involves”.

The UK based developer “Making Tracks” previously released ‘Ballyshannon Route’ with Irish rail stock as freeware, and the full product ‘London & South East’, another add-on for the Microsoft Train Simulator. Enterprise North, and South are to be published by First Class Simulations.

As well as the inter-city services, both add-ons will feature commuter and freight services. The games will encompass the years between 1995 and 2005, including rail speeds of up to 90mph after the Belfast line was updated around 1999.

The real Enterprise service is jointly operated by Irish Rail (Iarnróid Éireann) and Northern Ireland Railways.