NewsSource: Microsoft Claims GTA IV Sales Victory

ALSO: EA making Wii fitness game, Hirai: Sony will win console war, Id announces Doom 4, Mike Tyson tees up Fight Night Round 4, Bizarre Creations: no more Gotham DLC.

Microsoft Claims GTA IV Sales Victory
Microsoft says that it’s winning the Grand Theft Auto 4 sales war, with 60 per cent of all copies of Rockstar’s hit being sold for Xbox 360.

The company’s official blog quotes retail sources for its figures, adding that GTA IV is driving hardware sales too, with a 54 per cent increase in 360s sold over the previous week.

The figures come hot on the heels of official UK figures that show that the 360 version of the game sold through 514,000 copies in week one, versus 413,000 on PlayStation 3.

"It has become clear that consumers are finding Xbox 360 the best way to experience Liberty City," said Microsoft exec Chris Lewis. "We expect this trend to continue, especially with exclusive episodes coming to Xbox 360 in the autumn."

EA Making Wii Fitness Game
EA has revealed that it plans to support the Wii balance board with a brand new fitness game, promising a tougher work-out than Wii Fit.

"I need to have a point of difference. We also need to make sure we're delivering something that's truly exercise," EA Sports chief Peter Moore said at a company showcase. "We need to look more at western fitness in which I can actually be moving and start to sweat a little bit, and that's what we're working on right now."

If that sounds too much like genuine hard work, Moore promises that gamers have nothing to worry about.

"The difference is you're distracted. We need to distract people and not make this exercise feel like work, but like they're having fun," he said. "So mini-games, things where you're actually laughing out loud, that's the stuff we're working on."

Hirai: Sony Will Win Console War
Sony president Kaz Hirai has proclaimed that PlayStation 3 will be the eventual victor of the current console war.

"We've only really begun to scratch the surface with PlayStation 3 but I am confident that given the long life-cycle we have planned for the machine we are going to have a very good install base in all of the major territories," Hirai told the BBC. "I am very confident that after the 10-year lifecycle we will have the install base that we are looking for and that is obviously to be in the leadership position."

Despite the prediction, Hirai admitted that Sony is competing hard in a "marathon race" with Nintendo and Microsoft.

Id Announces Doom 4
id software has announced that Doom 4 is currently in development, and is looking to expand its internal development team to work on the new game.

"Doom is part of the id Software DNA and demands the greatest talent and brightest minds in the industry to bring the next installment of our flagship franchise to Earth," id Software CEO Todd Hollenshead said. "It's critical for id Software to have the best creative minds in-house to develop games that meet the standards synonymous with our titles."

No other details have been revealed about the game, but it’s expected to be based on the id Tech 5 engine, which offers cross-platform compatibility between Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.

Tyson Tees Up Fight Night Round 4
EA Sports has revealed that Fight Night Round 4 is in development, announcing that Mike Tyson has been added to the heavyweight roster of boxers.

A brand new engine has been designed for the game, featuring an all-new physics system that sees the new Fight Night emulating multiple boxing styles with what promises to be unprecedented realism.

"The EA Sports Fight Night franchise has always been synonymous with quality and innovation that raised the bar for the sports videogame genre," said executive producer, Kevin Wilkinson. "Fight Night Round 3 was a platform defining game as the industry transitioned to next generation consoles… Fight Night Round 4 will change how boxing games are played and measured in the future."

The game has been confirmed for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, with a release some time in 2009.

Bizarre Creations: No More Gotham DLC
Developer Bizarre Creations has signed off on the Project Gotham franchise, admitting that there is no more DLC content currently in development.

"I'm afraid Bizarre Creations won't be adding anything more to PGR4 in the future," said community lead Ben Ward in comments reported by ComputerandVideoGames.com. "We've completed the hand-over to Microsoft, so any further add-ons will come from them and not us I'm afraid."

The end of Bizarre’s relationship with the Gotham racing series means that the developer can now concentrate fully on its work for new owner, Activision.