Software - Games 2008 & Beyond

Grand Theft Auto IV is the 9th game in the GTA series, developed by Rockstar North (based in Edinburgh Scotland). The game is based in Liberty City, a recreation of New York City, and follows the central character an eastern european Niko Bellic in his search of the american dream. Like other games in the series, GTA IV features "open-world" gameplay that gives the player more control over their playing experience. GTA IV is the first console game in the series to feature an online multiplayer mode, which contains fifteen different game types. A major commercial and critical success, Grand Theft Auto IV broke sales records by selling about 3.6 million units on its first day of release and grossing more than $500 million in its first week.The game received overwhelmingly positive reviews, including a perfect 10 from IGN and 10 from the Official Xbox Magazine. Like the previous games there has been some controversy, figures including George Galloway, Jack Thomson and Glenn Beck have criticised the game, as have organisations including New York City officials and Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Gears of War 2 is the eagerly anticipated sequel to the 4.5 million selling blockbuster third-person tactical action game Gears of War, which became one of the most popular Xbox 360 games in history. In Gears of War 2, Marcus Fexis and Delta Squad are poised to deliver a bigger and more intense experience than ever before! Gears of War 2 continues the story of Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad, locked in an increasingly desperate battle against the nightmarish Locust Horde for the survival of humanity.Gears of War set the standard for high-definition visuals and became the game to which all others are compared. Gears of War 2 raises the bar even further with the amazing technological advances of Unreal Engine 3, making Gears of War 2 a standard-setting next-gen shooter spectacular! Gears of War 2 is developed by Epic Games for Microsoft Game Studios and joins a growing list of must-have Xbox 360 exclusives. The release date is set as 1st November 2008.

The Star Wars saga continues in Lucasarts' latest videogame epic Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Casting players as Darth Vader's "Secret Apprentice", it promises to unveil new revelations about the Star Wars galaxy. The expansive story of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, created under direction from George Lucas, is set during the largely unexplored era between Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope. In Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, players will assist the iconic villain in his quest to rid the universe of Jedi - and face decisions that could change the course of their destiny. The game is set for release for the 19th September 2008.