Readers currently residing in the United Kingdom -- your wait is over. At long last, you'll be able to experience one of 2007's best selling, most critically acclaimed titles -- Rockstar's controversial thriller, Manhunt 2. After being turned down by the British Board of Film Classification for its "unremitting bleakness and callousness of tone," a reworked, SFEurope version of the game will be launched in the UK for the Wii, PS2 and PSP on October 31. We know, we can barely contain our excitement either.

Sure, it may lack a few of the more grisly elements included in the inappropriate North American version, but if your hands are shaking with anticipation as you read this report -- as we're sure they are -- we imagine you'll be able to overlook a few omitted acts of power drill-related violence.

Here's a strange story: a truck full of PS3 games was stolen twice, the second time from the cops themselves. The Sun reports that "the lorry" carrying £600,000 ($1.08 million) in games was originally stolen while the driver was resting. After it was recovered by the cops, it was then stolen a few hours later from a "tightly-controlled" police compound. The truck was later found completely empty.

The police claim that arrests have already been made, but it isn't clear if they're in relation to the first or second theft. The authorities also say they're keeping an eye on eBay. How efficiently can one fence seven pallets (tens of thousands) of games?

[Via GI.biz]

The UK's Advertising Standards Authority has banned a pair of Condemned 2: Bloodshot commercials, just a little over five months after the game's release. Unlike the whopping 26 complaints that got a Kane & Lynch ad banned, the Condemned 2 spot was washed away in the deluge of ... nine complaints.

Despite the pair of violent commercials being cleared for post-9PM showing, the ASA determined that "viewers were likely to find those scenes offensive and distressing and to see them as condoning real violence and cruelty." Check out what we believe to be one of the offensive ads, after the break.

[Via GamePolitics]

Microsoft announced today that Europe would be joining North America in receiving an Xbox 360 price cut. The UK will receive a £30 reduction across all three models, while those on the mainland will receive varied reductions for their Euros.

• Xbox 360 Arcade - £129 / €179
• 60GB Pro - £169 / €239
• 120GB Elite - £229 / €299

The previous prices were £159 / €199 for the Arcade, £199 / €269 for Pro and £259 / €369 for the Elite. We'll have to wait and see if the price drop doubles sales in Europe like it allegedly did in North America.

UK retailer Woolworths (not to be confused with the defunct US five and dime store) allegedly published a price cut for the Xbox 360 in the company's Christmas catalog, which officially releases in a couple weeks. Scans of the holiday booklet apparently show that each of Microsoft's consoles will receive a £30 cut, reducing the Arcade to £130, Pro to £170 and Elite to £230.

Woolworths would not confirm the information to GI.biz, stating that "The Christmas 2008 Woolworths Big Red Book" will release the first week of October and, "until that date, remains a confidential document."

UK retailer HMV's chief executive, Simon Fox, says game sales may surpass music at the company within 18 months. Video games now account for 19% of sales at the music store, with an increase of 4.1% occurring in the last three months, Fox tells The Sun.

Earlier this year, the UK's Entertainment Retailers' Association noted that game sales overtook music at retail and were on the way to catching DVD revenues. Considering HMV's iconic symbol is that of a dog with a phonograph, we've gone ahead and updated the image for the new generation.

[Via GI.biz]

The 60GB Xbox 360 will be available in the UK beginning August 15 for £199 ($380), with the new console replacing the discontinued 20GB at the same price. The sans hard drive Arcade currently retails for £159 and the 120GB Elite goes for £259.

The 60GB model went on sale in North America a couple weeks ago for $349 after it was originally announced the console wouldn't arrive until early August. The 20GB model also received a price drop to $299 in the region. Although we don't know about Europe, if you're looking to finally get an Xbox 360 this year, it might be worth waiting to see how those September price cut rumors play out.

On Thursday, British government officials are proposing many of the regulations asked for in the Byron Review, which will also expand the roll of the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC). Much of this is old ground, as sniping has gone on back and forth for months between BBFC and PEGI supporters about which system is better.

The part we're a little stuck on is where the Telegraph reports the new proposals seek to classify online interaction. The standards will be overseen by the new UK Council for Child Internet Safety, to be established later this year, and the online classification seeks to set a "single set of standards and good practice for managing the risks of online gaming." How anybody can look into the abyss of trying to classify online interaction and not see the darkness staring back at them astounds us.

[Via GamePolitics]

The Prison Service in England and Wales will not allow prisoners to play 18-rated games after September 30. The BBC reports that well-behaved residents and those at risk of suicide will still be allowed to play games -- we hope the suicide folks aren't playing Persona.

The government apparently spent £10k ($19,763 USD) last year on consoles and games for inmates. Effective immediately, inmates will have to buy their own consoles and games. Those who can't afford the video game distraction are sure to occupy their time with more constructive ventures ... like shiv production.

[Via GI.biz]

The British Board of Film Classification's director, David Cooke, defended the organization's cost and efficiency today following recent remarks by publishers. Gamespot reports Cooke claims that the BBFC has an average turnaround of eight days in rating games and that its classifications are already cheaper than the industry-backed PEGI system.

Cooke goes on to repeat that the BBFC is fully capable of handling the extra workload required if the Byron Review regulations are implemented. He believes the games industry has nothing to fear from the BBFC's "more robust" and "fully independent" decisions.

We sense a pattern developing. Neil Thompson, Microsoft's UK regional director for Entertainment and Devices Devision, is "concerned" that the implementation of the Byron Review recommendations may increase the cost of games for consumers in the UK. This comes days after EA's Keith Ramsdale said the review's ideas could delay the release of games in the region.

The Byron Review recommends all games that'll receive a 12+ certification need to be evaluated by the British Board of Film Classification; only games flagged to have sex, violence or criminal activity currently receive the review. The industry is fighting the Byron recommendation so it can avoid the extra costs incurred by a BBFC review. Thompson goes on to endorse the publisher-supported PEGI system as a reasonable response to the Byron Review recommendations. Well, we've now heard from two bears, one more complaint and we should unlock the "Goldilocks Achievement."

The BBC reports that British game companies are experiencing a skilled labor shortage. David Braben, chairman of Frontier Development and spokesman for the industry's "Games Up?" campaign, believes 95% of video game degrees aren't preparing students for the real world of development. He says that there is no standardization and only four out of the 81 British universities have Skillset accreditation for video games degrees, which he believes makes the other 77 schools a "waste of time."

Braben went on to say the "dearth" of math and science graduates is hitting the British game industry hard. Business types also point out that Britain's lack of tax support isn't helping either, as the nation slipped from third to fourth place in game development behind Canada in 2006. We miss the simpler times when it was all about tightening up the graphics on level three.

[Via GameDaily]

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Here is the Metal Gear Solid 4 tale of two regions. In Japan, Famitsu reports that MGS4 sold 476,334 copies in its first few days, becoming the best-selling PS3 game to date in the region. Snake also boosted sales of the PS3 itself, with Japanese sales hovering around the 10K mark; the console sold 77,208 for the week.

The UK tells a slightly different MGS4 sales tale. MGS4 is the second fastest-selling PS3 title behind Grand Theft Auto IV and was 14,000 short of MGS2's initial sales in 2002. Although the UK's Chart-Track apparently did not release actual numbers, the company's director did say that MGS4 had a "minimal impact" on hardware sales and that "there's not a lot to say about it."

Unless Sony or Konami sends out a release, we're not expecting US sales figures until NPD's June report releases sometime next month.

Source: Famitsu (translation) report (Via IGN)
Source: Chart-Track: MGS4 had "minimal" impact on UK PS3 sales

Well, this is certainly interesting. Though Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots has been getting positively glowing reviews from many UK outlets, there seems to be an undercurrent of ... dissatisfaction among many in the reviewing community. Completely unsurprisingly, it seems that most of the high-90s/100s reviewers are hyperbolically positive. (They've been saving up their good writing all year!) Regardless, it seems that general consensus is that fans of the series are going to have a ball. Read on:

• IGN (99/100): "If you've ever loved any one of the Metal Gear games, or any moments from the series, there will come a moment when MGS 4 will send your spirits soaring. If you've loved them all, well then there'll be many, many more. It's a masterpiece."

• PSM3 UK (95/100): "Will you enjoy it? Yes, definitely, but while most hardcore fans will adore it, a tiny minority may be left slightly deflated by the weight of their expectations, despite the game's unarguable quality."

• Edge Magazine (80/100): "MGS4 is not the game it could have been; nor is it the game it would have been had the series grown with the benefit of hindsight; nor is it the game it should have been if you believed that early trailer. But it is faithful to its fans, its premise and its heart, delivering an experience that is, in so many ways, without equal."

Proficient purveyor of sales data, Chart-Track, has informed Eurogamer that the Xbox 360 has established an 18% UK sales lead over the PlayStation 3, following the launch of Grand Theft Auto IV. Rockstar's open-world crime romp is said to have sold over 1.3 million copies in the UK, with 57% of sales in the first four weeks going to the Xbox 360. That obviously leaves 72% 12% 43% on the PlayStation 3.

While the sales traction gained in GTA IV's wake has been more dramatic for the Xbox 360, year-to-date sales still place the PlayStation 3 ahead in the UK. According to Chart-Track's 2008 figures, there still remains a 10% gap between the two rivals.