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.

Nintendo tells GI.biz that it will replenish the UK's stock of Wii Fit "as soon as possible." A Wii Fit shortage in the UK became quite obvious this past week as the fat-reduction simulator practically disappeared from the UK sales charts. Meaning, either citizens of the UK made a collective Borg decision to stop purchasing the game life-altering product or stock sold out.

A Nintendo representative put semi-adequate spin on the situation stating that there are "pockets of stock shortages" around the UK. When a game goes from the #2 spot on the sales chart to dropping off the Top 40, that appears to be more than just "pockets" of shortages. Nintendo claims that fat little girls around the UK will be able to pick up a Wii Fit soon enough as the company continues to replenish stock on a weekly basis.

A television advertisement created by UK retailer PC World promoting the PS3 has been yanked from the airwaves. GI.biz reports the Advertising Standards Authority found the ad "misleading" because it claimed the PS3 could play all PS2 games. PC World retorted that the system can play a significant amount of PS2 titles -- and lost.

Now, if only 26 complaints can get the ASA to ban a Kane & Lynch poster, we can only imagine how many rabid fanboys it took to ban this "misleading" ad. We've been unable to find a version of the commercial online, but if anybody finds it, we'll give thanks and place it after the break.

Although we're going to have to wait until next month's NPD report for the US info, Chart-Track revealed that GTA IV sold 926,000 copies during its first week on sale in the UK. Gi.biz reports this means GTA IV has broken the "all format" record, while the "individual format" record still belongs to GTA: San Andreas with 677,000 units sold its first week on the PS2.

We previously had Chart-Track's estimates on GTA IV's first-day sales, but the official tally was 631,000 units. During the first week, 514,000 copies were sold for Xbox 360, while 413,000 sold for PS3 -- a 55/45 split. We really wish Take-Two would just give the global figure already.

Update: Yes, we know the math doesn't work (514k + 413k ≠ 926k), so we're guessing Chart-Track rounded up somewhere and rounded down somewhere else.

Chart-Track estimates Grand Theft Auto IV sold 609,000 units on its launch day in the UK, which eclipses GTA: San Andreas' 2004 first-day record of 501,000 units. GI.biz reports the game also broke records among the two consoles it's available on, with the Xbox 360 and PS3 selling 335,000 and 274,000 units respectively. The former records belonged to Halo 3 with 266,000 and GT5: Prologue with 80,000 units sold on day one.

The "official" Chart-Track sales data will release on May 6, with the current data being based on electronic point of sale and retailer estimates. We're still waiting for Take-Two to send out a press release trumpeting its global success.

The UK's Chart-Track has told GI.biz that Wii Fit debuted atop the sales charts with 16.3 million in sales. Some basic mathimicating tells us that means some 232,890 units were sold and Chart-Track estimates that 1 in 10 UK Wii console owners purchased the board.

The sales eclipsed the record-breaking launch of Mario Kart Wii, which saw a 62% drop in sales but still managed to stay in second place on the sales chart. In terms of money, the Wii Fit launch is the third biggest in UK history, behind GTA: San Andreas and Halo 3 (in fairness, it is £70, instead of £45 or less like many games). We can only imagine how the exercise system did in the rest of Europe ... or how it'll do next month in the glorious land of fat: America.

The UK has broken its previous first quarter software sales record with 17.89 million units sold and £418.4 million earned. This surpasses last year's first quarter by two million units and £100 million. Nintendo made up 37% of units sold, with Mario & Sonic at the Olympics leading the pack during the quarter (please stop!).

GI.biz was told by Chart-Track that the period shows "innovative" and "family-friendly" games are doing well, and that consumers of all ages are purchasing them. According to the March NPD data "family-friendly" isn't as necessary in the States, though Nintendo did sell 2.7 million units of Smash Bros. Brawl last month and dominated hardware sales during the quarter.

The UK is currently under assault from a Grand Theft Auto IV ad promoting the title on Xbox 360. Microsoft is doing its best to own this launch in consumer's minds, or at least get people thinking GTA doesn't equal Sony anymore. Have no fear PlayStation army, the game is still releasing on the PS3 in spite of what this nasty advertisement tells the masses.

That being said, it certainly gets bonus points in our book for showing what the game actually looks like (unlike some ads). GTA IV releases April 29 ... yeah, 'cause you didn't know that already.

[Thanks, Cyborgmatt]

Not willing to wait for the BBC to get its act together and release a PS3-compatible version of it's iPlayer streaming video web site, an enterprising hacker has pieced together his own version and put it out for the world to share. PS3iplayer.com works by making the PS3's web browser pretend it's the Wii's Opera browser, tricking the BBC web-site to serve up the official version designed for Nintendo's system. Compatibility is reportedly a little spotty, but the site does seem to show how easy it would be to port the web site over to the PS3's built-in web browser, despite vague complaints of Sony's controlling imposition.

For his part, the BBC's head of digital media technology, Anthony Rose, writes in a blog post that the hack is impressive but not necessarily "the best possible iPlayer proposition for that console." Rose assured readers that his team is looking into creating an official version of the player for the PS3 "in due course." Like when someone on the digital media team gets a free lunch hour, perhaps?

After receiving a whopping 26 complaints, the Advertising Standards Authority in the UK has banned a "graphic" and "shocking" poster (seen above) for Kane & Lynch: Dead Men. The Guardian reports the ASA ordered Eidos not to print or broadcast any ads created for the game again as they were deemed inappropriate for an "untargeted medium."

The print ad appeared in two Future Publishing magazines, while a TV ad portrayed scenes of graphic violence. The poster also included an overlay of this brilliant insight from OXM: "Grittier and nastier in tone than anything you've seen before, the violence here is visceral, brutal and very, very real." This was seen by the ASA as possibly "condoning and glorifying real violence." Sadly, none of the controversy Kane & Lynch seems to shake up makes the mediocre game any better, but it sure does help sell copies.