Games Toaster

Richard Dean Anderson to launch Halo 3 in Dublin; Record breaking attempt planned

Actor Richard Dean Anderson is to launch Halo 3 in Dublin on Tuesday, forming one of the main elements of Microsoft's Irish high-profile release of the highly anticipated  Xbox 360 game.

News that the actor, most famous for playing MacGyver and more recently Jack O'Neill on Stargate SG-1, will launch the game was confirmed this evening to Games Toaster by a Microsoft spokesperson.

However, his visit to Dublin is still somewhat shrouded in mystery as there is still little detail of Anderson's visit.

Record breaking attempt

Meanwhile, tomorrow - in the build up to the European release on Wednesday September 26 - Irish gamers will attempt to set record breaking times completing Halo 2.

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.

Blizzard to open call centre in Cork

Games developer Blizzard Entertainment, owned by publisher Vivendi Games, is to set  up its European call centre in Cork, the move is designed to offer European gamers with a higher level of support.

The company's investment in Cork is backed by the Irish Government's IDA (Industrial Development Agency). As is standard, no details of what the company was offered to chose Cork were reviled.

Blizzard will created 50 jobs at first, with the total numbers employed growing to over 100 in the the next three year the IDA said on Wednesday, it was on the day Intel said they would look for 200 voluntary job cuts at their Irish plant.

Both Vivendi and Blizzard are headquartered in the United States, but are owned by France media company Vivendi SA. Blizzard is best known for developing the online game World of Warcraft (pictured above), which has 9 million subscribers worldwide.

Vivendi Games Ireland have run computer games localisation operations - including game testing - in Dublin since 1995. They are among a number of companies to do such in Ireland, including Microsoft and Activision, also in Dublin, and Lionbridge in Ballina Co Mayo.

“Blizzard Entertainment is a global leader in the entertainment software industry, setting the standard for online gaming on the personal computer,” said Micheál Martin, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

“This decision by Blizzard to establish a new European customer support centre in Cork is further evidence of how Ireland is viewed internationally as a leading location for cutting edge investment in the exciting world of digital content,” the Minister added.

Halo 3 demand high says Irish retailer

Microsoft Ireland are reporting "Huge demand" for pre-orders of Halo 3, what it is calling the fastest pre-sales in video game history, while Gamestop are say the demand has been "nothing short of phenomenal".

Worldwide pre-orders of Halo 3 have exceeded the 1 million according to Microsoft, the publisher of the game and maker of the Xbox 360 games console. No Irish sales numbers were released.

It's set to be released in standard, limited, and "legendary edition" - according to the publisher, the 'legendary' version is expected to sell out before its September 26 launch.

Midnight openings are expected across Ireland for the launch of the latest Halo game.

"What we’ve experienced is nothing short of phenomenal, Halo 3 has eclipsed the previous record set by Halo 2" said Michael Finucane, commercial director at Gamestop.

"It set a benchmark for others to follow and is a real indication of how video games has now come to the forefront of the entertainment industry... The excitement for Halo 3 is incredible".

Intel buys Dublin games firm Havok

Dublin games middleware company Havok is to be taken over by chip manufacturer Intel.

The deal will see the company that grew out of Trinity College become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Intel.

Havok’s software tools have been used on games such as BioShock, Harry Potter, Half Life 2, MotorStorm, and Second Life, and upcoming titles such as Halo 3, Alan Wake, and Indiana Jones (pictured above).

FULL STORY: Dublin gaming firm snapped up by Intel