Fallout 3 Launch Successful, PC Version Patched

Bethesda Softworks is dancing like giddy little girls in a Barbie factory, as the long-awaited, long-overdue third installment of the Fallout franchise is out and selling big-time.

Bethesda’s Pete Hines sent over a lovely little PR flaunting high numbers and much success from the launch of Fallout 3. Released on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Games for Windows last week, the company shipped off 4.7 million units of the post-apocalyptic themed RPG which is estimated to rack in over $300 million dollars. Currently gamers and editors alike are heralding Fallout 3, taking in a "10 out of 10" review score from The Official Xbox Magazine and high rankings from other respected media outlets.

"Released on October 28 in North America at midnight store openings in over 2,000 retail outlets nationwide jammed with fans eager to get the game, Fallout 3 quickly became one of the industry’s top sellers around the world," said the company. "For example, in the United Kingdom where it was not released until Friday, October 31 the rapid sales of Fallout 3 have led the game to be ranked number one among all video games, as well as being the number one game on each of its three platforms."

Fallout 3 takes place in the year 2277, thirty years after Fallout 2 ; two hundred years after the bomb that nuked the world. Players find themselves a member of Vault 101, a fallout shelter located in Washington D.C. (now called Capital Wasteland). The protagonist’s father has left the shelter, defying the Overseer and traversing out into the harsh Wasteland alone. Fearful for his safety amongst the savage Raiders, Slavers and Giant Insects roaming about the barren land, players set out on a long journey to find him and uncover "the truth."

Along with the standard version, Bethesda released an Amazon.com exclusive "Survival Edition" package costing console owners $129.99 and PC gamers $119.99. The Survival Edition will include a limited edition, life-size replica of the Pip-Boy 3000, complete with a working digital clock, in addition to everything also available in the Collector’s Edition : The Fallout 3 game ; Customized, metal Vault-Tec lunch box ; 5” Vault Boy Bobblehead ; ‘The Art of Fallout 3’ hardcover book ; and ‘The Making of Fallout 3’ DVD.

Bethesda boasts that the game reached Oblivion standards in regards to size, and features over 10,000 possible endings. Other key features of Fallout 3 is limitless freedom, first and third person perspectives, different character paths to choose (as in playing the good Samaritan or blasting everyone in sight like some fool from Mad Max), fantastic visuals and an AI that will question your own humanity (note : over-exaggeration).

Fallout 3 is currently available at all retail outlets, and is also available digitally online from Direct2Drive and Steam. Look for a review from Tom’s Games soon, however you can read Travis Meacham’s first impressions by heading here.

In other Fallout 3 news, Bethesda released a new patch for the RPG, updating the game to v1.0.0.15. Gamers can download the file by heading here. The patch addresses several issues including occasional crashes when exiting the game or using Alt F4 to exit, crashes when using Alt-Tab while binks or credits were playing. Additionally, the game now restarts properly after title updates finish installing.