Jonathan Richards
Pick up your copy of Joy Division: Closer at WHSmith today

Microsoft said its new video game, Halo 3, generated more than $170m (£84m) in sales within 24 hours of release - the most money earned in a day by an entertainment product.
First day sales of Halo 3 easily exceeded those of Halo 2, which brought in $125 million when it came out three years ago, and also eclipsed takings of the most popular Hollywood films, including Spiderman 3.
More than 1.7 million copies of the game were pre-ordered in America, the company said, and more than 1.4 million had gone online to play it since its release at midnight on Monday.
Reports that some discs were scratched by packaging - a problem Microsoft has agreed to fix - appear not to have dented enthusiasm for the game, which follows the exploits of a towering, armoured soldier called Master Chief.
Microsoft is relying on Halo 3 to boost sales of its Xbox 360 console - the only unit on which the game plays - in its battle with the Nintento Wii and Sony's PlayStation 3.
Analysts said the debut was impressive and described the game as "the leading first person shooter on console" but warned that in order to boost sales of its Xbox 360 platform Microsoft needed to release games that appealed to a wider audience.
With an 'install base' of 1.5 million in the UK, the Xbox 360 still lagged behind PlayStation 2, which has sold 8.9 million units, and while Halo 3 would "speak" to existing Xbox 360 gamers, Microsoft needed to release "more mainstream content" they said.
"This is a very important title for Xbox 360 - sales of Xbox have hit a brick wall in Europe and this is the kind of game that can drive console sales. It needs to be put in context, though," Piers Harding-Rolls, an analyst with Screen Digest, said.
UK sales of Halo 3 are expected to be similar to its predessor, which sold 700,000 copies, Mr Harding-Rolls said, adding that Xbox had the strongest catalogue any of the consoles in the lead up to Christmas - traditionally a strong period for console sales.
Explore your passion for food with the delights of Thai, Indian & Chinese cooking
In our new series, Tony Hawks takes a dry, wry look at modern life - junk mail, interminable meetings and snooty sales assistants
Read the training tips and advice that helped our London Triathletes
Read our exclusive 100 Years of Fleming and Bond interactive timeline, packed with original Times articles and reviews
The latest travel news plus the best hotels and gadgets for business travellers
Shortcuts to help you find sections and articles
2007
£30,000
2006
£14,337
2008
£39,937
Great car insurance deals online
c.£75,000
GlosFirstmeansbusiness
Gloucestershire
Competitive package
Npower
Midlands
£
£32,795 - £41,545
Universitry of Southampton
Southampton
Competitive Package
Npower
West Midlands
1 & 2 Bed apartments
From £249,995
Great Investment, River Views
Great Dubai Investment Opportunities
from £89,950
low-cost ownership homes in London
Multi–Centre 9 Nights
From only £925pp
View thousands of properties online with your Vacation Rental People
£POA
List your property with two leading travel websites
£POA
Great travel insurance deals online
Contact our advertising team for advertising and sponsorship in Times Online, The Times and The Sunday Times. Globrix Property Search - find property for sale and rent in the UK. Milkround Job Search - for graduate careers in the UK. Visit our classified services and find jobs, used cars, property or holidays. Use our dating service, read our births, marriages and deaths announcements, or place your advertisement.
Copyright 2008 Times Newspapers Ltd.
This service is provided on Times Newspapers' standard Terms and Conditions. Please read our Privacy Policy.To inquire about a licence to reproduce material from Times Online, The Times or The Sunday Times, click here.This website is published by a member of the News International Group. News International Limited, 1 Virginia St, London E98 1XY, is the holding company for the News International group and is registered in England No 81701. VAT number GB 243 8054 69.
I'll be getting a 360 for Christmas & am looking forward to playing this game ... shame it is a bit short, but Xbox does seem to have more/better titles at the moment than the pricier Playstation.
Andy, Glasgow,
And yet, it does not work on Vista.
Farrukh, Woking, UK
Well, the graphics are okay, but The game itself is not so different of other kill-the-ugly-monster-games. And the fact that some persons allready claimed to have finished the game...Pathetic. I don`t know where all these guys get the money from to buy that new X-box and the games for it every four months/ year. Somebody explain me, please. My statement: people like those who play Halo really need books...
Nienke, Halsteren, The Netherlands
I pre ordered the game before it release, picked it up on the release date and have not stopped playing it since. Bravo Microsoft, us gamers just love playing these type of games.
simon, foster city, california, USA
i love halo 3 it is the best game no wonder they made that much im suprised they didnt make more than that
leo, walsall,
Awww Seattle dont get upset, its ok. You have to give Microsoft some credit for mass producing and marketing of such an inexpensive product to manufacture. You cant blaim bush for America's addiction to video games, and you cant get upset because a corporation such as microsoft making $170,000,000 in 24 hours because we the people spend our money on such a game. Its capitalism at its best, and you must not like that. How about the fact that some of those profits go to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which is spent for charitable causes..ever think of that one? Dont be mad and blame a president because of your own ability to identify capitalism. If your so worried about a mass extinction, how about you come up with a product to save yourself, market it, and maybe you too can make $170,000,000 and blame bush for your good fourtune!
Steve, New York, New York,
The only reason this game is so popular is because of the graphics and the fact that every boy in America has nothing better to do with his life then play Halo 3 and choose to stay a virgin until he's 40. But atleast Bush is building up an army of mass gamers who will all complete and beat Halo 3 in the 8 hours of them owning it. I think Microsoft and Bush are working on some mass plan to get us all killed, we should look into this.
Jayne, Seattle, Washington
wow thats crazy man i love that game it was so hot wowers hpe they keep making them liek this
Scott, Queens South Ozone Park, New York
The 360 is the best for many reasons to me, but mainly I think it's because Microsoft actually delivers on online play while Wii and PS3 still don't get it. Think about it, how many games on the 360 don't have online support? How many of us have broadband internet?
Who wouldn't want to play their favorite games online?
And not to mention the poor Sony library currently, and even looking at games coming in the future (besides Metal Gear Solid 4) aren't impressive. Especially when Sony can't get exclusives like Devil May Cry 4, Resident Evil 5, Silent Hill 5, Grand Theft Auto IV, etc. Why buy the PS3 when their current exclusives suck and the 360 is cheaper with a better line-up and has previously Sony exclusive titles available????
Robert, Charlotte,
halo 3 dominates! the 360 is used in more of my friends homes than any other system today. no one i know has a playstation 3, i have a wii and i never even touch it.
Mike, Davenport,