Friday will see the South African launch of one of the most eagerly anticipated computer games in recent years, Doom 3, but not all retailers will stock it.
Even before its release in the US last week, the title has topped best-seller lists on numerous online retail sites due to the amount of pre-orders placed for a game that has taken four years to complete.
Local online retailers have also had good responses from gamers for the title.
"Doom 3 has been the best-selling game on pre-orders on Take 2 for the past month. With pre-orders approaching the 450 mark, Doom 3 has three times more orders than the second-placed game, Half-Life 2," says Neil Smith, games editor at Take 2.
Jean Coetzee, product manager at Kalahari.net, says Doom 3 is the best gaming pre-order title the retailer has had to date.
"We have received hundreds of pre-orders for Doom 3 already. When compared to our other game sales, Doom 3 will be the best-selling game yet."
However, Pretoria-based online retailer Jump Shopping has decided not to sell the title due to religious beliefs.
"The focus of the game is on demons and hell. While we do not have a problem with games containing violence, the religious overtones of Doom 3 is not something that appeals to us," says Jaco Roux, owner of Jump Shopping.
Customers who have placed pre-orders for Doom 3 have already been notified and will receive 10% discount vouchers for the inconvenience caused, adds Roux.
"We will take a relatively big financial knock for our decision not to sell Doom. Gamers make up a big portion of our customers, with gaming sales accounting for almost 20% of our business.
"Having said that, Doom 3 will not make or break our business," Roux adds.
"We respect our retailers` buying decisions. It is up to them. We always cater for what our retailers want," says Jason Borea, marketing manager at Doom 3 distributor Megarom.
"Jump Shopping is the only retailer we are aware of that will not stock the title. While it is difficult to give exact figures, day one orders for Doom 3 are five times more than any other game we have done."
James Francis, features editor of New Age Gaming magazine, is not surprised by Jump Shopping`s decision.
"There is definitely going to be a backlash with Doom 3. If you are religious enough, then many things in the game could be seen as being satanic. While violent games like Manhunt and Grand Theft Auto 3 might just be violent, games that glorify evil from a religious point of view are seen as very bad.
"I have already stumbled across several anti-Doom Web sites."
Content won`t harm sales
Take 2`s Smith believes the story of Doom 3 will not negatively impact sales of the title.
"While most people who have heard of Doom 3 do not know the intricacies of the title, they at least have a basic idea of what the game entails," says Smith.
Francis agrees: "Nothing can negatively impact sales of Doom 3. People tend to forget that the original Doom (released in 1993) was far more violent and graphic. This is the third time developer id Software is working on a Doom title. If anything, they are pushing harder on the religious iconography than previous ones."
While Doom 3 will sell well in the local market, Francis believes it is a title that is more suited to hardcore gamers.
"Several factors, such as steep graphic requirements, the first-person shooter nature of the title and the horror aspect, will see Doom 3 being appreciated more by hardcore gamers with top-of-the-line machines."
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