'Fallout 3' confirmed for October

One of the most eagerly-awaited RPG games of the year is to arrive in the UK on October 31, publisher Bethesda has announced.

Fallout 3, developed by the creator of the award-winning Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, will be released for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.

Bethesda also confirmed that the game will enjoy a high-profile marketing campaign, with £2.5 million in the UK alone to be spent on promotion.

In the game, players will be able to create their own character before exploring the open wastes of post-apocalyptic Washington DC and battling super mutants, ghouls and raiders.

"It’s great to be finally announcing the release date for Fallout 3," Bethesda's Euro MD Sean Brennan told MCV.

"We’ve been overwhelmed by the reaction we’ve had from the trade and the press to the title and the timing of the release is perfect for the peak selling season.

"From the feedback we’ve had from retail, Fallout 3 is expected to be a fop five seller for the whole of 2008 across its respective formats. And it will be the only major hit from a small independent publisher. In our first year of trading, that’s not bad going."