Driv3r tops French, German game charts

As well as topping the UK sales charts for the last two weeks running, Atari's recently released Driv3r is off to a strong start in the next largest two markets in Europe as well - debuting at number one in both France and Germany.

Data from GFK France and Media Control (Germany) shows that the game, which launched amid a storm of controversy over the impartiality of early reviews of the title, debuted on top of the charts in all three of Europe's biggest games markets.

The game has also started strongly in the Australian market, and is believed to be selling well in the USA - although unconfirmed reports from UK retailers suggest that the title is also receiving a high rate of returns, which could negatively impact its long-term sales prospects.

Atari is believed to have spent as much as $60 million on Driv3r between development and marketing costs. The company shipped 2.5 million units of the title worldwide for its launch, and some estimates have suggested that sales of up to four million units may be needed for it to break even.