Guinness World Records to produce videogame edition

Guinness World Records has announced plans to launch a new videogame edition of the famous annual book, featuring a wide range of game-related achievements and information.

The original records book was first published in 1955 and is today available in more than 100 countries, with over 3 million copies sold annually. The new book will be titled Guinness World Records - Videogame Edition 2008 and will be the first in a series of books focusing on specific topics.

It will include reviews of the 20 biggest games of the year, record scores and fastest times, hardware profiles, sales figures and technical achievements made by individual games.

The book will also answer questions such as which pro gamers earn the most money, what is the single highest score ever achieved in a game and which is the most successful games console of all time.

Guinness World Records is already putting together a team to work on the videogame edition, and GamesIndustry.biz editor Ellie Gibson has been appointed as official consultant.

"We reintroduced videogaming world records to our annual book a few years ago, and itâs proved to be one of the most popular sections with our core readers. It makes sense, therefore, to dedicate an entire annual to the subject," said Guinness World Records editor in chief Craig Glenday.

"Our record researchers are already scouring the videogaming community for superlatives, and the vast number of games, gamers, developers and platforms mean that we have an incredible pool of content to dip into each year. It's going to be a very exciting project."

Gibson added, "The news that Guinness World Records has decided to produce a book devoted to games is great for both gamers and the industry. It's another boost for the profile of gaming, and I'm very much looking forward to getting started."

The Guinness World Records - Videogame Edition 2008 will be officially unveiled on stand D505 at the London Book Fair, which takes place between April 16 - 18.