UK gamers rushed to get their hands on a copy of the game

The gangster title for the PlayStation 2 is forecast to sell five million copies by the end of the year.

It knocked Fifa 2005 into second place, with rival title Pro Evolution Soccer, also dropping down one place.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 returned to the top 10 at number six.

Portable PlayStation ready to go

The PSP will soon be on sale

Sony's PlayStation Portable (PSP) will go on sale in Japan on 12 December.

The long-awaited handheld game playing gadget will cost about 19,800 yen (145 euros) when it hits the shelves.

At launch 21 games will be available for the PSP, including Need for Speed, Ridge Racer, Metal Gear Acid and Vampire Chronicle.

Sony has not yet announced when the PSP will be available in Europe and the US, but analysts expect it to debut in those territories in early 2005.

Gran Turismo hits brakes in EU

Gran Turismo 4 is one of the big new titles for the PlayStation 2

Fans of the Gran Turismo series in Europe are going to have to wait until next year for the latest version.

Sony has said that the PAL version of GT4 will not be ready for Christmas.

"The product is localised into 13 different languages across the PAL territories, therefore the process takes considerably longer than it does in Japan," it said.

Gran Turismo 4 for the PlayStation 2 is still expected to be released in Japan and the USA this year.