Final Fantasy 13: Hundreds of fans expected for launch

Hundreds of UK gamers, many dressed as wizards and warriors, are expected in London tonight for the European launch of Final Fantasy XIII.

Fans at HMV's Oxford Street store will be the first to get their hands on the latest instalment in the long-running, Japanese role-playing game franchise, which has sold more than 92m copies worldwide since its release in 1987.

The Japanese release of the new game in December saw eager gamers snap up more than 1m copies in the first 24 hours.

Final Fantasy XIII became the first title on Sony's PlayStation 3 – the laggard in overall sales to Microsoft's XBox 360 and Nintendo's Wii – to sell more than 1m copies in Japan. Square Enix, the game's creator, said then it hoped to sell at least 2m copies in the country.

The latest chapter promises improved graphics and a reworked battle system for complex chains of attacks. The Guardian's review gives it a rare five stars.

The first 50 gamers to run the risk of ridicule on the tube and attend the launch in costume will win a free Final Fantasy XIII soundtrack, which includes Leona Lewis's song My Hands from her second album, Echo.

The DJ and TV presenter Alex Zane will host the event and Yoshinori Kitase, Final Fantasy's producer, is flying in from Japan to sign copies and meet the series' dedicated fans.

Game launches are beginning to rival film premieres. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 sold 5m copies worldwide on its opening day, making it the biggest entertainment launch in history.

Sales of Final Fantasy XIII are expected to push total sales for the series over the 100m milestone.