'Godfather' game heads to stores

After a development nearly as epic as the film on which it's based, Electronic Arts' "The Godfather" has shipped to stores for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC, the publisher announced Tuesday.

It joins "TimeSplitters: Future Perfect," "Black" and "Def Jam: Fight for New York" as atypical M--for "mature"--rated offerings in the publisher's console catalog.

A little more than two years ago, Electronic Arts announced that it was working on the game. It then went mum until February 2005, when it made public the participation of original "Godfather" cast members in the project, including James Caan, Robert Duvall and the then recently deceased Marlon Brando.

The momentum of that announcement was not to last long, however, as the months that followed saw the film's director, Francis Ford Coppola, publicly slam the project, rumors circulate that Brando's voice work for the game was unusable, and a delay that kneecapped EA stock.

Investors are apparently relieved to see EA's game hit the streets, with the company's stock trading slightly higher Tuesday, making up some of the $2.87 one-day drop it experienced after the delay was made public.

"The Godfather" retails for $39.99 for the Xbox, PS2, and PC. PSP and Xbox 360 versions are scheduled to follow later this year. For more on the game, check out GameSpot's full review.