Fallout 3 has been a long time coming, but it seems the wait and anticipation has paid off for Bethesda. The company has announced it shipped around 4.7 million copies of the PS3, 360 and PC game to stores worldwide last week, “representing” retail sales of more than $300 million – just how much of that shipment has actually been sold remains unknown, though.

The game went on sale last week in the U.S., as some 2,000 retailers held special late night launch parties. We'll probably see more accurate numbers shortly from NPD, but Fallout 3 certainly appears to be living up to the hype, receiving high marks from many leading video game websites. In any case, the game has already seen a significant leap in sales compared to Bethesda’s last game, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, with first-week sales of Fallout 3 being 57 percent higher.