GameCity sets zombie gathering record

Nottingham's GameCity games festival was the scene of the world's largest gathering of zombies this Halloween. 1227 local citizens turned up at the city's Market Square to be made up as undead terrors, earning a Guinness World Record.

In fact, estimates put the number of zombies in attendance at well over 1500, so far in excess of expectations that the organisers weren't equipped to register and count them all.

Nottingham's Lord Mayor supervised zombie registration during the late afternoon, and publicly thanked the groaning horde for a such a high turnout. Free Radical's Rob Yescombe interviewed the local dignitary over the PA and asked him, if he were to eat a human being, where he would start. After a pause for thought, the Lord Mayor answered: "the thighs".

The zombie crowd was kept entertained by Jonathan Coulton, the singer-songwriter famous for his Portal anthem "Still Alive". He serenaded them with his study of the zombie condition, Re: Your Brains.

The 1227 zombies were then taught and led in the dance routine from Michael Jackson's Thriller - an unforgettable spectacle for everyone present.

Event organisers will be satisfied that their world record attempt eclipsed that of rival London Games Festival this week. The LGF claimed its own Guinness record for amassing 342 videogame cosplayers in the capital last weekend.

Continuing the Halloween theme, a world record speedrun attempt for Resident Evil 4 is underway at GameCity at the moment, and a remarkable one-off zombie event is planned for later this evening. We'll have more on that once we've had something to eat. Braaaains.