Lost Odyssey delayed in U.S, not playable at TGS 07

Listed in: News, Lost Odyssey, Games Tags: Microsoft, Japan, North America, Hironobu Sakaguchi, Takahashi Sensui

During Microsoft's pre-TGS 07 conference, Xbox Division Manager for Japan Takahashi Sensui showcased Mistwalker's upcoming title Lost Odyssey and he has good news and bad news for all of you. Before we drop the bad news, you might want to know that the RPG is already 95% complete.

Hironobu Sakaguchi played a demo in front of the live audience but he was eventually killed in one of the battles. According to those who were in attendance, the graphics was indeed awesome while the battle system can be likened to other titles running on Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3.

A box art for the game was displayed and then Takahashi Sensui took the floor again. According to the official, Japan will get Lost Odyssey this coming December 6 as scheduled but fans in North America will have to wait until next year to get their hands on the title - and that's February 2008 to be accurate.

It was also said during the event that Lost Odyssey is not going to be playable at this year's Tokyo Game Show but a separate conference will be hosted by Microsoft some time in November for the press. Sensui also said that the the title will be available for the rest of Asia by January but no launch date was provided for the European fans.

[Via Joystiq]

Halo 3 pre-TGS screens, Diorama TV ad, and StarCraft promo video

Listed in: Halo 3, Videos, Games, Screenshots Tags: Blizzard, Microsoft, Master Chief, Bungie Studios, UEFA

It seems that Microsoft is currently enjoying a brief marketing lead over the competition as the company has just held a pre-TGS 2007 conference. In the said gathering, a lot of new video game titles were revealed and the upcoming big ones were given further exposure.

Bungie Studios' Halo 3 was given a superstar treatment as new screenshots were released coupled with a promotional video for their upcoming FPS and Blizzard's StarCraft. It sounds quite impossible but we have the video clip here so you can see it for your own eyes.

Aside from that, there's also a TV ad that will be debuting on Tuesday (September 18) over at ITV1 during the coverage of the UEFA Champions League. It will be shown at around 9:35 p.m. This advertisement features a "diorama" put on display at the "Museum of Humanity" in honor of Master Chief's heroism.

If you can't wait for the said launch date of the ad, don't worry because QJ.NET has all the goods for you - right here, right now. Halo 3 will be released on September 25.

See the other screenshots and the two videos after the jump!

[Full Article]
Buy: [Halo 3]

Xbox 360 Guitar Hero II downloads pass 650,000

Listed in: News, Games, Guitar Hero II, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Tags: Activision, PS2, Downloadable Content, RedOctane It was recently announced that the downloadable song packs for the Xbox 360 version of RedOctane and Activision's Guitar Hero II has already hit multi-platinum status. This essentially means it sold 650,000 through the Xbox Live Marketplace in less than five months.

It has also been reported that individual songs for download have already passed the two million mark and that the Guitar Hero games have sold over 5.5 million units. RedOctane's head of publishing Dusty Welsh spoke about this milestone and how they were able to reach it:

Activision was the first third-party publisher to offer downloadable content via Xbox LIVE to consumers and as a result, we have tremendous insight into the types of content that consumers want.

The Guitar Hero II downloadable video game song packs are some of the most popular content on Xbox LIVE and are quickly becoming a very lucrative revenue stream and powerful promotional vehicle for musicians and record labels today.

With the popularity of both Guitar Hero I and II, can we expect lightning to strike thrice with the upcoming Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock(Xbox 360, Wii, PS2, PS3)? We'll have to see when it comes out this October 29.

XBLA title Omega Five's features and screenshots

Listed in: News, Xbox Live, Games, Screenshots Tags: Microsoft, Natsume, Hudson Entertainment, Xbox Live Arcade, Tomonobu Itagaki, John Greiner

In case you missed our earlier article, Microsoft just had a preliminary conference for the upcoming Tokyo Game Show (TGS) 2007. Aside from Tomonobu Itagaki's live demonstration for the Xbox 360-exclusive Ninja Gaiden 2, a handful of full retail titles and Xbox Live games were announced as well.

One of those was Omega Five from developers Natsume and Hudson Entertainment. The new IP is actually a side-scrolling shooter set in a 3D environment where players can choose from multiple humanoid characters. All of these characters come with their own unique special attacks and upgradeable weapons.

"Hudson is truly pleased to be working with Natsume on bringing an all new franchise to shooter fans worldwide. Omega Five promises to be the most challenging shooter in the Xbox Live Arcade library, and will appease the most hardcore fan of the genre", said Hudson Entertainment CEO and President John Greiner.

Hudson said that Omega five will be ready for download in all Xbox Live regions this coming November. While waiting for the release, just take a look at these screenshots and other features for the game.

The screenshots and features after the jump!

[Full Article]

KISS guitar controller for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock

Listed in: News, Games, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Tags: PS2, RedOctane

Axe and you shall receive (ok, that was an awful pun). But seriously, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (PC, Mac, Xbox 360, PS2, PS3, Wii) gives everyone the chance to rock in style as they offer a customized KISS-themed guitar controller for the game.

Art Guitar is offering to produce limited editions of the AG Riff Master Guitar Controller, the official RedOctane "axe" for the game. These thematic controllers will be modded from actual guitars with the fret buttons and strum bar still intact. The strings will, of course, be removed to make way for players to jam to their heart's content.

The design for the body itself will feature the legendary band, KISS. Having spanned through all the incarnations of Guitar Hero, they make another encore performance for this latest iteration with their song, "Rock and Roll All Nite" in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.

The controller isn't without a hefty price tag attached to it however. This pretty little piece is priced at US$ 399 and Art Guitar is currently accepting pre-orders for it already. Also, for those looking into a little more variety, Art Guitar will be announcing more varied styles in the coming months.

Buy: [Guitar Hero 3 Bundle]

[Via Gamespot]

Video: Beautiful Katamari TGS '07 trailer ready to roll

Listed in: Videos, Games, Beautiful Katamari Tags: Namco Bandai

Regardless of whether Beautiful Katamari will appear on other platforms outside Xbox 360 or not, we can settle down and safely say it's looking good. This Japanese trailer, which should appear at Tokyo Game Show a few days from now, rolled up some sweet gameplay footage together while breaking down what features to expect from Namco Bandai's larger-than-life title.

When we say larger than life, we mean it quite literally - in Beautiful Katamari, you can roll up pretty much everything and eventually be more massive than Earth itself. Add online multiplayer features and a quirky soundtrack the series is known for, then we're sold.

More details are packed in the trailer, but our comprehension of the Japanese language can only do so much. Check it out yourself by watching the embed below.

Buy: [Beautiful Katamari]

Microsoft comments on BrandIntel console sentiment study

Listed in: News, Opinions & Analysis Tags: Microsoft, Sony, BrandIntel

Upon receiving news about BrandIntel's report on console sentiment, a Microsoft representative told Next-Gen.biz (Next Generation) that they are "where [they] need to be at this point in [their] lifecycle." And in the same prepared statement to Next Generation, they remained confident that they wouldn't trade their current position with anyone. The representative added:

When we launched Xbox 360 back in November 2005, we knew that strategically it would be imperative for us to first win over the hearts and minds of the core gaming audience before focusing on a broader audience. If gamers didn't love us, we didn't stand a chance.

True to the representative's words, the study concluded that the Xbox 360 does have the largest user attach factor if viewed from a hardcore gaming perspective. However, the BrandIntel report suggested that the Wii would become the consumer choice for this generation of consoles, because of its high intent to purchase and sentiment scores.

BrandIntel revealed a study earlier that found consumer sentiment for the Nintendo Wii topped sentiment for the competition at 3.7 points, which was closely followed by the Xbox 360 at 3.4 points and the Sony PlayStation 3 at 3.1 points.

[Via Next-Gen.biz]

Study determines console sentiment, purchase intent; Wii on top

Listed in: News, Opinions & Analysis Tags: Microsoft, Sony, Toronto, BrandIntel Toronto-based BrandIntel recently concluded a study on the next generation consoles offered by Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony to determine which one has captured a user base most sentimental to their consoles.

The study entitled "Top Video Game Console Report: Consumer Insight Monitor" used a proprietary engine to sift through user comments in forums and blogs in the Internet and has concluded that the Wii has the highest consumer sentiment.

The study ranked sentiment through a five-point scale, and the Nintendo console grabbed a high 3.7 point average (out of 5). The Xbox 360 rallied 3.4 points in average, while the PlayStation 3 collected 3.1 points in average. According to BrandIntel, this grants the Wii the potential to become the consumer choice for next-generation gaming.

The Wii currently holds the most intent to purchase, while it was discovered that the Xbox 360 is the gaming choice for hardcore gamers. The study found that consumers recommended the Wii the most, which was boosted further by numerous positive comments on the console.

The Xbox 360 rounded up top recommendations, too, because positive comments were gathered on the console's game lineup. The PlayStation 3 also received positive feedback from plenty of gamers due to its unique hardware architecture, power and relatively larger hard drive (compared to most Xbox 360 SKUs). Its score could have been higher, if it weren't for collected comments on the lack of great games and some complaints of its high costs.

Tony Hawk's Proving Ground demo now on Marketplace

Listed in: News, Xbox Live, Games, Tony Hawk's Proving Ground Tags: Activision, Tony Hawk, PS2, Asia

The Tony Hawk skating franchise is still going strong, with the demo for Activision's Tony Hawk's Proving Ground (PS3, PS2, Xbox 360, Wii, DS) now up on the Xbox Live Marketplace. Get it while it's hot.

In the demo, gamers will be able to sample some of the new features in Tony Hawk's Proving Ground. Included are the video editor and Nail the Grab features, and gamers can also make use of the game's environmental modification features.

Of course, there's also a lot of skating to be done in the demo, with the venue being Philadelphia. The demo weighs in at 1.04 GB. As for availability, it seems the only ones not able to download the demo are Xbox 360 owners in Asia. The full game is scheduled for release next month.

Buy: [Tony Hawk's Proving Ground]

Microsoft to release more RPGS to win Japanese gamer's hearts

Listed in: News, Lost Odyssey, Infinite Undiscovery Tags: Microsoft, Sony, Mistwalker, Tri-Ace

The Xbox 360's library of RPG titles have always been sparse compared to its console gaming rivals, but don't dare think that Microsoft doesn't notice or is ignoring that fact.

In an effort to lure more Japanese gamers into becoming Xbox 360 owners, Japanese Xbox head Takashi Sensui released a statement that Microsoft will provide more games of the RPG genre, including games already in development such as Mistwalker's Lost Odyssey and Infinite Undiscovery by Tri-Ace.

The timing of the news is well thought-out as well. The holidays is only a few months away, and it's the best opportunity to see if Microsoft's new approach to win over Japanese gamers will prove to be successful.

Doing so will be a feat, however. Nintendo and Sony, Microsoft's current rivals, both appear to be doing a better job in winning people over to their side in the Japanese gaming arena.

Will the Microsoft succeed in snagging more Japanese to the Xbox crowd? Do check this space often to find out!

[Via USA Today]

Pre-TGS 2007 Microsoft Conference reveals new Xbox 360, Xbox Live titles

Listed in: News, Xbox Live, Games Tags: Microsoft, Tomonobu Itagaki

For those of us who unfortunately missed Microsoft's Pre-TGS 2007 conference, you missed a lot. Not only did you miss a lot of Xbox 360 exclusive titles being unveiled for the very first time, you also missed Tomonobu Itagaki's live demonstration of the ultra-violent and ultra-stylish Ninja Gaiden 2.

There's also the deal of a lot of classic shooter titles announced to make their way to Xbox Live soon - and take note, these are some of the best arcade games ever made. But let's not tarry - here's a brief rundown, in bullet form, of the titles shown and announced in the conference!

Games shown/announced:

• Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation
• Beautiful Katamari
• Ninja Gaiden 2
• Lost Odyssey
• Viva Pinata: Party Animals
• Devil May Cry 4
• Project Gotham Racing 4
  
• Halo 3
• Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom
  
• Battlefield: Bad Company
• Battlestations: Midway
• Bladestorm: The Hundred Years’ War
• Castle Shikigami III
• Dynasty Warriors 6
• Dynasty Warriors: Gundam
• Final Fantasy XI Play Online All in One Pack 2007
• Final Fantasy XI Wings of the Goddess
• Just Cause
• Mobile Ops: The One Year War
• Operation Darkness
• Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
• Zoids Alternative

The rest of the list after the jump!

[Full Article]

[Via IGN]

Infinite Undiscovery official website goes live

Listed in: News, Games, Infinite Undiscovery Tags: Square Enix, Tri-Ace

We haven't heard much about Tri-Ace's upcoming Infinite Undiscovery for the Xbox 360, but RPGs coming from that company never fails to deliver. That said, the excitement can't be helped when Square Enix took pre-Tokyo Game Show Conference stage to announce that they'll be publishing the title.

Not surprising, you say? Since all of recent Tri-Ace games have been published under the same banner, we hear you there. Staple characters like Lenneth Valkyrie, Gabriel Celeste, and Ethereal Queen will be making their appearances too. Of course, we can't confirm any details about Infinite Undiscovery right now, and the Japanese official website that just went up doesn't help.

There's not much to see from the site, but it's available for everyone's viewing pleasure via Read link below. Fortunately, 1UP grabbed some new screens that you can check out for now. If any updates surface, we'll make sure to keep you posted.

Read

GameFly's most wanted games for the week ending September 7

Listed in: News, Stranglehold, Games Tags: THQ, Ubisoft, 2K Games, Ninja Theory, Midway Games, GameFly

The results are in for GameFly's most requested games for the week ending September 7. Last week's "All platforms" chart sees Midway Games' Stranglehold overtaking 2K Games' Bioshock, which has sunk to fourth place. Second in the list is Electronic Art's (EA) Medal of Honor: Airborne, with Bungie Studio's Halo 3 sitting comfortably at third. Meanwhile, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare caps the list at number five.

As some readers may have noticed, last week's most wanted has effectively been dominated by 360 titles. You may also notice below that the 360-specific chart is exactly the same as the "All platforms" chart.

For the other top picks in their specific platform chart, we have Nintendo's Metroid Prime 3: Corruption going strong as the most wanted for the Wii console, with Ninja Theory's Heavenly Sword making its cut as the PlayStation 3's top pick. For the portables, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass holds first place for the DS; Capcom's Monster Hunter Freedom 2 is currently the PSP's most wanted game.

[Full Article]

[Via Gamasutra]

Namco official site lists Eternal Sonata for PS3, Beautiful Katamari for PS3, Wii

Listed in: Rumors, Games, Eternal Sonata, Beautiful Katamari Tags: Sony, Namco Bandai When asked about the availability of Eternal Sonata for the PS3, an Namco Bandai spokesperson only had this to say: that they are not aware of a PlayStation 3 version at the moment. But their official website now says otherwise.

And that's not all. Beautiful Katamari is also listed for both the PS3 AND the Wii.

Remember the previous rumors about Beautiful Katamari leaving the PS3 in favor of the Wii? It looks like our dear beloved Prince had a change of heart and decided to - once again - roll over to the Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation 3.

If this isn't a typo (like the supposed Killer 7 for the Wii), this should be a definite sign of good things to come.

BioShock to have sequel, Take-Two job cuts underway

Listed in: News, Bioshock, Games Tags: Strauss Zelnick

Encouraged by BioShock's success, having shipped 1.5 million units since its August 21 release date, Take-Two is considering to make BioShock a gaming franchise with new games every two years. "Clearly, we have a new hit franchise on our hands," Strauss Zelnick, Take-Two's chairman said.

However, despite the gains brought by BioShock, Take-Two has taken a monetary hit with net loss amounting to US$ 58.5 million. Yet they were able to get revenues worth US$ 206.4 million for Q3 ending in July 31, spurred by their top titles such as Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, The Darkness, and The Bigs across different platforms.

The loss was attributed to reorganization and restructuring of the company as well as legal expenses. "We're moving from fixing the company to managing and growing our business," said Zelnick in a conference call with Next Generation.

Managing and growing business also means another slew of job cuts for Take-Two, expecting additional restructuring costs to be incurred in the fourth quarter of 2007 and will stretch out into the 2008 fiscal year.

But how about Grand Theft Auto 4? Zelnick said that the delay into year 2008 is not for naught, and also mentioned that the game already looked great when he checked on it last Friday.

[Via Next Generation]

Next Castlevania for next-gen may be for the 360

Listed in: Interviews, Games Tags: Microsoft, Wiimote, Konami, Koji Igarashi

With Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles and a still-unnamed DS version in the works, the looming question hangs above Koji Igarashi (or IGA) and the rest of the Castlevania team: what console will get the next Castlevania game?

For this decision, it seems that console popularity is a major impact when it comes to IGA. Between the Xbox 360 and PS3, IGA chose Microsoft's console, saying:

The U.S. market is the biggest market for the Castlevania series, so I will give the first priority to the U.S. market. The platform will be the Xbox 360, since the PS3 isn't doing well everywhere in the world. As you know, Konami will release Metal Gear for the PS3, so Metal Gear might expand the PS3 market. In that case, we may release Castlevania for the PS3.

However, what about the highest-selling console to date, the Wii? While IGA acknowledges the popularity of Nintendo's console, he still has some misgivings, saying that third-party titles do not sell as well for the Wii and that there are some issues with the Wiimote controls. To illustrate the point, he even performed an overhead whipping gesture to show how tiring it will be to always use the Wiimote's motion sensors as controls.

For DS gamers anticipating the still-unknown Castlevania title, there's some good news: it will not be a remake of any Castlevania game (not even the PSP's Dracula X: Chronicles), but it will be an all-new game.

Well, we certainly can't wait for that one. Do check this space for more updates!

Read the entire interview in the Read link!

Read

Eternal Sonata producer on the importance of creating scenario

Listed in: Interviews, Games, Eternal Sonata Tags: Tri-Crescendo

Even the most rabid Japanese RPG fans who'll jump at anything with anime-esque characters and teenagers who save the world would have to agree that Eternal Sonata on the Xbox 360 is not like other video games we've seen before. Swords and magic against monsters inside Frederic Chopin's head? Only the folks from Tri-Crescendo can come up with that.

On the latest blog post from Eternal Sonata's devs, producer Shinji Noguchi discussed how important it was to create the game's scenario and how much effort they invested in making the game unique. Being the company's first Xbox 360 title, "Eternal Sonata represented a shift to new hardware and a new style of graphics," according to Noguchi.

It does seem like it was a tough task to create the legendary composer's subconscious, but the initial scenario easily went through. eternal Sonata devs were able to focus more on other aspects after the ingenious setting was improved early in development, said Noguchi.

One problem they encountered, as Noguchi cited on the blog post, was how programmers had trouble making female protagonist Polka's hair flow realistically. Plenty of other issues sprouted up, but the producer was proud how they handled all hurdles with creative solutions.

The creativity and experience that Tri-Crescendo acquired after previous projects resulted in "a fun and innovative battle solution," added Noguchi. He's hoping that people enjoy the game, since there were lots of challenges and barriers to overcome before Eternal Sonata came into fruition.

Buy: [Eternal Sonata]

[Via IGN]

UT3's PS3 exclusivity confirmed; playable demo coming to TGS 2007

Listed in: News, Games, Unreal Tournament 3 Tags: Epic Games, Mark Rein

Despite the growing rumors that the Sony PlayStation 3 version of Unreal Tournament 3 (also coming for Linux, Mac, Windows PC, and Xbox 360 flavors) may suffer delays, Epic Games' Mark Rein remained firm that the highly-anticipated shooter will still be released for the Sony PS3 first before the Xbox 360 version. Epic Games was open to delaying the first two versions to make them both come out right, as opposed to come out right now. Rein explains in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz:

The PS3 console exclusivity is not in doubt. We are shipping the game on the PS3 well before the Xbox 360 version ships. That's the version we are working on right now. We do not have a date for the Xbox 360 version.

November was the last confirmed date for UT3 to debut on PS3 and PCs worldwide, while Xbox 360 gamers were given an early 2008 release date.

Several sites have created their own countdown timers of when Unreal Tournament 3 is going to be shipped and shelved, but Rein said there's no specific release date set. However, Rein did stress that Epic Games was still aiming to do things right and right now. "Nothing has changed at this point. We're working toward a November release," he commented.

And as if to strengthen fans' hopes, Rein announced that the game will be rendered playable over at the 2007 Tokyo Game Show this coming October. Previously, Unreal Tournament 3 was demonstrated at a Midway Games event on PS3s in New York and on PCs at LANs in Leipzig.

Buy: [Unreal Tournament 3 (PC)]
Buy: [Unreal Tournament 3 (Xbox 360)]
Buy: [Unreal Tournament 3 (PS3)]

[Via GamesIndustry.biz]

Ninja Gaiden 2 screenshots leaked from XBL Japan

Posted Sep 11, 2007 at 06:13PM by Glen D. Listed in: Xbox Live, Games, Screenshots Tags: Tecmo

If you haven't heard yet, it was reported earlier that Tecmo's Ninja Gaiden 2 screenshots were leaked from the Japanese Xbox Live service. According to the source, these images appeared out of nowhere and were immediately removed from XBL.

Thank goodness some people were fast enough to capture these nine lovely images which were assumed to be showcased during the Tokyo Game Show 2007. Notice that the quality is looking better than that of Ninja Gaiden Sigma on the Sony PlayStation 3.

There aren't a whole lot of other details on these images and no official comments coming from Tecmo has been released, but these screenshots do look as real as leaked ones get. Ninja Gaiden 2 is slated for release on the Microsoft Xbox 360 and the Sony PlayStation 3.

More screenshots in the Full Article!

[Full Article]

[Via CVG]

Video: Team Fortress 2 Engineer revealed

Posted Sep 11, 2007 at 06:29PM by Nicolo S. Listed in: Videos, Games, Team Fortress 2 Tags: Steam As promised, Steam just revealed another team player for Team Fortress 2 : the Engineer. Known for building teleporters and ammunition dispensers back in the late 90's, this ever trusty dude is back for more action. Check him out by watching the video below.

Equipped with a shotgun, a pistol, a wrench, and the ability to build and repair deadly contraptions, the Engineer is perfect for defense. As you'll see in his debut video for Team Fortress 2, enemies can only hope to come close when this guy's got turrets to fend foes away. Not to mention, he's got the sense of humor the series is known for.

Ready to see him in action? Here's our burly man in Team Fortress 2 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC):

Buy: [The Orange Box (Xbox 360)]
Buy: [The Orange Box (PS3)]
Buy: [Team Fortress 2 (PC)]

Halo 3 Hits New Levels of Audio Realism With Waves

Waves, the world’s leading developer of professional audio signal processing tools, announced that Bungie’s Halo 3 will be the first video game to utilize its audio signal processing technologies in real-time. This dramatic development marks a significant step forward in game audio.

“I have used Waves tools extensively in the sound design of earlier Halo titles, but using these tools real-time is an exciting new step for Halo 3 and the video game industry,” said Marty O’Donnell, Audio Director of Bungie Studios. “These tools bring a higher level of audio realism and emotional immersion then has ever been possible before. I believe the use of Waves real-time signal processing tools represents the next major breakthrough in audio quality for the video game industry.”

“Waves is pleased to be working with Bungie, adapting our products to real-time video game rendering,” said Paul Bundschuh, vice president sales & marketing, Waves Semiconductor and OEM Licensing Division. “Several Waves technologies including the L360 Surround Limiter and Q10 Paragraphic Equalizer have been implemented in the Xbox 360 plug-in format for Halo 3 and other Xbox 360 game titles.”

“Microsoft welcomes Waves as an Xbox 360 middleware provider,” stated Brian Schmidt, Xbox program manager for Microsoft. “Waves has done a great job delivering their technologies and support for Halo 3. We are thrilled to have Waves audio processing available only for the Xbox 360 platform, providing these highly requested professional audio technologies to our game developers.”

About Waves Audio Ltd.

Waves introduced the industry’s first audio plug-in 1992 and has become the world’s leading developer and provider of professional digital audio processing tools. Waves technologies are used to improve sound quality in the creation of hit records, major motion pictures, popular gaming and multimedia titles the world over

Free Gears of War tournament in the UK

Posted Sep 03, 2007 at 10:15AM by Sally B. Listed in: News, Gears of War, Games Tags: Epic Games, UK

Gears of War (for the Xbox 360 and PC) hotshots in the UK should know that XLEAGUE.TV is hosting a free tournament for Epic Games' epic title, with GBP 250 (or about US$ 504) at stake.

Encouraged by their overwhelming success in their previous tournament events sponsored by the Daily Star, XLEAGUE.TV is now taking the plunge in hosting another free tournament for the popular third-person shooter Gears of War, and are sure that their planned event will be just as successful.

Those interested in joining the fun and games should take note that registration already opened on August 31, and there's no need to pay any fee whatsoever. There will be two upcoming tournaments, which will be announced in the following weeks.

For more information, check out www.XLEAGUE.TV, or email Marketing Manager Lee Catania at lee.catania@nasnet.co.uk. Or simply tune in to Shy Channel 279. Remember, this tournament is open only to UK gamers.

Game on!