They say that all good things come to those who wait. That appears to be true for European Xbox 360 owners who have yet to pick up a copy of Virtua Fighter 5 (PS3, XBox 360), as the UK branch of Amazon is now offering the game at half price. More details on this virtua deal after the jump.

So you think you've seen everything in Sega's Virtua Fighter 5 for the Xbox 360? Think again. Just when you think that the game couldn't be any better, here comes a patch which will liven up the popular fighting franchise a little bit more. Details in the full article.

A downloadable demo for Virtua Fighter 5 (Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3) has just been released on Xbox Live Marketplace. The file itself is 674.39MB in size and is available in all Xbox Live regions.

We also got word the the full Xbox 360 version of Virtua Fighter 5 has just gone gold (meaning the game's ready for mass production) and is sure to make its October 30 release date. The most exciting thing about this game is that an online versus mode will be available right from day one.

The DOJO feature, furthermore, will reflect leaderboard results. It is also be home to several other online features such as training move settings, throw escape training, and the option to change your opponent's position and recovery type.

Aside from the already mentioned, Sega has also updated the game's Quest mode by adding more CPU rivals, items, and emblems for character customization.

The Achievement list for Virtua Fighter 5 is now out, and there's plenty of Achievement titles to ensure long replay value to Sega's latest installment of their famous fighting game franchise, out for the PS3 and Xbox 360.

There's even a total of seven locations where players can gain Champion titles from, as well as tournament achievements for both beginners and amateurs. There are also a lot of things to collect, like Items, Emblems, and Orbs.

Here's some of the more interesting Achievements that you can get from Virtua Fighter 5:

• Champion of Sega Arena Coast - Defeat all rivals at Sega Arena Coast using the same character data.
• Champion of Club Sega Downtown - Defeat all rivals at Club Sega Downtown using the same character data.
  
• Champion of Sega World Route 101 - Defeat all rivals at Sega World Route 101 using the same character data.
  
• Beginners' Try - Place in the top three in the official Beginners' Try tournament. Amateurs' Tournament - Place in the top three in the official Amateurs' Tournament.

Well, that just about whets our appetite for Virtua Fighter 5's release on October 30. Get ready to crack your knuckles for the upcoming hard-hitting fighting game to hit the next-gen consoles!

For the complete Achievements list, check out the Read link below.

Thanks to Jonathan for the tip!

  

1Up got a one-up interview during the Tokyo Game Show with the developers of Virtua Fighter 5. Designer Tohru Murayama and producer Noriyuki Shimoda talked about the Xbox 360 online multiplayer function of the game.

It was explained last time that the main reason VF5 almost didn't get an online multiplayer function was because the game required pinpoint accuracy to execute moves, and a lag from the network would definitely put some players off, especially the hardcore ones. In fact, their first tests did indeed suffer some serious issues with lagging.

While the final version of VF5 may suffer some lag as well, they're hoping that the opportunity to battle with real people online may make up for it. Let's face it: lag is often inevitable but there's no beating the feeling of whooping a human than an AI player. (They have been able to improve the AI though.)

Maryanna explains that players will be able to adapt to the adjustments needed during online play, given that their connection is stable. Player input is key and will always take priority to keep timing as accurate as possible. We'll get to see its performance for ourselves when the game comes out on October 30.

There is still no word whether Microsoft is going to release Sega's Virtua Fighter 5 for the Xbox 360 in Japan. The PlayStation 3 build of the game, which was released months earlier, received some positive reviews from various websites. As we all know, the title itself is not the problem here. It's just that Japan has never been Microsoft's turf.

Anyway, while waiting for things to clear out, here are three new gameplay videos for Virtua Fighter 5. Seeing that this title is from the fighting genre, all three gameplay videos involve some of your favorite characters. Speaking of which, two new characters were added: the young girl Eileen and Rey Mysterio-like El Blaze.

Virtua Fighter 5 for the Xbox 360 is expected to ship to North America and the whole of Europe this coming October 30.



See the other videos by clicking the "Full Article" link below!

With today's market inundated with fighters that sport everything from weapon-based combat to one-hit kills, it's certainly good to go back to the basics and experience armchair pugilism in its purest form - and there's no better title to give you that experience than Sega's Virtua Fighter 5 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. We see all that and more in this gameplay video update, starring four of the more popular fighters in this beat-em-up series that revolutionized fighting in the third dimension as we know it.

In these videos, we see two separate bouts - Jacky facing off with Shun Di, and Wolf duking it out with El Blaze. The environments look fantastic, the lighting blindingly realistic - and the action is as painful and well-animated as ever. One thing yours truly likes about this next-gen iteration is that it keeps to the root material - in-your-face martial arts, cringe-worthy impact sound effects, and the ability to give your downed opponent the what-for with a sneaky jump attack.

Enough spoilers from us, enjoy the Virtua Fighter 5 videos! Ready, FIGHT!

The other video after the jump!

Due to Microsoft Xbox 360's low popularity in Japan, Sega is having second thoughts about releasing a Japanese version of Virtua Fighter 5 (PS3, Xbox 360) for the Xbox 360.

Since its December 2005 launch date, only 400,000 Xbox 360 units were sold in Japan, way behind the Sony PlayStation 3 (1 million) and the Nintendo Wii's numbers (3 million).

"We haven't decided if we'll release Virtua Fighter 5 in Japan because of that," said lead designer Tohru Murayama. "But if we [can only release the game] for the US or EU markets, we just hope Virtua Fighter 5 will be a key title which encourages people to buy Xbox 360s."

October 30 will be a very happy day for Xbox 360 owners who have been waiting for Virtua Fighter 5 to come to their favorite console. According to video gaming site GameSpot, Sega has confirmed that the game will indeed hit Xbox 360s on that day.

The PlayStation 3 version of Virtua Fighter 5 has been out since earlier this year, but the Xbox 360 version also packs a few nifty exclusive features. Of course, online play is one of the big additions, as are the online leaderboards and a feature that lets players study the top contenders' playing styles by downloading their matches.

The Xbox 360 edition will also feature rumble support thanks to the console's vibration-enabled controller. Virtua Fighter 5 for the Xbox 360 will reportedly be based on the latest arcade hardware revision, and GameSpot notes that the game will also feature a quest mode with more rivals and new training options in the dojo mode.

Hard-hitting beat-em-up action in a blistering pace headed for you in this E3 gameplay montage of Virtua Fighter 5 for the PS3 and Xbox 360. We get you the latest on Sega's next-gen iteration to their legendary fighting title.

In this video, we see various characters throwing down on their opponents, and it's to note that the movesets are as varied and as smooth as they always were. From the utilitarian hip toss to the flamboyant flipkick, everything is animated to the last detail - right up to the minute of impact.

But it's not just the moves that look good. Looking at the video, it's obvious that Sega's upped the bar in terms of fighter costumes. From the grain of silk to the shine of leather, the fabrics that make up the gear of Virtua Fighter's roster are distinguishable from each other - and almost indistinguishable from the real thing.

Certainly a very good-looking beat-em-up from Sega. Updates as we get them, and enjoy the video!

Buy: [Virtua Fighter 5 (PS3)]
Buy: [Virtua Fighter 5 (Xbox 360)]