Watch out, soccer fans! Konami has just released a new trailer of its globally-popular Pro Evolution Soccer 2008, and the video is trying to set a festive mood for its arrival. Check it out:

The clip was short, but it was definitely sweet. The graphics shown were authentic next-gen from the lighting, movements and richness. It begs the question of which looks better between it and EA's FIFA 08. It's a tough call, but you'll eventually have to be the judge of that.

Along with its trademark intuitive control set and deep gameplay, extensive licensing has made PES 2008 a true force to reckon with on the soccer pitch. Every national team there is has been licensed along with its players to make this sim a truly global event. It's been proven before that games which hit close to home are big-sellers in concerned nations, and PES 2008 looks to capitalize on that. This trailer's from the Sony PlayStation 3 and the Microsoft Xbox 360 versions.

Video game Pro Evolution Soccer 6 is an excellent title except for the fact that it has been plagued by several online issues. According to previous reports from the players themselves, the title somehow behaves erratically online.

Konami, on the other hand, was quick to provide a fix that should patch things up. However, it came to our attention that the similar problem has been occurring again. Konami Digital Entertainment has already acknowledged the problem. According to the official statement released by the company,

Konami Digital Entertainment has been made aware that a small number of customers playing Pro Evolution Soccer 6 are facing connectivity issues wherein online game sessions are halted during game play on Xbox Live. Microsoft is currently working actively with Konami on this issue.

So if you're one of those players who are annoyed about the matter, all we can say is that a little patience will do the trick for all of us.

Here's more info on the upcoming MatchBox360 XL 2007 UK event. This year has a neat lineup for all you gamers out there (at least in the UK) this coming 4th and 5th of August. For this year's event, NEC Toute Suite, Birmingham will play host to the biggest Xbox and Xbox 360 eSports tournaments.

MatchBox360 XL will have competitive tournaments and freeplay on some of the best Microsoft console titles like Halo 2 (FFA and 4v4), Gears of War (4v4 Execution), and Pro Evolution Soccer 6 (Champions League format, group and knockout stage). Not only do these fantastic games await you, but tons of cash and material prizes that's worth up to £7,500.

XLEAGUE.TV will also be joining in on the fun to cover the event. So with that media bit covered, we're pretty sure you're all up and ready to expose your gaming skills to the world, eh? So why don't you go and enjoy yourselves at the MatchBox360 XL 2007 UK event? We bet you'll find some new buddies right there.

Keep it posted here for more info.

Rumor has it that Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 for the Playstation 3 would not only be considerably prettier than the Xbox 360 version, but significantly superior - up to three times the quality. This comes from an E-mpires forum boards poster by the handle of Shodan, who quotes a Korean Konami insider's blog (there's also talk about a confirmed Final Fantasy VII remake).

It's a possible theory backed up by some unconfirmed factoids: that Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 would benefit greatly from the large-capacity Blu-Ray format - the popular football game predicted to take up at least 18 GBs' worth of space. There's also the superior framerate the Playstation 3 version would also have, as well as online connectivity.

It's surprising that Konami let this much information slip out, so the veracity of the news is suspect. We can only wait for further developments, and we'll be sure to update you as we get them.

Konami released two test versions of their new Pro Evolution Soccer arcade machine. So how will the arcade port look like?

The coin operated version is dubbed Pro Evolution Soccer Arcade Championship and is based on the console title. It was specially ported to fit on an arcade machine but was created to still hold what the franchise is known for - gameplay and physics.

Along with the release of the arcade version, Konami would also be introducing their e-AMUSEMENT online network system. e-AMUSEMENT would allow players to link online and play against opponents from all over Europe. There would be e-AMUSEMENT cards available that would let players save their data and purchase in-game players.

The arcade version would be a bit like the console version - Pro Evolution Soccer 6 - featuring the international and club teams, realistic player avatars and moves, and CPU opponent difficulty levels. The arcade machines would also allow players to plug in their own controllers.

The test machines are located at The Hollywood Bowl on Finchley High Road, and the other one at The Rocket venue on Euston Road. After the beta test of the arcade machines, the rest of Europe will be seeing Pro Evolution Soccer Arcade Championship plus the online e-AMUSEMENT system will go live.

The Pro Evolution Soccer 6 demo from Konami would have been nice before the game shipped in Europe. At the same time, the demo would have been even nicer if it was also released to the territories of Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Singapore, Taiwan and/or the United States since soccer isn't just a European passion, you know (even in territories that focus more on football or baseball rather than soccer).

Just like the Saint's Row Ho-Ho-Ho pack, Gold members will find this demo immediately on their Marketplaces. Silver members must wait patiently until the 29th of this month to access the demo, says Major Nelson in his blog. And with a potential January 2007 U.S. release date for PES6, we're just hoping the demo is released some time before the game. Hey, we'd like our demos, too.

If you're the type of bloke who makes use of the gamerzine.com magazine portal, and you're into Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer 6, then this bit of news might be useful to you. The new issue of the Official PES6 Fanzine has just been published. The fanzine is full of guides, walkthroughs, and tips that should help you master the game.

The issue also has a look at the new handheld versions coming on Nintendo DS and Sony PSP, with animated screens for each. There’s also a behind the scenes look at the making of the PES6 TV ad with John Terry.

If you're willing to swallow your gamer pride and go seek some help, are you're really interested in that handheld feature that the zine's got, then all you really need is Adobe Reader v6. The thing is free for download no registration required, just click at our link below.

Download: [Official PES6 Fanzine]

James, aka JIGGA, from West London beat around 150 world class players from all over Europe, to bag the £1,600 (US$3,000) prize money at the first European Pro Evolution Soccer 6. The event held recently at the Emirates Stadium created quite a buzz in the video game scene with 32 brand new plasma screens waiting for the virtual athletes.

JIGGA, one of the best players in the UK with one of the highest national rankings, said "the tournament was the most prestigious that he has ever seen due to the quality of the equipment used by the outlook, also the location was excellent." The money wasn't bad, either.

JIGGA will face new challengers on the Grand Finals on December 9. Wannabe champs can buy the few remaining tickets at the South Entrance of the Stadium. Sponsored by Outlook Marketing, the tournament is designed to unite gamers from different backgrounds, races, and ages around the same table with one thing in common: a passion for a football video game.

    

It was a a joyous moment when Pro Evolution Soccer 6 was kicked off with three million copies being shipped. Unfortunately for Konami (and for die-hard PES fans), there were reports from gamers that the game behaves erratically online. This pushed Konami to come up with a PES 6 patch that should take care of the problem, which is a good thing since they moved fast to patch things up, but then again wouldn't it be nice if there was no room for corrections in the first place?

Anyhow, what's important is that the new update is available now, according to a Konami statement which is posted on Xbox.com's Europe Community Manager, Graeme Boyd. The statement says that "Konami has released an update to counter the occasional problems users of Pro Evolution Soccer 6 have experienced on Xbox Live. The free update resolves the connection problems when finding an opponent, making for a smoother online experience, and is automatically downloaded whenever the consumer plays online."

From what you've read the free patch will install as soon as you play the game on Xbox Live. So what are you waiting for, go ahead and get it.

After shipping three million copies of Pro Evolution Soccer 6 all across Europe, Konami is now getting ready for another big release, albeit of a different kind.

The Japanese software house has recently announced that they will be coming out with a patch for PES 6. This patch should address the lag and matchmaking issues that plagued early adopters on Xbox Live. Konami says that the patch will be available soon, but we don't have an accurate timetable for the release just yet.

Anyway, kudos to Konami for moving fast to correct these issues (although it would have been way better if the game didn't have these issues from the get-go). Here's hoping that the patch does what it's meant to do and that it drops soon so gamers can go back to doing what they bought the game to do: score some kickass goals.

Pro Evolution Soccer 6 will also be released for the PSP in December and the Nintendo DS in January.