A tour promoting the console and its various games has been announced by today, who hope the new tour of six UK cities will help introduce gamers to 'killer' games with the crucial festive period looming ever nearer. MS will be hoping to consolidate a strong position this Christmas, with the PS3's helpful in PAL regions - whilst simultaneously taking on the fresh challenge of the impressively innovative console from the end of the year.

Firstly the tour will land in Manchester followed by Newcastle, Birmingham, Sheffield, Southampton and finishing up in London. and Viva Pinata will be the showcases of the events, alongside the opportunity to play on Live, and indulge in the latest titles from the Arcade. Here are the dates and locations in full for you:

  • Manchester - 20, 21, 22, 23 & 24 October - Trafford Centre *Gears of War not available
  • Newcastle - 26, 27, 28 & 29 October - Metro Centre
  • Birmingham - 3, 4 & 5 November - The Bullring
  • Sheffield - 11 & 12 November - Meadowhall
  • Southampton - 25 & 26 November - West Quays
  • London - 2 & 3 December - Lakeside
"This is a great chance for people around the country to try the latest games and accessories for the Xbox 360, in some cases before the games even hit the shelves." beamed Stephen McGill, Marketing boss for Xbox UK. "Gaming just gets better and better and we’re sure gamers will be impressed with our latest offerings for the Xbox 360."

By Luke Guttridge