14 DAY TRIAL // Namco Bandai has announced the release date for Tekken 6, the latest installment in the well-known fighting series. The game is set to arrive in North America on October 27 for the Xbox 360 home gaming console from Microsoft and for the PlayStation 3 from Sony. Namco Bandai has not confirmed the release dates for other markets, like Europe and Japan, which is rather weird considering the origins of the game.
The company has not mentioned a PC version of the title, although one is rumored to be in development. As for the PlayStation Portable version of the game, the publisher is only saying that it will arrive during the fall, which probably means sometime in November.
Those who are interested in pre-ordering Tekken 6 can do so at GameStop so that they can get two exclusive items, one usable in the real world and one in game. Players will get a Tekken 6 collectible calendar covering 2009 and 2010, and the chance to fight using the Cardboard Tube Samurai character created and popularized by the guys at Penny Arcade.
Hardcore players can get something that Namco Bandai calls the Tekken 6 Fight Stick Bundle, which includes the game, an art book exclusive to the package and an HORI made fighting stick that communicates via a wireless connection to the gaming consoles. Given the impact that the release of Street Fighter IV has made on sales of fighting sticks, some players might be extremely interested in the package, which costs no less than 149.99 dollars.
Namco Bandai has positioned Tekken 6 as the return to the roots for the fighting franchise and says that it aims to make the game accessible to new comers while also offering a complex experience for players who are familiar with the series.