Melbourne Cup Challenge

Melbourne Cup Challenge is here and it means that the entire United States region of Australia can take part in the newest multiplayer virtual sporting event. Over 50 percent of players will win an Intel Extreme Masters Gamer's League ticket, making it one of the first international tournaments to win. GameSpot AU will be reporting live from the tournament on Friday, August 23rd, for a full rundown of everything you need to know to get going.

The Sydney Cup Finals will take place on Saturday August 24th from 11:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Australian Eastern Daylight Time (11:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. AEST).

The entire country (excluding Australia) will be invited to participate in the Sydney Cup Finals.

Participants will receive prizes to show their skills as a team and watch some of the best games like NBA 2K11, FIFA Soccer 11, NHL 11, and of course, PES 2012. Participants will also be able to win the tickets to the Grand Finals at their local GameSpot hub.

The International Cup Finals for the Xbox 360 will take place between August 24th to 25th. The grand finals, which take place on Saturday August 23rd, will be held at Fountainhead Theatre in Leamington Spa, the venue that is host to the awards ceremony.

From August 24th to 24th, the Xbox 360® video game console® computer entertainment system (TM) and entertainment system software system will be available for download through Xbox Live. The following downloadable games will be available at launch:

· Tournament TV SPORTS Remote Play: Web Video Play, Video Live Marketplace, and more.

· Nintendo Channel: Nintendo Channel Video Chat, available for download through Nintendo Wii™ and Nintendo DSi™ systems.

· The Global Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2012 will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center in June.

· The Nintendo Channel--available for download via Nintendo DSi system for free during the weekend of the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3).

· Europe’s largest gaming venue, the Official Nintendo Video Lounge, will be available to play games at the E3 Expo in June. This is a convenient location for visitors to visit and get their hands on some of the latest Nintendo games and upcoming Nintendo games for Wii™ and Nintendo DSi systems.

Nintendo is also displaying Wii Play demo kiosks that will display playable Wii games and software at the E3 Expo in June. The kiosks will also offer playable demos of new Wii games and software to Wii Remote™ and Nunchuk™ controllers.

Nintendo will also demo its first console software, the Nintendo DS™, at E3 2011. The Nintendo DSi, developed by Nintendo’s former General Manager of Technology and the creator of Nintendo DS family hardware, will offer an immersive gaming experience that rivals that of any other console.

"Nintendo’s marketing and release strategy for Wii has always been about creating a portable entertainment system that consumers can play at their own pace. I’ve always wanted to do a portable gaming device that they could take anywhere, whether they’re on the road or in a car," said Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of Sales & Marketing. "Our goal with the DSi is to give people an experience that will be familiar to them as they go through the Nintendo DS system."

No release date or price has been announced for the system.

Check out our Wii E3 2011 Hands-On Preview