Some call it the biggest fight in the last 25 years: "The World Awaits" happens tomorrow night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas with two of boxing's brightest stars duking it out for supremacy in the ring. Fans who can't wait for the fight between Oscar "The Golden Boy" De La Hoya and "Pretty Boy" Floyd Mayweather Jr. ran a simulation using the Sony PlayStation 3 version of EA Sports' Fight Night Round 3 to find out who will win tomorrow's brawl.

The video shows an aggressive Mayweather using his fast hands to deliver lightning combinations to Oscar's body early on. This takes away a lot of Golden Boy's stamina and weakens his punches. De La Hoya, an Olympic gold medalist and a six-division pro champion, is knocked out after several punishing rounds.

Popular boxing sites like ESPN and Maxboxing, however, are likely to disagree with the simulation. Everyone who knows boxing well enough that Mayweather, who is recognized as the best pond-for-pound boxer today, is more of a speed fighter who will much rather stick and move than go for a primal stoppage like what we saw in the simulation. Mayweather is a four-division pro champ and is unbeaten in 37 outings.

Everybody's up and about with the impending launch of the much-awaited PlayStation 3 in Europe and other PAL territories. Parties then, ought to be no problem, as we're sure there's gonna be a whole bunch of them in celebration for Sony's next-gen's arrival. And celebration is what we have for you today.

This one is from Electronic Arts, and they're out to give you a splendidly rockin' time for the PS3's launch. What they have in store for you are six titles that are sure to "usher in a world of next-generation gaming experiences" on your PS3. Says Gerhard Florin, EA's Executive Vice President and GM for International Publishing,

With the arrival of the PS3 in Europe and other PAL territories, the industry is turning the corner to the next-generation of interactive entertainment. From this point forward, it's all about amazing our customers with the best, all-new and innovative gaming experiences.

 
That is why, starting tomorrow, March 23, EA will be serving up to you gamers the following titles that will be launching alongside the PlayStation 3:

Def Jam Icon
The Godfather: The Don's Edition
Need For Speed: Carbon
NBA Street Homecourt
Fight Night Round 3
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07

So get out there and have a blast -- finally.

More than the screens, trailers, reviews, and videos, it's news like this that can effectively hype up games and convince consumers to go out and grab a copy of a game.

Especially for gamers who put graphics before gameplay, bagging an award for a game's Visual Effects is a sure shot of peaking their interest for a game.

So. The "visuals people" (a.k.a. Christopher Sjoholm, Kat Kelly Hayduk, Rob Hilson, and Celia Jepson) behind Fight Night Round 3 (Xbox360, PSP, PS3) just won the Outstanding Real Time Visuals in a Video Game award at the recently held 5th annual VES Awards. EA faced tough competition from Ubisoft's equally stunning Assassin's Creed (Xbox360, PS3), but at the end of it all, EA still got into the ring and stepped up to the fight (so to speak).

Assassin's Creed's E3 trailer was also nominated for the Outstanding Pre-Rendered Visuals in a Video Game award, alongside Hellgate: London's E3 trailer and a CG sequence from Warhammer Fantasy. But as of this writing, no winners have been announced for that category. We'll keep you posted for more.

We know EA's Fight Night Round 3 is already out. However, we can't help but wonder why there isn't so much talk about it. And then we reckoned, the answer boils down to just two simple things. First, not a lot of gamers purchased the title; and next, the game did fine but given its nature, there's really nothing much to talk about.

Have you guys grabbed a copy and tried the rather new FPB perspective? Do you happen to have friends who own Xbox 360 and decided to compare both versions? Are you two still friends? Why did you befriend them to begin with? Nah, we're just messing with you. Anyway, we put this up because we were thinking just exactly that: sometimes, fanboys and haters are like two boxers in the ring.

We mean, honestly, it had happened many times before even here at QJ. We know it can't be avoided sometimes, especially now that there are a lot of multi-platformed titles out there. Some X360 fan boy would go to a PS3-dedicated article then would begin name calling. Quite frankly, some PS3 fans had done the same.

We're not saying it's bad or something. We know it's just a little competition and something like that is never harmful. We guess what we're saying is that go keep wooting for your preferred consoles but don't draw blood. No name callings, please.

Wow, amusing how this one turned out like a public service announcement. It's as if we feel like we're your big brother. Big Brother QJ. Oh, crap...

Anyway, here's a bunch of screenshots for Fight Night Round 3. We hope you don't see yourselves in there.

See the rest of the screenshots after the jump!

Given that the game's now on its way to stores (if not already there), there's only so much you can say about a boxing game. Some would even say that playing one title is much like playing all boxing titles already. However, if it's a boxing title like EA Sports' Fight Night Round 3, there's still one last trick up its sweaty boxing glove.

One exclusive feature that this title has from its 360, Xbox, PS2 and PSP versions is the "Get in the Ring" mode. This will pit the players into an FPB (first-person shooting boxing) perspective, as well as a different kind of damage system that affects your overall boxing experience. Being stuck in an FPB view would give gamers the degree of reality enough to note that, when your eye swells from a punch, your visibility on screen will reduce just as much. You'll also be seeing flashes of light, streaks of color, and experience blurry moments.

And so, without further ado: Ding-ding-ding! On the red corner, now shipping onto retail stores, with a weight of US$ 59.99, and wearing trunks with the ESRB letter "T" for Teen... Fight Night Round 3!

To those of you who are true boxing fans, we're sure you know of the third fight between Pacquiao of the Philippines and Morales of Mexico. And for sure, you would have watched the bout, since it is decisive of who will meet Barrera to fight for the WBC Super Featherweight Title.

Given that Pacquiao KO'd Morales at 2:57 into the third round at last night's fight, we know he will be battling it out with Barrera. Now, we still don't know when the epic event will be. But as early as now, anticipation is high for the next meeting of these two great fighters.

But although that fight won't be for another year or so, there's no need to pout 'cause we have here 15 brand new screenshots of EA's Fight Night Round 3. Now, it ain't the real thing, but this is the closest you can get to the action until the real fight. These are close-up screens of great fighters slamming their fists into their opponent's faces to high heavens. Yeah, there's sure a lot of sweat and faces flying about. Sweet, huh?

Anyway, it's never too early to start warming up for a sport as physically demanding as boxing, even if it's just for a video game. So get out those gloves and start hitting!

More boxing action after the jump!

We know, we know. Trailers for this particular game have been scarce lately, and even then the last vid we featured was admittedly short - just enough to keep you guys prepped for when it does hit the PS3. And while the screenshots already offer a good depiction of the game's graphics (and the kind of G's pro boxers get exposed to), it just isn't the same when them fists aren't flying.

We found another trailer for EA's Fight Night: Round 3, and aside from showing us more of the slug-fests we've been enjoying, this video puts more focus on the game's Get in the Ring mode, which allows the player to jab, hook, bob and weave behind the eyes of one of the boxers in the ring - spectator sport it ain't. Producer Michael Blank will be narrating this video, so sit back, and enjoy the download and the screens we've provided.

Oh, yeah, one more thing: Did you know a pro boxer can generate 1000 pounds-per-square-inch of power in a well-executed straight? Just thought you'd like to know that before watching the "Thrilla in Manila" in action. Enjoy.

Wait, we got more screenshots in this article! Click on the Full Article link to see them.

Download: [Get in the Ring]

The game of boxing has its fans - and its critics. A little trivia for you guys: in 1983, the American Medical Association called for a ban in boxing, even calling it a "obscenity...that should not be sanctioned by any civilized society." Harsh! Well, Mike Tyson added credence to those criticisms by biting off a piece of Evander Holyfield's ear - just one strange deed among many (the latest of which is his wish to box with a girl). And out of fear of Iron Mike, the Tyson talk will end here.

But if you're still hungry for some boxing action with all the blood and fighting spirits but without the real head injuries, then EA Sports' Fight Night Round 3 might be for you. Set to conquer and dominate the gaming scene this coming December 12, it boasts of tons of features that will surely amp your gaming experience. But for now, take a good hard look at some of the game's screens; hopefully that will help with the wait.

Preorder: [Fight Night Round 3]

 

This holiday season, there's more to watch out for in that bloodied boxing ring than those knocked out players. Apparently deeply encouraged by the positive reception of gaming critics, EA Sports will launch Fight Night Round 3 this holiday for the PS3 with a whole lot of new exclusive features. And why not? After all, it does seem like the perfect blow out after receiving the first perfect score in Official Xbox Magazine for its Xbox 360 version.

With all new exclusive content as well as a comprehensive ESPN Integration package, expect film quality graphics, and the new first person mode called Get in the Ring. This new mode adapts the FPS system, but only, you ain't shooting nobody. Instead, you'd be punching them from the eyes of the boxer himself. Well, that or you get your character punched. Either way, it give a totally new meaning to facing up to your foes.

What's even more exciting about this is that the experience isn't limited to having a first-person perspective of punching. With visual and audio effects like ear ringing, restricted vision, flashes of bright light, color shifts and blur effects, you'd sure find yourself actually experiencing the full sensation of the sport, without having to be personally beaten black and blue. Ain't that a nice thought: having the legend Ali's fists going through your face?

But before you doze off to dreamland imagining beating the kings of the ring like Oscar De La Hoya and Muhammad Ali, here are the rest of the Key Features for this action-packed game.

• Split-Screen Multiplayer Action—Get even with your friends as you go mano-a-mano with them in exclusive split-screen battles.
• Super Punch – Now this one's true to it's name. So prepare yourself for that jaw-breaking punch with this feature. It's a sure way to get those blood flowing!
• One Punch Can Change A Fight – Make it historic. This is your moment to fame. Deliver that Knock out punch or  stun you r opponent til he stumbles back on the ring. That ought to put you in the Hall of Fame!
• Boxing’s Greatest Rivalries – Have a blast from the past with ESPN's Classic footage of bouts, or get the chance to recreate it your own. History is vast, and so is your choice, with some of the greatest fights including Arturo Gatti vs. Mickey Ward, Marco Antonio Barrera vs. Eric Morales, and Ali vs. Frasier.
• Online Gameplay

If you've been totally amazed by the visual realism depicted in the recently released Fight Night Round 3 screenshots for the PS3, perhaps this new trailer will blow you away. The only problem is it's too damn short! But that's what a teaser should be, right?

With a catchy tune in the background, the trailer has just enough action that will leave you asking for more. It's almost like watching a real fight on pay-per-view. It starts with boxers warming up for a fight, but without a warning, a quick blow on the face sets the stage for an even more intense exchange of head punches. One massive uppercut ultimately sends the bloodied contender to the floor.

This is just a good warm up until you finally get in the ring and outpunch opponents when the game hits the shelves on December 12.

Download: [Fight Night Round 3 trailer]