According to Videogamer, Epic's Mark Rein says PS3 owners shouldn't expect Unreal Tournament III's split-screen option for Xbox 360 to be patched into their version of the game. To compensate, he says they "should be happy" that they have user-generated mod support.

Rein explains it would be a "big job" to go back and retrofit the PS3 version and doesn't believe Epic has the resources to devote to such a project. He says more mod support will be added to the PS3 version of the game, but wouldn't go into specifics. The Xbox 360 version of UT3 is expected "this summer."

We still don't have an exact release date for Unreal Tournament 3 for Xbox 360, but we're getting closer. The news out of Midway's Gamers Day is that we can expect the title to appear this "summer." We found out yesterday that the Xbox 360 version will feature five "exclusive" maps, split screen capabilities and two new characters. Today we can add that there will also be an all-new Warfare mode, though we're still trying to find out what that exactly means. Check out the gallery below for some new images.

There's still no release date for Unreal Tournament 3 on Xbox 360, but there are some details now on what makes the 360's iteration different from PC and PS3. IGN reports that the Xbox 360 version of UT3 will have five new "exclusive" maps, two new characters and includes two-player splitscreen. It will also contain the free maps available as DLC for the PS3 and PC versions of the game.

Jeff Morris, senior producer at Epic, tells the site he believes UT3 will be a reprieve for those with "tactical shooter fatigue." He stands by the game being an "unabashedly twitch" title. We're expecting more details (maybe even a release date) on the Xbox 360 version of UT3 sometime tomorrow.

It's been a while since we've talked about Unreal Tournament 3 on the Xbox 360, but Epic's Mark Rein has said in the game's forums that the port is due to be shown in a couple of weeks at Midway's Gamers' Day in Vegas. He says there is no "particular release date yet," but that the title is "coming along really nicely."

We're still a little curious about what UT3 on Xbox 360 will offer. The PS3 version recently received free maps (something we know MS doesn't like to do) and Rein previously admitted there were complications with Microsoft over modding. Hopefully there'll be some answers at Midway's Gamers' Day on April 17.

Oh, Samus, did you lose all of your suit's abilities again? Is that why you're running around in Unreal Tournament III, picking fights with Master Chief? Wait, is your lawyer okay with this? Does he think all this modding magic is "great?"

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

This week's PSN update brings a hearty dose of content. Warhawk, which has an update and expansion incoming, is on sale the next couple weeks for $30 (normally $40). There's also a flOw bundle for $9 that includes the game plus expansion. UT3 players should make sure to pick up their free maps; meanwhile, High Stakes poker players with a PlayStation Eye can download the free camera add-on and show off how they play poker naked from their living room couch. The reason for the late PSN update today was because the embargo on the Grand Theft Auto IV trailer (available on PSN) had to lift, so check that out just to give purpose to this delay.

We'll put a link to PS3 Fanboy's Euro update as soon as we get it -- we're thinking it was delayed because of the GTA IV trailer as well.

Update: The Euro update.

Unreal Tournament 3 isn't just receiving a patch today, but it's also getting three new maps for free (yum!). The maps will be available for PC and PS3 (as soon as the PSN update happens this afternoon). This free content update is very much in line with Epic's business philosophy, despite what we've seen regarding Gears of War DLC on Xbox 360.

The three new UT3 arenas are named: Morbias, Facing Worlds and Searchlight. Morbias is the deathmatch arena that "started it all," Facing Worlds is another classic map for snipers and Searchlight is a capture the flag map. Go get 'em fragmasters!

Remember when buying a console game meant living with whatever bugs and gameplay glitches got inadvertently shipped with the game? Well, the folks at Epic want you to forget all about those days with a patch for the PS3 version of Unreal Tournament coming down the PSN pike on March 27.

The fixes included in the free, downloadable patch include support for character mods, an easier method for downloading mods from the web browser, and basically a lot of other stuff related to mods (in addition to some other incidental tech fixes). The patch will also bring the European and U.S. editions of the game into alignment, allowing for online matches across the Atlantic. A nice feature, but we hope all that data going across the transatlantic cables doesn't cause too much lag.

Check out the full list of bug fixes after the break.

Valve's Steam digital distribution service keeps chugging along and picked up the rights to dish out Epic's Unreal franchise. The Unreal Deal Pack is $54 and will net gamers Unreal Gold, Unreal II: The Awakening, and the Unreal Tournament games, including the recently released Unreal Tournament III. The games are also available to purchase separately and are 10% off until March 24.

Steam continues to add more publishers looking for online outlets with Rockstar, Atari and Sega joining in recent months.

It's silver lining time. Midway Games, which misplaced nearly $100 million in 2007, has announced that despite leaking money like a rusty sieve, two of its most prominent releases last year, Unreal Tournament 3 and Stranglehold, each managed to sell through more than a million units globally.

The announcement was made by company CEO David Zucker during a recent conference call, and while sales were not broken down across platform or region, the executive did note that "European PC sales of Unreal Tournament 3 are outpacing North America." Still, we'd encourage Midway not to call out the cheerleaders just yet. There is still that nagging issue of all that missing money.

While we can think of other childhood amusements we'd rather see as the inspiration for a Unreal Tournament 3 mod (like a recreation of a Mighty Max playset, or something of the Fraggle variety), this Lego-themed map is pretty ingenious (and completely free to download). Composed entirely of fully destructible Lego brick structures and populated with Lego people (whose smug smirks you can blast off their tiny, yellow faces), it's definitely the world's most vivid simulation of what going postal in Legoland might be like -- and the cleverest map we've seen from the UT3 modding community so far.

Our prognosis for mods on the Xbox 360 version of Unreal Tournament 3: not so good. In an interview with Joystiq, Epic Games' VP Mark Rein told us that there's no progress with Microsoft on making UT3 mods work with Xbox Live. One would think Microsoft would be more open to community content given the recent Xbox Live Community announcement, but Rein noted that the system is different. Rein said the Xbox 360 version has no set release date.

Conversely, Rein did acknowledge the current PS3 mod system is less than stellar and told us to expect improvements coming soon. We'll have more from our interviews with Mark Rein, CEO Tim Sweeney, and Cliffy B later this week.

Having tired of rubbing actual elbows with fellow teammates, Epic Games' always verbose VP Mark Rein has confessed that he and his squad of developers have "pretty much run out of space" in the company's North Carolina base of operations, and that plans are well underway for an expansion to "at least" double the facility's current size. According to a report by North Carolina's News Observer, the devs coughed up a cool $1.57 million for the new office space, which will be positioned on a five-acre lot adjacent to Epic's current 31,000-square foot HQ.

Headcount at Epic currently stands at 94, with current growth of around one new employee a month expected to continue for the next couple of years. So with all of this added space, will the developers get to spread out, and maybe quit knocking over each others' Mt. Dew as they reach for their mouse? Unlikely, as the report notes that the new facility will instead be largely used to house the numerous play testers that visit Epic, rather than have to rent out space down the street. We understand the need completely, though until the devs get additional space of their own we'd suggest judicious application of lids.

Fire up those ovens and roll out the dough! Epic VP Mark Rein says he expects an update to the Unreal Engine 3 editor will be released next week, allowing Unreal Tournament 3 mod-makers to cook their PC mods into PS3-formatted delicacies. Some broader testing is necessary before the update's release, but Rein assures us that "the process works," given it was used to cook DM-Shrine, which was served to PS3 players free of charge a few weeks ago. Nothing like free food, eh – but are those PC chefs any good?

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

Considering it's due on the Mac in early 2008, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the on-again, off-again Xbox 360 port of Epic's Unreal Tournament III isn't "on hold" any longer, and may even be as far along as 90% complete – if we're to believe a scanned image from a German gaming magazine. Our German is a bit rusty (read: nonexistent) but the folks from MaxConsole are saying the release is expected sometime around April of next year.

If accurate, that means the PS3 enjoys a four-or-so-month timed exclusivity, including the lucrative holiday season. Now, if only those pesky sales would pick up ...

[Via X3F]