EB Games Australia has today announced further details regarding its October 5-7 EB Games Expo.

Ticket pricing starts at A$39.95 for the most basic option, which entitles you to a half-day session on any of the three days. Next up is a Family Pass, which is A$99, and gets you two adult and two kids' tickets for one of the half-day sessions. The Gamer Pass is slightly pricier at A$69, and is valid for one half-day session, and will see punters receive a free souvenir photo and ticket. The higher-tier tickets start off at A$189 and go up to A$499, and include VIP offerings, like special tours of the arena as it's being built, express line access, and early access to the show floor.

On top of ticket pricing, the website also details the two cosplay competitions. The main cosplay dress-up tournament sees the winner walk away with an A$3000 EB Games voucher, while the second (and more casual) competition sees punters compete for an A$400 voucher to the Madman online store.

EB Games also hinted that some special guests would be in attendance at the show, but remained coy as to exactly who would be there. Last year, EA's Peter Moore took to the stage, and gave a presentation on the difficulties of launching Origin and expanding into new markets.

The EB Games Expo in 2012 is scheduled to start on October 5, and goes until the October 7. Numerous big-name publishers have signed up for the event, which will give gamers a chance to play anticipated games before they get released. There will also be multiple competitions, side shows, and other activities for people to participate in.

The official EB Games Expo website is full of useful information, including accommodation, maps, and schedules, so if you're thinking of heading along, be sure to check the site out.

Insert Coin(s) will be returning to the Oxford Art Factory on May 17 for more gaming, drinking, and partying. Ubisoft Australia will be partnering up with the event on the night, meaning that patrons can play Ghost Recon: Future Soldier over multiple screens at the venue throughout the night.

As usual, the venue will host 25 old-school arcades, a hot dog stand, and live art from local street artists, an '80s-themed milk bar, and an extended dancefloor with DJs spinning old-school '80s favourites.

Punters who show up in military dress will go in the running to win some Ubisoft-sponsored prizes; the cosplayer with the most likes on the official Insert Coin(s) Facebook page, will win tickets for himself or herself and four friends to the next event.

Full details for Insert Coin(s) can be found below:

Date: Thursday, May 17, 2012
Venue: Oxford Art Factory
Time: 6 p.m.
Cost: $10 (pre-sale tickets available on Moshtix)

The Australian Centre for Moving Image (ACMI) in Melbourne is holding a ticket presale for its upcoming video game exhibition, Game Masters.

Game Masters is an interactive exhibition that will showcase the work of celebrated game designers from Australia and overseas through a combination of concept art, interviews, and more than 125 playable games from the arcade era through to new releases.

The exhibition will feature the creators of franchises including Sonic the Hedgehog, Mario Brothers, The Sims, Rock Band, and The Legend of Zelda. Double Fine's Tim Schafer and British game designer Peter Molyneux will open the exhibition in June and take part in public programs, including education and industry programs, during their stay.

The ticket presale will be held from Wednesday, April 18, at 10 a.m. until midnight on Sunday, April 22. Interested buyers should visit this site during the presale and enter the code "PRE-SALE" in the top right-hand corner of the page to complete their transaction.

Game Masters opens at ACMI in Melbourne on Thursday, June 28.

Both EB Games and GAME are holding big sales at the moment, with prices slashed on popular titles like Star Wars: The Old Republic and Mass Effect 3. While the discounts aren't as good as what you can find from overseas online retailers, it's still a good start, as EB Games and GAME usually charge the RRP.

On the online retailer front, Blaqphantom noticed that the recently released Binary Domain is on sale at Play Asia at the moment for the low price of A$22.99. Considering that the game was released only in February, that's a pretty good discount. Campzor also noticed that the Deus Ex: Human Revolution - Augmented Edition was on sale at Oz Game Shop for A$29.99.

For more bargains, check out the list below:

Star Wars: The Old Republic (PC) - A$68 from GAME
Mass Effect 3 (360) - A$68 from EB Games
Binary Domain (360) - A$22 from Play Asia
Deus E: Human Revolution - Augmented Edition (PS3) - A$22.99 from Play Asia
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (PC) - A$39.99 from Oz Game Shop
Rayman: Origins (PS3) - A$26.99 from oz Game Shop
Portal 2 (PC) - A$38.29 from Play Asia
Mario Kart 7 - A$44 from Harvey Norman Direct Import

Remember, bargain hunting is a communal activity, and there's a thread over on the GameSpot AU forums dedicated to finding cheap games. If you spot a good deal online or at a store, be sure to jump in and tell your fellow GameSpotters. Even if you're new to the forums, pop in and say hi!

Over the weekend some of Australia's top fighting game players gathered down in Melbourne for the inaugural Fighters Festival. The day celebrated all things fighting games and played host to not just tournaments, but various other social activities. Games being contested ranged from more recent ones like Street Fighter X Tekken, to niche titles like BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend. While GameSpot AU wasn't able to attend the event, former-competitor-turned-organiser Daniel "Berzerk" Chlebowczyk was at the event and was kind enough to write down his thoughts on how the day turned out.

"Let me tell you, I love fighting games. They're fun, bombastic, and while all video games give you a lot of entertainment for your money, fighters really reward the player by getting better as you get better. But that's not even the best reason--they're the most fun to play with others. It's awesome with a group of friends on the couch, but how do you make that experience bigger and better?

The answer: get a whole heap of people off the couch, into a good venue together to play, and then you've got something really special. That's where the slightly ironic name CouchWarriors comes from, and that's what myself and about 80 other socially minded gamers did this weekend by attending the CouchWarriors' Fighters Festival. By making an effort to provide fun for ourselves, and other gamers, we get to enjoy our games that much more.

Many competitors brought their own arcade sticks to play on.

The event lived up to what I was hoping for as a great social experience--with no elitism and plenty of opportunity to learn--and featured some great tournaments that each showcased skilled play too.

So, how did it all go down? This first event of the year's season had some new things going for it.

The new venue seemed to be a hit. The big draw was the tie-in event with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO). Just saying that is a bit of a trip. Symphony Orchestra? Fighting Games? Just what is going on here?!

I'm still surprised at the coolness of the MSO for the idea, which will see two SoulCalibur V players fight out a special finals exhibition in front of a 5,000 strong concert audience--as the orchestra plays the real music from the game while they fight!

This qualifier to find the two best contenders was full of great moments. Freed to spectate after just missing top 8, I witnessed an exciting and nailbiting top four, as top players in the SCV scene Huy 'Eclair' Nguyen (who dared knock me out with his fast, poking Leixa), Runis (who made the trip from Sydney with a scary Hilde), Jessica 'Jelly' Lee (who put in a powerful effort with both her Nightmare and Xiba) and up and coming Aaron "Borgieman" Borg (Voldo) all fell way to see who would make it to the orchestra.

Virtua Fighter expert Alex 'AlexMD' Mitchell-Dawson showed his pitch perfect execution and versatility with Mitsurugi to see off impressive newcomer Kane's Cervantes, putting him face to face with a Nightmare as OzHadou Nationals winner Ben 'Viper' Burke (also a top KOF player) broke away from Alex's attacks to bust the match open at mid-range, while scoring a mean share of ring-outs too.

But the dark horse of the last few weeks who really threw down the gauntlet was Kevin 'Woody' Wood, a key part of the Tekken community who has been in the hyperbolic time chamber with his Yoshimitsu. He took the fight right to Viper and in a brilliant performance with the ghoulish samurai, won through the whole qualifier undefeated.

So the two top players had been decided--Ben and Kevin will play for the big prizes in front of the Video Games Unplugged concert audience. Can Ben come back to reclaim his crown? Will Wheaton bring his phaser to this sword fight? I can't wait to find out on April 12th.

Of course, there were many other games played as the all inclusive approach of CouchWarriors brings different player groups all together in one fighting game community.

Super Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition is still a bedrock game, with Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Street fighter X Tekken all still keeping the loud, fun, crazy reputation of our scene going strong and the top players turning out. King of Fighters continues to grow and there was an eclectic mix of social games that people brought just to bring out of mothballs and play, like Guilty Gear and CVS2. Recognition is due to the Smash Bros players, who turned up in impressive numbers, with plenty of new players – on top of that, they were early! Much respect to the Smash community.

If you want to catch just a hint of the laughs and excitement of the day, check out the stream archives here. Most of all, we look forward to seeing you at upcoming events via www.couchwarriors.org and the upcoming Shadowloo Showdown."

Daniel "Berzerk" Chlebowczyk
Lifetime gamer from the days of Atari and C64, Daniel's passion for competitive gaming grew when he became a pro gamer winning tournaments in the WCG and CGS, and now enjoys coordinating events for CouchWarriors and Ozhadou

EA Sports is teaming up with EB Games and Sony Computer Entertainment Australia to host a country-wide FIFA competition tonight.

Qualifying rounds will be played at various EB Games stores around the country this evening. To enter, all you need to do is register your interest online on the official website and turn up to one of the eight nominated EB Games stores.

The winner from each store will then be flown to Sydney on April 4 to compete in a special finals match, with the newly crowned champion heading overseas to represent Australia in the global tournament. At this stage, no details regarding dates or locations for the FIFA Interactive World Cup 2012 global finals have been announced.

If you think your virtual footy skills are up to the test, you can register your interest to compete in tonight's competition here. You can also find a list of the participating stores below:

Qualification locations:

Perth: EB Games Cannington

Melbourne: EB Games Knox City

Adelaide: EB Games Rundle Mall

Sydney: EB Games Miranda EB Games Top Ryde

Rockhampton: EB Games Rockhampton Fair

Gold Coast: EB Games Robina

Newcastle: EB Games Charlestown Square

The FIFA Interactive World Cup is currently in its sixth year and recently registered its millionth entrant. Stay tuned to GameSpot AU for more coverage of the FIFA Interactive World Cup 2012 as it happens.

Many people are used to looking overseas for savings, but local retailers are beginning to fight back. JB Hi-Fi and Big W are leading the charge, stocking recent releases like Mass Effect 3 and Street Fighter X Tekken at considerably lower prices than normal. While not all games are discounted, new releases are the most popular games to import, so it's an important battle for Aussie retailers to try to win.

As always on a Friday afternoon, we're rounding up bargains spotted online by both GameSpot AU readers and staff. You can find the list below:

Mass Effect 3 (PS3/360) - A$77 from Big W
Street Fighter X Tekken - A$69 from Big W
Battlefield 3 (PC) - A$42.91 from Play Asia
Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D - A$38 from Harvey Norman Direct Import
SSX - A$51.34 from Play Asia
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (PC) - A$41.99 from Oz Game Shop
Assassin's Creed: Revelations - A$39.99 from Oz Game Shop
Gears of War 3 - A$29.99 from Oz Game Shop
Mario Kart 7 - A$44 from Harvey Norman Direct Import
Operation Flashpoint: Red River (PS3) - A$12.99 from Oz Game Shop

Remember, bargain hunting is a communal activity, and there's a thread over on the GameSpot AU forums dedicated to finding cheap games. If you spot a good deal online or at a store, be sure to jump in and tell your fellow GameSpotters. Even if you're new to the forums, pop in and say hi!

Insert Coin(s) returns to the Oxford Art Factory on March 8 for another round of gaming, drinking, and socialising. EA Sports will be sponsoring the event, with playable demo units of SSX and FIFA Street in tow for punters to try out.

On top of EA Sports' offering, there will be 25 old-school arcades dotted around the venue, a hot dog stand, and live art from local street artists. The first 50 people to turn up to Insert Coin(s) in cosplay will also get a free drink on arrival. There will also be a cosplay competition held on the official Insert Coin(s) Facebook page, with the most popular cosplayer from the evening winning tickets for himself or herself and four friends to the next event.

Full details for Insert Coin(s) can be found below:

The full Insert Coin(s) poster can be found here.

Date: Thursday, March 8, 2012
Venue: Oxford Art Factory
Time: 6 p.m.
Cost: $10 (presale tickets available on Moshtix)
Genre: pop

Fighting game players and enthusiasts from around Australia are gearing up for the first major event in the country's ever-growing tournament calendar: the 10th annual OzHadou Nationals--otherwise known as OHNX website--taking place this weekend in Sydney.

This year, OHNX will attract both amateur and professional players from interstate and overseas, battling it out for the title of national champion in each tournament game. The 2012 game lineup includes Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Soul Calibur 5, and King of Fighters XIII.

Players participating in the tournament will also have the chance to earn points to qualify in the world's biggest fighting game tournament: the Evolution Championship Series world finals, held in Las Vegas in July 2012.

GameSpot AU spoke to OHNX co-organiser Daniel Chlebowczyk about what gamers can look forward to at the OzHadou Nationals this year.

GameSpot AU: Hey Dan, can you tell us a bit about what OHNX means to Australia's fighting game community, and why it's such a big deal?

Daniel Chlebowczyk: It's one of a few major events in the fighting game community, and it's the first one of the year. It attracts people from all over the country, and we're really happy to have a few intentionally renowned players coming to OHNX. There's also the addition of Evolution (EVO) points this year, which means that just by winning a match, players will be able to qualify for the EVO championships in Las Vegas, which is particularly exciting.

On a local scale, the Sydney-Melbourne rivalry provides much of the excitement, and we've got a few dedicated matchups that concentrate just on that. All in all, it's a chance for fighting game players to show they're the best and get some bragging rights under their belt.

GS AU: How many people do you expect to show up?

DC: We're looking at just over 200 entrants, plus spectators.

Roster limiting DRM makes Ryu mad. Also, evil.

GS AU: Can you give us an idea of some of the more exciting grudge matches to look out for?

DC: We can't officially prove this, but players do like to lay down money on the exhibition matches. These are specially tailored matches made up of players who want to challenge each other and are usually well known and have a lot of prestige and also a lot of people cheering them on!

I know for sure our NSW versus Victoria exhibition match will be a spectacular affair, and I think a lot of people are looking forward to the match between ToXY [currently the Melbourne champion in Marvel vs. Capcom 3] vs. KG. [currently the Canberra and Perth champion in Marvel vs. Capcom 3].

Basically, the exhibition matches are all about putting players to the task--if somebody talks big, we see if they can back it up.

GS AU: What can people expect to win?

DC: OHNX is sponsored by Namco Bandai, THQ, and Madman Entertainment. Namco and THQ will be providing fighting game prize packs, and Madman will be providing their own prizes including anime, cult, and Asian cinema DVDs and Blu-ray releases.

GS AU: What are you most looking forward to this weekend at OHNX?

DC: I think one of the craziest matches will be Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, because there's a lot riding on it and anything can happen. Of course, there's also the big daddy of the scene, Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition. That's going to be a great tournament because the game has had the longest history and the biggest player base.

OHNX is taking place this weekend, Feb 17-19 at The Red Room, Level 1, 99 York Street, Sydney. The casual play night is taking place tonight, followed by the tournament all weekend, and the finals on Sunday.

For more information, including match schedules, visit the OHNX website.