Street Fighter X Tekken gets public preview on UK Fight Club Tour

JAPANESE GAMING GIANT Capcom will ply fighting fans with free food and booze as it takes past, present and future beat'em'up titles on a UK tour.

Kicking off in London, the UK Fight Club Tour will showcase some of Capcom's best brawlers including the forthcoming Street Fighter X Tekken, which is not due for release until March 2012.

Over the next twelve months the publisher will let you spar with legendary Street Fighter producer Yoshinori on his hugely anticipated mash-up of two of the greatest fighting games. He'll also be on hand to sign your Street Fighter memorabilia so get rummaging through the attic for that old NES arcade joystick.

Fans will not only be able to experience SFXT a whole year before its release, something game companies very rarely allow, but they'll also be able to enjoy DJs, free food and drinks, all on Capcom's tab.

As if the country's most avid fighting fanatics need another reason to attend to the tour. Not only do they get to play Street Fighter X Tekken long before any traditional previews have ever allowed, but they'll also have the run of a free bar and grub. Best make sure your diary's free for this one.

Whether it's right to butter up the public with free alcohol is a touchy subject, but why should journalists be the only ones to enjoy the hospitality of games companies? That is, as long as Activision doesn't allow the riff raff into the Modern Warfare 3 launch party.

The first date will see street fighters enter the ring in east London's KO gym on Saturday 20 August. Doors open at 7:30pm with the first 50 people receiving an extra special gift from the creators of Ryu and Ken.

After the capital the tour then takes in Bristol, Edinburgh, Norwich, Brighton and Liverpool, with more dates and cities to be announced over the coming weeks. µ