A patch for the Xbox 360 version of Sega-AM2's Virtua Fighter 5 is now available, Sega of America has announced. Players will be prompted to download the patch when they boot the game while signed into Xbox Live.

The company also noted that it is unable to update the PlayStation 3 edition of the game, which released months before the Xbox 360 version, with online multiplayer. Sega explained that, "the specifications for [PS3] online title updates were not yet finalized [at the time of VF5's release] and we were unable to include it in the title."

According to Sega, today's patch adds "many of the features that we hoped to have in the original release [of the Xbox 360 version]," including the ability to save replays of online matches, rematches for players who aren't Xbox Live friends, and various bug fixes. For more information, scope out the full change log.

The company also issued a comprehensive FAQ--available here-- that explained the presence of premium downloadable content on the Xbox 360 game disc as the "only possible delivery mechanism that could be implemented within... Read more

The fifth demo added to the Xbox Live Marketplace this week is one for Virtua Fighter 5. Available in all Xbox Live regions, the 675mb demo includes four characters, three stages, and Arcade and VS (online) modes. Sega's fighting game sequel was released for the PlayStation 3 back in February, and will be available on Xbox 360 October 30.

There are Virtua Fighter 5 impressions at GameSpot, where they had the opportunity to go hands-on with the game's online mode.

Hot on the heels of news that Sega-AM2's Virtua Fighter 5 would feature online play on Xbox 360, Sega has announced an official release date for the game in North America: October 30, 2007.

Along with today's confirmation, Sega published three new screenshots drawn from the Xbox 360 build of the game.

As previously reported, the Xbox 360 release will have some slight improvements over the PlayStation 3 game, bringing it up to arcade version C rather than arcade version B. Tweaks beyond online support include vibration support, improved Quest mode, and minor balance adjustments.

In a first for the series, Sega's Virtua Fighter 5 on Xbox 360 will allow players to duke it out over Xbox Live when the game retails this fall.

No past Virtua Fighter titles have featured online play--including the version of Virtua Fighter 5 released earlier this year on the PlayStation 3.

The Xbox 360 release will include all the features of arcade version C, whereas the PlayStation 3 release was based on arcade version B. Differences in the two arcade versions are minor, being mostly tweaks and balances.

"Bringing Virtua Fighter 5 to the Xbox 360 will not only capture an entirely new audience, but will allow gamers to show their Virtua Fighter skills online against friends and foes," said marketing director Gary... Read more

GameSpot, IGM and 1UP have Virtua Fighter 5 previews posted, taking a quick first look at the Xbox 360 version of Sega's fighting game sequel.

Today, AM2's PlayStation 3 version of the arcade fighter Virtua Fighter 5 hits retail shelves in North America. Reggie delivers a full review of the latest entry in Sega's venerable fighting franchise, which is also slated to hit Xbox 360 this summer.

Make no mistake, VF5 is purely a fighting game and every piece of it has been focused towards that end. That means no cutting to an unexpected twist or text aside following your match. Nothing but the bare fisted bludgeoning that the player can deliver to the CPU or to a friend who joins in.

The deep fighting engine that has been a hallmark of the series is something that might seem intimidating at first, but the intuitive feel lends itself easily to experimentation with a vast array of moves and attacks. Beginners who haven't spent as much time with the series, or those who have been weaned on Tekken, Soul Calibur, and Dead or Alive, will find Virtua Fighter's controls simple to get a handle on. Veterans will likely dive right into the Arcade mode; the controls that haven't dramatically changed since the first title as AM2 continues to polish the system from one iteration to the next.