Let's start this week early, shall we? Coming up on retail shelves starting July 27 all the way to the first few days of August is another hailstorm of PC games from the independent front, though you'd probably love this week for the release of Namco Bandai's SoulCalibur IV and its limited edition kits. But if there's anything more significant this time, it's the appearance of more Olympics-themed games as the week heralds the eve before the World Olympics in Beijing. We take them all at the full story.

Another type of athlete is coming to the Beijing Olympic Games to bear the torch: cyberathletes. Yes, professional gamers will be given the honor of carrying the torch in the coming games. Check out the full article for more info.

It's difficult to imagine how to pick athletes worthy of appearing on the official Olympics video game when dozens shine during competition, but Sega has done it. Results are satisfying, with four deserving personalities chosen to be on Beijing 2008: The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games's (Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3, PC) cover. Check the full article for more details.

At least you don't have to bring your Visa to these Olympic Games. New screenshots have arrived for Beijing 2008: the Official Video Game of the Olympic Games. The screens show some of the sports that will be included in the game, such as swimming, the long jump, and the hundred-meter dash. Screenshots lie in the full article.

After Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games (DS, Wii) comes another Olympic video game title from Sega. This time, it's Beijing 2008 - the Official Video Game of the Olympic Games, a more realistic rendering of the international multi-sport event. More in the full article.

 

Korea is known for several things like kimchi and hanbok (traditional dress) but unknown to some, it is also a breeding ground for professional gamers.

There are currently more than 200 professional gamers registered for the Korea e-Sports Association (including just three foreigners). But that's for Starcraft players. So where do the professional Warcraft players go? Europe or the US.

Well, four of the best Warcraft players have joined European gaming club called Meet Your Maker (MYM). The Denmark-based club had drafted Noh Jae-wook (goes by the handle, Lucifer) and Jang Jae-ho (better known as Spirit_Moon). They join fellow Koreans Oh Jung-ki and Kim Jae-woong in MYM's ranks. There are currently 54 MYM players from all over, Sweden, Germany, Ukraine, the United States, France and China.

They participate in competitions worldwide and are striving for e-Sports to be included in the Beijing Olympics. According to one of MYM's owners, Jakob Dreyer, "Korea has some of the world’s very best WarCraft players, which is why it is natural to hire our Korean gamers, who are still being among the best in the world."