Attention all adventurers, I come bearing great news!

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn’s release is locked-in for August 27, 2013! PC and PS3 players will be able to embark on an unforgettable adventure together from day one. Just install the game, find out which servers your friends are on, and group together and set out on an epic quest. Pretty cool huh?

But wait, there’s more! For Final Fantasy fans we’ve got some great pre-order bonuses for those gamers looking to secure their copy for release. Pre-order now and you’ll get the following in-game content:

• Early Access – Get a head start and leave your mark in the realm of Eorzea with this early access to the game servers ahead of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn’s launch.
• Cait Sith Doll Minion – On sabbatical from Shinra Inc. and looking for adventure, Cait Sith will join your party as a non-combat pet.
• Mog Cap – Strut around the world of Eorzea with this one-of-a-kind Moogle-themed hat. Kupo!

For the ultimate Final Fantasy fan we’ve got something a little bit more special in mind – the Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Collector’s Edition!

Locked up within the Collector’s Edition are the following treasures:

• Art of Eorzea – An 80-page hardcover art book featuring never-before-seen concept art.
• The Waning of the Sixth Sun – A special bonus video disc that takes a cinematic look at the events leading up to the realm being reborn.
• Sounds of Eorzea – An album that features musical scores by renowned Final Fantasy series composers.
• Art Cards – Five collectable character cards.
• In-game bonus items – Helm of Light, Baby Behemoth Minion, Coeurl Mount and Behemoth Barding

So, avoid missing out why not head over to your favourite retailer and secure your pre-order copy in now? Monthly subscriptions for the game will start £7.69/€10.99.

If you’re eager to see more on Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn then pay close attention to this year’s E3 where we’ll be revealing some exciting new battle content, a trailer and more. To avoid missing a beat follow @FF_XIV_EN on twitter, Kupo!

Don’t forget you can still sign up for the Phase 3 Beta test, starting June! Click here to sign up.

While E3 may be the biggest exhibition when it comes to games, it's a trade event, meaning that unless you're press and can afford the flight and accommodation, you're not getting in - boo! Like most of us then, you'll be watching wide-eyed as the big stories of E3 unfold on your favourite games websites or through idle chit-chat at the water cooler. 

But what if you're the self-proclaimed uber-geek, the go-to-guru for all the latest gaming news? You can't hang around to read about the news on websites! Well we've got something that will give you that extra edge so that you never miss out on any news. During E3 (June 11-13) Square Enix will be broadcasting a dedicated video program dubbed Square Enix Presents. It'll offer coverage on all the key titles in our E3 line-up, as well as all assorted collection of interviews and community shows. It's going to be the one-stop-shop for any Square Enix fan!

We'll be revealing the full program details closer to E3, but in the meantime you can get yourself ready for the show by following these key accounts:

YouTube: youtube.com/squareenixpresents

Twitter: @sqexpresents

Facebook: facebook.com/SquareEnix

We're excited to announce today that Thief is being developed for Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft.

"The team at Eidos-Montreal is thrilled to confirm that Thief is coming to Xbox One. The next generation of home consoles allow us to create the best and the most immersive Thief game ever. The feedback we have received so far is simply amazing and we can’t wait to show more of Thief at E3 this year" said Stephane D’Astous, General Manager, Eidos-Montréal.

Steal a glimpse of the next generation with the new Thief in the screenshot below!

Thief will be available for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Windows PC in 2014. For more details about Thief keep an eye on this year's E3.

Buckle your seatbelts, boys and girls; the next few weeks are going to be really interesting. Microsoft is revealing its next generation of entertainment, everyone's gearing up for E3, and I've started the week by eating rainbow cake - this couldn't be more exciting! But first, the news...

Development

• Getting in Character - Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn's character creator has been super-sized to include a tonne of new customisation options that will help you to make a character you can truly call your own.
• Frågor? - Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn recently landed on the front cover of the World of Warcraft magazine and a 10-page feature too - SWEET.
• Letter from the Producer LIVE Part VII - Mark your calendar and clear your diaries; the next Letter from the Producer Live for Final Fantasy XIV will broadcast on May 30, 2013, @ 6:00am (PDT).
• FFXIV: A Realm Reborn Coming to E3 2013! - You'll want to keep your attention firmly fixed on E3 (June 11-13) for some exciting new battle content, trailers and more.
• Multiplayer arrives - When you've got an amazing online community of creators building mind-blowing levels in Gameglobe, the next logical step is to bring everyone together to play at the same time! Seriously, this is going to be the best thing ever!
• M1 Garand vs. Gewehr 43 - One of the most important components of any multiplayer game like Heroes & Generals, is balance. So how do you tell whether an opponent has an unfair advantage and needs their weapon to be nerfed? Reto.Moto reveals the science.
• Heroes & Generals 'Irwin' features revealed - New rifles, warfunds and an updated Mobile Command app are now at your disposal - let's win this war, people!

Community

• Gamer Chat: Nextbox - On May 21, all eyes will be on Microsoft as they reveal their next generation plans. The question is: what are you expecting from one of the world's leading entertainment companies?
• Croft Couture #22: Aleena - Another highly-talented Lara Croft cosplayer takes the Tomb Raider blog to reveal the origin of their fandom.
• Xbox Game with Dev: Play Tomb Raider with Eidos Montreal this Saturday - Lucky Xbox gamers got to test their skills against the creators of Tomb Raider's multiplayer and the chance to claim the ultimate prize, bragging rights.
• Farewell Dhama - Eidos Forums - We pay our respects to Terry Barrett - an active member and moderator on the Eidos forums - who tragically passed away.
• Sniper Challenge Retrospective - It's hard to believe that it's been almost a year since we released Hitman: Sniper Challenge as a pre-order benefit. IO Interactive's Travis takes a look at the game's genesis.

In the news

• Vagrant Story Soundtrack Released On iTunes (Gaming Union)
• Japan Gets Final Fantasy XIII-2 Digital Contents Edition (Final Fantasy Union)
• Drakengard 3 New Details: Apostles [Japan] (Explosion)
• Square Enix Gives DC Comics Heroes a PLAY ARTS Kai Makeover (Nerdest)
• Bravely Default Developer Talks About Square Enix’s Luminous Engine, Next Gen Consoles (Siliconera)
• Sleeping Dogs free to US PS Plus subs from today [North America]
• Square Enix Honors "Vagrant Story" with Art Exhibit (Crunchy Roll)
• Watch Square Enix’s Transforming Car Anime, Gyrozetter [Japan] (Siliconera)
• The World Ends With You: Live Remix Arrives On Android [Japan] (Siliconera)
• Final Fantasy VIII Is Coming To PC With High Resolution Graphics [Japan] (Siliconera)
• Japan’s Long Wait For Final Fantasy VII On PC Is Almost Over [Japan] (Siliconera)

In five days' time Microsoft will reveal their next step in the future of home entertainment as they see it. All eyes will be on the conference floor as gamers and industry experts eagerly wait to see how Microsoft intends to best the competition. 

With Sony already having revealed the PlayStation 4 there’s a good build-up of momentum behind it as we ride the hype-train into this year's E3 central, But while they might have beaten Microsoft to the punch by already announcing a long list of exciting new features - including the ability to instantly share your favourite gaming moments via the share button and a new touch-screen controller - they've still got plenty of tricks up their sleeve. As it stands right now, the console itself has yet to be revealed.

So, with that in mind, all eyes are on the May 21 event to see if Microsoft can even it up before the industry reaches LA next month. Can they do it? And with the rumour-mill in full swing, will we be excited or bitterly disappointed by what we see? What do you think?

• Are you excited by the Xbox reveal on May 21?
• What new features do you expect them to reveal and what would you like to see from the next Microsoft console?
• Do you think that Microsoft has what it takes to be a serious competitor to Sony and Nintendo in the next generation?
• What surprises or guest appearances do you think we can expect from the Microsoft conference?

It's easy to get sucked into a good old-fashioned flame-war about which is the better console, I know, but let's try and make sure we avoid the pitfalls of insults and trolling - instead let's try and keep to constructive debate. You know what follows next...

As always, share your opinions with us in the comments. Feel free to discuss the topic and engage with each other’s ideas - but please be nice; there are no wrong answers.