BizSpots: X07, Fury, Atari

Microsoft still holding X07 in Canada
In July, Microsoft unexpectedly announced that it would not be holding its annual X0 games event in Europe. According to a statement issued by the publisher, it would instead be refocusing its marketing and advertising efforts on the launch of individual titles, such as Halo 3, Mass Effect, BioShock, and Forza Motorsport 2. While the European event is for the time being still canned, it appears the X0 event still lives on in Canada. According to Canada.com, Microsoft recently sent out an invitation for its annual event, and on display will be "exclusive demos and gameplay" from Microsoft Games Studio and "top-third party publishers." According Canada.com's invitation, the event will be held in Toronto on August 28.

Fury rides Elephant to store shelves
Earlier this week, Gamecock Media Group announced that Auran's player-versus-player, combat-focused massively multiplayer online game Fury would take its servers live come October 9. With a retail date set, publisher Elephant Entertainment today announced a partnership with Gamecock and Auran to distribute the game to store shelves in North America. Fury retails for $49.99 and is free to play thereafter. An optional $9.99 monthly subscription gives players access to enhanced game features. It has not yet been rated.

Atari plays liaison to 1C
Building on their partnership established in April, Atari today announced it would be distributing in North America five more titles from Russian publisher 1C. On the PC, Atari will publish the first-person shooter You Are Empty, third-person stealth actioner Death to Spies, action role-playing game Dawn of Magic, and tactical strategy game Fantasy Wars. On both the PC and PlayStation 2, Atari will distribute naval action game Swashbucklers: Blue & Grey. All five titles are slated to arrive this fall.