Kane & Lynch breaking and entering Nov. 20

Even with big-name releases like Grand Theft Auto IV, Metal Gear Solid 4, Mercenaries 2, Frontlines: Fuel of War, The Club, and Splinter Cell: Conviction being delayed until early next year, this year's holiday season is still jam-packed with big-name releases vying for gamers' hard-earned dollars. For evidence of that, one need only look at today's announcement from Eidos, which nailed down a North American release date of November 20 for its Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC third-person action shooter, Kane & Lynch.

If that date sounds familiar, it's because it's also the specific release date for a few other anticipated games. Microsoft is releasing BioWare's Mass Effect for the Xbox 360 on November 20, while Sony has Naughty Dog's Uncharted: Drake's Fortune for the PS3 set to drop the same day. And while Rock Band's release date isn't official, GameStop is guaranteeing customers who preorder that it will have the game to them "on the street date of Tuesday, November 20." And then there's Assassin's Creed, Unreal Tournament III, and a number of other titles floating around with vague "November" release windows.

Despite the competition, Kane & Lynch may still garner a good bit of attention. The game comes from IO Interactive, developers of the cult classic Freedom Fighters and the Hitman series of games. And like the latter franchise, Kane & Lynch has piqued the interest of Hollywood, as Lionsgate reportedly purchased the rights to turn the game into a feature film.

Eidos has also confirmed that the game will be released in the UK and Europe on November 23.

For more on Kane & Lynch, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.