E3 06: Gundam 360 named, detailed

At the Japanese Xbox Summit 2005 last July, Bandai announced that it was working on an exclusive Xbox 360 game, a first-person shooter set in the Gundam universe. During his unveiling of the game, Bandai president Shin Unozawa explained that the Gundam name hasn't been widely accepted in America and that this game was intended to change that. Bandai has since undergone a number of changes (including a merger with fellow Japanese publisher Namco), but that goal has apparently remained the same.

Namco Bandai today formally unveiled the game to US audiences as Mobile Ops: The One Year War. Developed by Dimps, the studio behind many of the publisher's Dragon Ball Z titles, The One Year War is set at the dawn of the Gundam universe, just as the age of giant robot "mobile suits" is beginning. Players are sent to the front lines of the war to fight the good fight on foot, in various vehicles, and of course at the controls of terrifyingly powerful mobile suits.

Aside from the standard HD treatment required for Xbox 360 games, Namco Bandai is including support for online play. The number of players allowed in online battles hasn't been determined yet. However, Unozawa did say last year that he wanted the game to have a similar atmosphere to Electronic Arts' Battlefield 1942, which supports up to 64 players online. The game will also let players customize the mobile suits they take into battle, from their arsenal of beam sabers and heat hawks to their array of sensor equipment.

Mobile Ops: The One Year War is scheduled to arrive in stores this coming holiday season. No price information was announced. Expect to see more about the title in GameSpot's coverage of this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo.