Tekken 5: DR gets online play

The PlayStation 3 version of Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection is to get a premium update offering players online play.

Online play in beat 'em-ups is something of a contentious issue. Some are of the belief that lag will remove all the subtlety of control and result in a button-basher, while others believe online play to be the next logical step for the genre which comes to life when playing against a human opponent.

Of the fighters currently available on next-gen platforms, only the Xbox 360 exclusive Dead or Alive 4 offers online bouts, with the PS3's Virtual Fighter 5 and Tekken 5: DR offering the usual single-console multiplayer.

According to the latest issue of Japanese video game magazine Famitsu, this is soon to change. Sony is readying a premium update for Tekken 5: DR which will enable online play and introduce online rankings.

No release date has been announced, although Famitsu does state the new mode will be priced 1000 Yen (around £4). For those who don't already own the PSN title, the game plus the new online mode will cost around £11.