Early warfare: Xbox 360 ads invade UK

Although the PlayStation 3 doesn't launch in Europe until March of 2007 (or maybe even later), and the Wii won't be out until next month, Microsoft has fired an opening salvo across the bow of the UK while both the PS3 and Wii launch in North America.

Joystiq reader Ian noticed that today's issue of Metro (a free UK daily newspaper) has an ad from Microsoft on every single page, including the cover, touting the 360. There are two page spreads for Gears of War, the Xbox Vision Camera, and even Dead or Alive Xtreme 2.

Metro boasts that it's the world's largest free newspaper, distributing over a million copies a day. No doubt Microsoft imagines that UK gamers will be inundated with TV and web coverage of the launches across the pond this weekend, and hoping to get buyers to pay attention to the fact that while the PS3 hasn't arrived yet, they've got plenty of 360s on sale.

Now quick, someone suggest a song to get "The Metro" by Berlin unstuck from our heads.

[Thanks, Ian -- p.s. can you flip those images around? We're not da Vinci.]