Battlefield 3 tourney offers $1.6 million prize pool

EA and Virgin Gaming are offering console gamers a swipe at a massive swag of cash prizes in the Battlefield 3 Worldwide Conquest Tournament.

The tourney, which kicks off in early 2012, has $1.6 million on the books but is only available for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 gamers - PC competitors need not apply - making it the largest prize pool in console gaming history.

From the slim details available now, it looks like the competition will be team based - you'll need to recruit a crew - and feature several events before a grand finale.

“The Battlefield series has always been a very social experience with its best-in-class multiplayer gameplay and we’re honored to have such passionate and loyal fans,” DICE's Karl Magnus Troedsson, said in a press release.

“We want to give them the best Battlefield experience we’ve ever created with Battlefield 3. The Worldwide Conquest Tournament with Virgin Gaming is a great way to celebrate the gameplay and reward our fans.”

For more information and to sign on the dotted line, hit up the dedicated Virgin Gaming Battlefield 3 mini-site.

Virgin Gaming, which brought Richard Barnson's megacon back into gaming for the first time since publisher Virgin Interactive fased away in the late nineties, was revealed at E3 2010. The free service is the official tournament provider for EA Sports, and expects to offer €3 million in prizes during 2012.

Battlefield 3 launches for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 next month.