At Variant, we send our condolences to our friends at Apple, and to Steve’s family. Thank you for sharing his ingenuity and his brilliance with us, and the world.

“Competitive gaming is a big deal,” said Variant CEO Cristopher Boyer. “When you look at tournaments like EVO out in Las Vegas, bringing elite gamers in from around the world, it’s clear that this is something people want to be a part of.”

Future tournaments are in the works, which Variant has already pledged to support.

Missed the action? Check out this photo gallery of shots from the event!

Give it a try! Plug in at Variant On today!

Variant Game Studios invites you to visit their development diaries, and keep tabs on the latest in the creation of their game “Legends of Phantastica,” and future titles as well!

Variant Game Studios announced today that due to complications in development, Legends of Phantastica: The Clockwork Tower will be delayed. Click here to visit the website for more information.

Just in time for the Electronic Entertainment Expo, Brilliance & Excellence launched the redesign of the Virtual Underground! Now the community and news site for the latest and greatest in video game news and commentary is better than ever! Check it out!

Today Variant Game Studios announced its upcoming title, Legends of Phantastica: The Clockwork Tower, to be released on Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch platforms in May 2010.

Set in the Wild West-styled world of Phantastica, the Legends series explores a number of the myths and fables that are told by its inhabitants, the first one being that of a strange mechanical tower that brings ruin and destruction whenever it appears.

Gamers have the choice of various character classes, and a randomized content generator ensures that the experience will be different every time! Using the iPhone’s Internet connectivity, players can also get hints from the ghosts of other players who failed in their mission, or even leave hints themselves should they meet an unfortunate end.

Media packs will be distributed to media outlets and made available upon request in the coming weeks. In the meantime, please click here for the website and more information.

Brilliance & Excellence strikes again, launching Modernisto, a blog on food, travel and the home for the late 20- and early 30-something who’s looking for something more than just recipes and bland restaurant reviews.

For more information, check out brillex.com.

Brilliance & Excellence Networks launched last month, acquiring one and launching two new blogs for its content network!

The Virtual Underground is a fun, exciting Internet community by and for gamers. Whether you’re a PC or console gamer, The Virtual Underground is a great place to get the latest and greatest in gaming news, connect with friends and find new opponents!

From Downtown is a wry and irreverent sports blog, offering insightful analysis on everything from the NFL to FIFA soccer and beyond.

DishDaily is the source for entertainment news and gossip. To be on top of the latest, you need to be reading DishDaily.

For more information on the B&E Network, visit their website at brillex.com.

Coming soon: Interesting project announcements from Variant Games and Metro Digital!