Burn some Asphalt with Orange's mobile games tournament

Mobile games tournaments in the real world seem to be getting more popular, with the latest being the Orange Trophy, which takes place in Paris next month.

It'll involve 56 people playing Gameloft's Asphalt 3: Street Rules mobile game, as part of the Electronic Sports World Cup event in Paris from 5th-8th July. The winner gets the title of World Champion and a 1,000-euro prize.

But HANG ON just a minute: the competition is open to mobile users on the Orange France network, and people who turn up to the Electronic Sports World Cup. In France.

It's a stitch-up! It's like the US calling its baseball final the World Series, even though only North American teams can enter. This entire Orange Trophy is clearly designed to install a French mobile gamer as world champion, without proper competition from plucky British thumbs.

We are outraged, in short – and mulling over whether we should jump on a Eurostar to fly the flag for Queen and country (by getting knocked out in the first round).