MicroSoft/Big Huge Games have released a new patch for their recently released RTS game Rise Of Nations. This upgrade brings your retail game to v1.02 and improves various multiplayer issues, but also a Conquer the World crash, auto-patch system support, and more. Read more for detailed fix list and download links ...

The Alpha release of Eternal Silence mod for Battlefield: 1942, takes the game into deep space. Climb aboard huge ships and duke it out in desolate, low-atmosphere conditions. Featuring appropriately new vehicles, weapons, and custom classes, it all looks quite promising, indeed. The mod is 32MB to grab and you find it here!

Blues let us know that the official Chaser site is updated with some information regarding Cauldron's first-person shooter MP demo: Here is the clip:

We would like to inform you that we are looking forward for a release of the official Chaser Multiplayer (MP) Demo by the end of the upcoming week. The beta test of the MP Demo is still going on and progressing well.

The official Chaser MP Demo will include two game modes: Deathmatch and Shock Troops. The Deathmatch map is "Building Site". There will be also two Shock Troops maps available: "Final Strike" and "Building Strike". You will find more info about the Multiplayer Modes here.

We are also planning to have official servers with different settings available for the release of the MP Demo. These servers will be based in Germany and UK to guarantee proper connections. More info regarding the servers will be available in the upcoming week.

Be prepared for some stunning action fights once the MP Demo is released. Marc 'Plex' Olbertz Community Manager

In this gritty and darkly humorous 3rd person action adventure, players join the courageous Brotherhood of Steel, whose mission is to maintain peace in the grim post-nuclear world of Fallout. Challenged by hordes of ghouls, mutants and other radioactive nightmares, players utilize a combination of intense combat strategies including melee, ranged weapons and explosives to fulfill their daunting task of defeating the mutant army in hopes of restoring humanity in a nearly unlivable universe. Welcome to the wasteland. Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel is coming to the PS2 and Xbox in Q4 2003... Check out the new renders Interplay send us today!

Set in Europe at the time of the migration of nations (about 200-450 AD), Against Rome takes the player to that part of the continent that has not yet succumbed to the Roman Empire. This vast territory, which the Romans disparagingly called barbaricum, is the home of numerous primitive nations. The player takes control over one of these barbarian tribes, who as a whole stood out for a pronounced lack of cultural achievements, combined with a ferocious belligerence... Check out a new screenshot below!

Codemasters community liaison officer Michael Rowland send over some Op Flashpoint news this morning:

Xbox Flashpoint will be using an upgraded engine using some elements from the Flashpoint 2 engine. Graphical elements like vehicle and character models and vegetation have been vastly improved upon and look much smoother and realistic. Yes we now have real looking trees, not those polygonal ones but realistic round ones.. Read the rest below!

LucasArts just let us know that Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb for PS2 has Gone Gold and will be in stores June 26th! While you're anxiously awaiting your PS2 retail copies, please visit the official site to see what's new! Indy's latest adventure plays out in dramatic fashion thanks to new gameplay features such as brawling combat. This time, in addition to using his trademark whip and pistol, Indy can engage in fierce hand-to-hand combat against foes, many of whom are well-versed in martial arts. Improvised weapons such as shovels, chairs and table legs also can be used to fend off adversaries. The result is a more immersive and more Indy-like gameplay experience, set amidst spine-tingling movie-like action sequences, such as a rickshaw chase in Hong Kong and a spectacular battle atop moving gondolas in the South China Sea area.

An accidental hero finds himself on a remote tropical paradise, where a madman plays God; engineering various species of enhanced creatures to replace what he believes is a genetic dead-end… mankind. The game is set around 2020 on a set of tropical islands in the pacific. And has a strong tropical-paradise feel, scenic in its beauty, but, harbors a terrible threat. It is a mix of jungle / primal / and next-gen technology. As the player you find yourself drawn into a secretive plot involving secret research facilities with scientists involved in military genetic-research, a secret "security" force of mercenaries, and, advanced net-generation weaponry and equipment. Check the new screens ...

Knights Over Europe is a World War I combat flight simulation brought to you by a team whose collective experience includes Red Baron II, the Falcon 3 series, the Close Combat series and Fly II. Knights Over Europe brings the dawn of aerial combat up-to-date with leading edge graphics, high fidelity flight models and precision damage modeling. Dozens of highly detailed aircraft with historically accurate markings will set the stage for an experience that will attract both hard-core flightsim fans and novices alike. Read more for details and screens

Today Global Star Software has announced plans to release Muscle Car 3 for the PC. Under development at 3 Romans in Birmingham, Alabama, Global Star plans to build upon the success of the Muscle Car series, while adding immense visual and game play improvements. Global Star currently plans to release Muscle Car 3 in the summer of 2003. Read more for details and download links ......

Summer Heat Beach Volleyball is the only beach volleyball game available on the PlayStation 2. Gamers will take a trip to the world’s wildest summer locations for addictive 2 on 2 Beach Volleyball action and party with the hottest people on Earth! When it pours, it rains. After a huge batch of screens a few days ago, here are some more to check out!

Wahey Lionheart fans! The official Lionheart website has been updated, ready for the weekend right here! Want to learn how to focus the terrible power of deepest winter into physical projectiles? Cast fire orbs that sear an enemy with fire damage upon contact? Channel wild energies of electrical storms into explosive torrents of magical power? Sure, I mean who doesn't?!? Well then head on over to the MAGIC pageto read all about the Thought Branch of Magic in which you can learn to channel arcane magical spells and abilities...oh yeah! Read more for some new screens ..

Publisher Big City Games and developer Made by Kiddies Inc. are proud to announce that the latest action title, Air Raid: This is not a drill, has shipped to retail stores nationwide. “Air Raid is a fast-paced, action-filled, shoot-em-down title,” says Steve Milburn, Director of Marketing for Strategy First. “It guarantees hours of intense gameplay.”

EA has just released yet another new patch for Total Club Manager 2003. This upgrade brings your retail copy to v1.3 and adds a few new stadiums, some new league's and a few other things. Please note this patch is ONLY for the English version, a German update is also available for their "Fussball Manager edition, upgrading it to v1.2. Read more for links where to download this puppies!

Kirby arrives on GameCube at warp speed in his first-ever racing game. Based on the same principles as games like Super Smash Brothers and past Kirby titles, Kirby Air Ride offers an entirely new approach to the racing genre. The simple controls that define all Kirby games give Kirby Air Ride instant playability no matter how skilled the players may be. Check these 50+ new screens ...

Worms 3 will utilise the full power afforded by next-generation platforms, featuring ground-breaking fully deformable landscape technology, and will continue the wild humor and intensive, addictive fun that gamers expect from the Worms franchise. Worms 3 will showcase a raft of new gameplay features, while retaining all the familiar chaos of the original titles, complete with bizarre power-ups, loopy weaponry, and crazy cartoon graphics -- in both single and multi-player modes. Check out these 8 new wormelicious screens ..

Eve of Destruction is a mod Battlefield 1942, and they have released a 11% "demo" of the final product. Eve Of Destruction will contain not only new skins, vehicles and new objects, it features 8 complete new custom maps. Each map is different in their own way (from realistic to fun maps) and partially adapted to the Indochina Vietnam Conflict. Infantry Combat in EoD is more realistic and more action than in Battlefield and similar to more infantry-based games like Raven Shield or Counterstrike. The second full alpha release of Eve of Destruction is here with BF1942 v1.4 as well as Gamespy Arcade support! Head back to the jungles in this modification replicating the deadly and vicious Vietnam War. Read more for download links ...

"Halo 2" is the sequel to the highly successful and critically acclaimed game "Halo: Combat Evolved." In "Halo 2," the saga continues as Master Chief, a genetically enhanced supersoldier, is the only thing standing between the relentless Covenant and the destruction of all humankind. Pushing the Xbox hardware to its very limits and utilizing Xbox Live in a way that Bungie believes will redefine online play, "Halo 2" will expand on everything that made the original game great. At its heart a compelling and captivating story, "Halo 2" makes revolutionary advances in design and technology. As expected Bungie has made the e3 trailer available, read more for download links. Be Warned, it's hires and 160mb big!

The game takes place in present day, approximately 20 years after the events of the film. Playing as Jet Bradley, son of ENCOM programmer Alan Bradley from the movie, gamers are digitized into cyberspace and will race on light cycles, battle corruption both inside and outside of the computer world, and explore locations including the Internet Hub, Firewall, Corrupted Server and Light Cycle Game Grid. Read more to check out a new batch of screens ...

News seems to be pretty slow today, but it's Friday.. Anyway Capcom has updated its game released date schedule today, and here it is (thanks GameSpyDaily)!

• 06-17-03 Resident Evil Dead Aim (PS2)
• 06-17-03 Mega Man Network Transmission (GCN)
• 06-24-03 Mega Man Battle Network 3 (White) (GBA)
• 06-24-03 Mega Man Battle Network 3 (Blue) (GBA)
• 08-05-03 Chaos Legion (PS2)
• 08-05-03 Dino Crisis 3 (Xbox)
• 08-05-03 Pro Cast Sports Fishing (Xbox)
• 08-26-03 Group S Challenge (Xbox)
• 09-09-03 P.N.03 (GCN)
• 09-30-03 Viewtiful Joe (GCN)
• 10-07-03 Mega Man X7 (PS2)
• 10-07-03 Maximo vs Army of Zin (PS2)
• 10-07-03 Mega Man Zero 2 (GBA)