HPS Sims has released a slew of new patches for some of their most recent strategy games, such as : Panzer Campaigns: NORMANDY '44 v1.07 - Modern Campaigns: FULDA GAP '85 v1.02 - Modern Campaigns: MIDEAST '67 v1.03 - Naval Campaigns: JUTLAND v1.01 - Napoleonic Battles: ECKMUHL v1.04. Read more for detailed fix lists and links where to download either or all of em ...

Well, after a few years of a break, Raven Software's Rick Johnson started to re-port Black Crypt (Raven's original game on the Amiga) over to the PC again rendering it with GL. He is hoping to have it mostly finished by the end of the Holiday Season. An initial test will probably be released soon, consisting of the first level, just to make sure the game works well. It currently requires a video card which supports 1024 texture sizes. All nvidia hardware supports this, but most 3dfx hardware does not (VooDoo3 and below). Read more for a few screens ...

Electronic Arts has just announced they have started shipping The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers for Xbox and GameCube. Based on the JJR Tolkien's novel and recently released movie, The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers follows Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli as they go head to head with Sauron’s army. The game spans 13 missions, boss monsters covering the first two movies, and includes movie content such as scenes from the movie and interviews with the stars of the film. The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers is rated “T” for teen, and retails for around $49.99 USD.

British Beware! The Highland Warriors are coming! Data Becker Corp. announces that its wildly anticipated 3D RTS game, Highland Warriors, has gone gold over the holiday weekend. The game, developed by Soft Enterprises, features breakthrough graphics (200,000 polygons per screen); brutal historic tales of battle and revenge, and game play elements to interest and excite new and experienced gamers.

The Observer reports that violent computer games are to be regulated by a film-style classification system that will warn parents about graphic sex or horrific images. The move comes after complaints about the content of games such as Hooligans: Storm over Europe, State of Emergency and Carmaggedon, which show graphic images of fighting, death and reckless driving. From April all computer games sold in the EU will carry the new classifications. Those with no violent content or sex will be rated 3+, indicating the age from which they can be played. There will also be classifications of 7+, 12+, 16+ and 18+.

I saw that Blues News dug up some information about a soon to be announced game, third edition in the series of Total War RTS games set in the Roman empire. Head over to GameStar.de to check out the first screens and to Total War message board for some comments from Creative Assembly developer Gil Jaysmith..

Xpand Rally races take place in different parts of the world, the player gets to race in different environments – from deserts to polar snows. This gives him opportunity to experience cars’ physics changing in different weather and on different surfaces (gravel, sand, snow, ice and asphalt). Terrains in Xpand Rally are created on Chrome Engine. This enabled the XR team to create realistic and abundant in flora terrains of a few dozens of square kilometers. It will give the players a completely different feeling from driving in a narrow gutter known from most racing games... Some new shots below!

IL-2 Sturmovik set new standards of realism and gameplay and swept almost every gaming award on its way to become the most critically acclaimed flight simulation title for 2001. In addition to the new campaigns set on the Finnish and Hungarian fronts and new single and multiplayer missions, several new playable and AI controlled Russian, German and British aircraft is featured in IL-2 Sturmovik: The Forgotten Battles. Check out latest 22 screens below, as well as the impressive fan made trailer!!

The game is in the style of ´Commandos´ where the player takes on the role of the leader of a group of military specialist in the Korean War. Along with innovative features (some never seen before), you are offered the customary classic intuitive user-friendly features. Set in Korea during the conflict between North and South Korea, the game offers an authentic setting from the period, along with all its nuances.

BBC England reports that a 69-year-old woman was hit on the head with a computer game console as she tried to stop her son being attacked by a burglar. Maureen Palmer, 69, found her 41-year-old son wrestling with the intruder at the family home in Greystoke Road, Slough, Berkshire. Mrs Palmer cried out "nobody hurts my son", but the man hit her over the head with the Playstation that he had just stolen from the living room...

Dragon Ball Z Budokai is an authentic and deep 3D fighting game set in the spectacular world of DBZ and filled with the fiercest fighters the universe has ever known. Test your skills against the most powerful Dragon Ball Z heroes and the most sinister villains. Every battle is more intense, more dangerous, and more epic than the one before. Will you be the last warrior standing?