The original Hidden & Dangerous (now available for free download) was released in 1999 to widespread acclaim, and was the forerunner for the squad-based tactical action game. With sales in excess of one million copies, Hidden & Dangerous established itself as a leading title in the genre. Its creators, Illusion Softworks, have for the last four years been quietly developing and perfecting the sequel. Read more for a few new screens ...

Novalogic has released a new patch for their teambased FPS Delta Force: Black Hawk Down. This upgdate brings your retail game to v1.3.0.37 and brings in several of new additions, improvements and bug fixes (thanks Homelanfed). Read more for details and download links ...

Encore today announced that it has begun shipping Pirate Hunter and Patrician III, life simulation games developed by Ascaron Entertainment. These two PC games offer a unique combination of trading and fighting, one on the high seas of the Caribbean, the other in the cities of Northern Europe during the Middle Ages. Both will begin reaching store shelves by the end of this week and will retail for approximately $30 and $40, respectively.

The FPS Master, the first controller specifically designed to optimize performance in first person shooter (FPS) games on the Xbox, is now available from Radica Games under the Gamester brand. Read more for details ....

Get ready to pilot the world's most powerful trucks and go head-to-head in pulse-pounding off-road competitions. Whether you're grinding through mud pits in Louisiana, crunching up cliffs in California, or smashing up trees to make the ride a little bumpier for they guy behind you, keep your eyes on the prize: cash you earn on the circuit goes to buy new trucks and build up your ultimate Monster machine. Read more for some new screens!

Microsoft has released a map pack for Relic Entertainment's 3D RTS game Impossible Creatures. Impossible Creatures is a 3-D real-time strategy game that pits the player against an evil villain in an action-packed campaign across a chain of remote and diverse islands. Using Earth's most formidable animals as building blocks, the player creates an army of unique, mutant monsters in a desperate struggle to protect an unsuspecting world from a horrible fate. This map pack requires you to have the latest v1.1 update patch (also available on our file servers) and features a few new multiplayer maps :Ring, 2Fort4, Rival Islands, Double Twisted Bill and Shinwa (thanks Relicnews)Read more for download links ...

Another day, another batch of game trailers were released. Instead of giving them all their own posts, we grouped them, and so far there are trailers for :

• Painkiller - Trailer
• Goblin Commander: Unleash The Horde - Trailer
• Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring - Trailer
• Mission Impossible: Operation Surma - Trailer
• 
  
  We will update this throughout the day when new trailers become available. Read more for download links ...

In Advent Rising, a common legend pervades the galaxy - that of a powerful, ancient race that will one day unite the universe. Millions of cultures from vastly distant worlds revere and hallow these mythological beings known as humans. One race, the Seekers, know humans actually exist and are threatened by their potential power. Under the guise of benevolent explorers, the Seekers travel throughout the galaxy in a desperate attempt to eradicate any human society they unearth. Check out some new screens ...

Jowood has released an updated demo for the English version of Nival Interactive's 3D turn-based tactical combat game Silent Storm. As before it features 2 missions and a tutorial but adresses some text issues and adds a camera angle switch ability during enemy turns. Read more for download links ....

KOCH Entertainment in conjunction with Vybe Squad LLC is proud to announce the release of True Crime: Streets of L.A., a brand new 20-track compilation and companion piece to the highly anticipated game of the same name from Activision, Inc. The album features an incredible mix of new studio material from some of the biggest names in West Coast hip-hop. The CD is the first release of its kind to feature all new original material, all of which is heavily featured in the game. Read more for details ...

Kemco U.S.A announced today that the stealth-based action adventure title, Rogue Ops has gone gold. Rogue Ops will make its debut on the Xbox, the PlayStation2 and Nintendo GameCube on October 28, 2003. Developed by Bits Studios Ltd., the intense stealth thriller featuring the vivacious vixen Nikki Connors, thrusts players into an underground world of terrorist organizations and black ops missions.

As part of its ongoing expansion plans, Climax today confirmed the creation of a high-tech audio department to be headed-up by Steve Rockett. Located at its Brighton, UK office, the foundation of this new department enables Climax to enrich its many games with high-quality audio and confirms its position as one of the most ambitious and successful development studios.

With a long and illustrious career producing outstanding music, Climax sees Steve Rockett as the ideal man to lead the new department. Arriving from the hugely successful Rockett Music, Steve brings with him a wealth of experience producing audio for handheld game systems and next generation consoles

The Adventure Company today announced that it has shipped The Black Mirror to stores in North America. The Black Mirror’s story is based on Englishman Samuel Gordon, who had left his boyhood home many years before, vowing never to return. The accidental death of his grandfather, William, forces him to make the painful journey back. After reading William’s journal, Samuel learns that the death is no accident, but linked to a string of gruesome and mysterious deaths dating back 100 years. Upon investigating, Samuel discovers that he’s much closer to the mystery than he thinks; in fact, he’s at the very center of it.

In their immeasurable greed and constant thirst for power, the thirteen most powerful Mages of all time doomed the land, hurling it into an endless spiral of chaos and despair. Entire countries were wiped out in the blink of an eye when the devastating power of the Elements was unleashed – Elements summoned by dark rituals. Continents shattered like glass, the pieces strewn about like leaves in the wind. Huge armies, bound by the the power of ancient runes, brought war and destruction to the lands that survived the initial onslaught. All that was left were a few islands, connected by magic portals. Read more for 3 tasty new screens ...

P.M. STUDIOS lets us know that they have launced the official website for Project Etrom. Etrom is an epic adventure among realms and cities, democracies and "nazi" dictatorships, a journey through space-time portals, among the Thrones of the Abyss, beyond the gates of the City of Light and many more locations, situations, rituals, secret-services plots, dark spells. Head on over there and check out the goodies!

Microsoft Game Studios and Ensemble Studios today announced that a limited edition Kings & Myths: The Age Collection holiday compilation package, which includes four award-winning games, is now available at select North American retailers for an estimated retail price of $59.99 (U.S.). The compilation, which includes Age of Mythology, Age of Mythology: The Titans, Age of Empires II, Age of Empires II: The Conquerors and Sybex’s Age of Mythology Strategy Guide, will be available only at Best Buy, EB Games and GameStop. The Kings & Myths package is a great way for players to experience the finest real-time strategy titles available.

Internet gaming just got easier! Nyko Technologies has shipped its flagship product, the Wireless Net Extender, to major retail outlets and consumer electronic stores. The Wireless Net Extender allows gamers to connect their Sony Playstation 2 or Microsoft Xbox to their Internet connection, even when they are in different rooms, for cable-free Internet game play. Comprised of two small black boxes, Nyko's wireless technology is easy to use, completely plug-n-play, and provides a secure connection. Nyko's Wireless Net Extender carries a suggested retail price of $99.99.

Global Star Software has released the first patch for Virtual Playground/Fusion Digital's recently released 3D management/strategy game Mall Tycoon 2. This upgrade brings your retail game to v1.021 and adresses nvidai gfx card problems and various other small bug fixes. Read more for details and download links ...

Ground Control 2 : Operation Exodus takes place during the year 2741 AD, roughly 300 years after the events in the original game. The democratic and freedom caring Northern Star Alliance (NSA) is being hard pressed by the warmongering Terran Empire. The war has recently entered a new stage; a brutal and deadly ground war, as the Empire has managed to land their first troopships on the last NSA controlled planet – Morningstar Prime... Read more to check out some new screens ...

Encore today announced that it has signed an exclusive North American agreement with Black Ops Entertainment LLC to publish Fugitive Hunter: War on Terror for the PlayStation2. This game blends first-person shooter (FPS) and fighter genres in a hunt for terrorists and other criminals; in one of the key missions, players track and capture Osama bin Laden -- America's most wanted terrorist. Read more for details & the first screens ...

Looney Tunes: Back In Action is a video game to be released on multiple platforms day and date with the upcoming live action feature film starring the Looney Tunes characters. The partnership marks the first time Warner Bros. Consumer Products has partnered to co-publish a video game title. UK-based Warthog is developing the game based on the film, which will debut in November 2003. Check out these new screens ...

In Tribes: Vengeance's single-player campaign, gamers become immersed in a roiling galactic thriller. Throughout the game, the player catches glimpses of other, interrelated stories that are unfolding behind-the-scenes. In addition, gamers are given the opportunity to experience the full scope of the single-player story through multiple viewpoints and characters. Powered by an enhanced version of the Unreal Engine, the world is brought to life with characters that have facial expressions and fully-realized personalities, vehicles that kick up dust as they pass by, and weapons that display spectacular effects. Check out these 30+ new screens ...

Handmark, publisher of software for Palm OS and Windows Mobile platforms for handheld devices, has signed a content publishing agreement with Sprint to provide games that can be downloaded wirelessly through PCS Vision to PCS Vision Smart Devices such as the new PCS Smart Device Treo 600 by Handspring. Currently eleven titles from Handmark will be available for purchase including Monopoly, Scrabble, Warfare Incorporated, Yahtzee, Battleship, MobileDB, and others. Titles will cost between $9.99 and $29.99 and once purchased will simply be added to the customer's PCS invoice.

Take to the air in the first game that allows players to fully experience the magical speed, power, and competition of Quidditch, the favorite sport of witches and wizards, in the Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup game. For the first time, gamers will experience the full complexity and exciting challenge of Quidditch, which involves two teams of seven players who fly on broomsticks, playing four balls simultaneously. Players will control every position on their team, including three Chasers who try to score with the Quaffle, two Beaters who control the dangerous Bludgers, the Keeper who protects the goal, and the Seeker who chases the elusive Golden Snitch that must be caught to end the match... With these nine new PS2 shots you'll be quids in.

Gotham Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, announced today that MTV's Celebrity Deathmatch for the PlayStation2, PlayStation, Xbox, and PC has shipped to retail outlets nationwide. Based on the MTV claymation hit series, MTV's Celebrity Deathmatch is available for the MSRP of $19.99. MTV's Celebrity Deathmatch will be shipping to retail in Europe on October 31, 2003.

If you've ever spent all your quarters zipping Pac-Man through his mazes at your favorite watering hole, you'll be happy to learn those days are behind you. A collaboration between Nintendo of America Inc. and Namco Hometek Inc. has made the hot new Pac-Man vs. game available exclusively for Nintendo GameCube. This special game is also available at a very special price-free!

THQ and Nickelodeon today began shipping "Tak and the Power of Juju" for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, as well as Nintendo Gamecube and Game Boy Advance to major retailers throughout North America. Developed by Avalanche Software, Tak marks the first release under THQ and Nickelodeon's previously announced relationship dedicated to creating, developing and publishing original videogame content with multi-media franchise potential through Nickelodeon's television, movie, online, magazine and consumer product network.

Yesterday Eidos announced that Commandos 3: Destination Berlin will be in North American retail today. Read more below to check out five more screenshots for your collection.

Commandos 3 takes the stunningly detailed graphics and compelling gameplay of the series to a whole new level. The game features a new interior engine that enables you to rotate the detailed environments and zoom in and out. Prepare your Commandos as enemy bombing raids lay waste to environments, requiring you to change your tactics and approach.

Microsoft today announced additional broadband provider partners for the Xbox Live service - the ultimate high-speed gaming arena and the first and only integrated community sharing in exhilarating, always-connected broadband gaming experiences.

VIS entertainment has successfully completed the financing of a funding vehicle for the development of the sequel to its million-selling game, State of Emergency. Numerous shareholders in VIS have backed a new special-function company which will provide project finance for State of Emergency 2, enabling VIS to complete development and negotiate terms with a publisher. It is envisaged that the sequel will be launched in late 2004.

Capcom today debuts its Mega Man franchise on the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system with the release of Mega Man X7. The Mega Man series of products has sold more than 17 million units worldwide and this year celebrates its 15th anniversary with a whole host of activities and promotions. They also announced that the sequel to its award winning smash-hit Mega Man Zero 2 is now available for the Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Advance SP. Mega Man Zero 2 is a fast paced action game that introduces a two player mode allowing players to battle each other in various ways.

In True Crime: Streets of L.A., players assume the role of rogue Elite Operations Division (E.O.D.) operative Nick Kang, a no-holds-barred badass, whose brutal reputation and lethal skills have landed him the nasty task of taking down the Chinese Triad and Russian Mafia cartel that has turned the City of Angels into a war zone. Read more to check out some new screens!

Radica UK and Electronic Arts today announced a co-operative partnership agreement that will bring bespoke peripheral and game bundles to the UK market.

Beginning in October 2003, the deal will see the launch of limited edition double packs featuring a leading EA release and a unique Gamester peripheral. First to market will be SSX 3 and a unique version of the Gamester Sportsboard for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, which has been developed exclusively for the title. This will be followed by versions of Medal of Honor Rising Sun for PlayStation 2 and the Xbox video game system from Microsoft with the Gamester FPS Master, which has also been designed exclusively for the title.

Pack your gear, head to the Pacific, and fight Japanese imperialism in Medal of Honor Rising Sun. In this installment of the top-selling Medal of Honor series, Marine Corporal Joseph Griffin must endure some of the fiercest battles fought during WWII; crucial assignments ranging from surviving the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor, destroying the Bridge over the River Kwai, a midnight raid on Guadalcanal, and triumphing in the final showdown with Colonel Shima. Check these new screens ...

Enter the world of urban street racing and high performance tuner cars with the latest title in the hit Need for Speed series: Need for Speed Underground. Take on today’s most popular tuner cars from Mitsubishi Motors, Subaru, Toyota and many more, building the ultimate street machine by earning cash to pay for custom body kits and a host of licensed car performance mods. But just creating a custom street racing machine will not get you to the top; it takes a certain amount of attitude and razor sharp driving skills to compete in the tough world of urban racing. Check out the new GBA screens!