Ubisoft today announced that it has officially ceased production on Harpoon IV and has chosen not to release the title. "Ubisoft is committed to making the best military simulation games possible, and unfortunately, the Harpoon IV project wasn't meeting this goal. In our judgment, the product quality could never reach a level that meets or exceeds consumer expectations," said Tony Kee, vice president of marketing, Ubisoft. "We will never intentionally ship a product that is sure to disappoint our discerning customer base." While the game will not be finished or published by Ubisoft, discussions are underway to license the source code to a third-party group within the community in order to finish the game. Information regarding this development will be available soon at the game's community website.

Kuju Entertainment today announced that it is making its core business units more autonomous and defined by creating four separate divisions within the overall corporate structure. The four divisions are Action, Wireless, Racing and New Projects.

Jonathan Newth, Managing Director of Kuju plc, stated, "As Kuju continues to grow and develop, we feel it is crucial for each area of the business to stay focussed on its core technical and creative area as well as on its bottom line."

Rockstar Games announced today that Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne for the Xbox video game system from Microsoft has shipped to retail stores throughout North America. The game will be available for the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system on December 3, 2003 and is expected to be in stores in Europe on the Xbox and PlayStation 2 on December 5, 2003.

Electronic Arts announced today that James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance is now available in stores. From cutting-edge gadgets to exotic locations, James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing will add a new level of drama and excitement to the James Bond experience.

In Gladius, players may choose to take on the role of Ursula or Valens. Ursula, from the northern land of Nordagh, is the daughter of a great barbarian king. Valens is the son of one of Imperia's greatest gladiators. A bloody conflict between their two homelands gave rise to a vengeful dark god, which nearly destroyed all of mankind. Only with the help of the revered Valkyrie was the dark god defeated, but it came at a great cost of many lives. This gave rise to an uneasy peace that has existed for decades between the two lands. Now the two young heroes must fulfill their destinies to keep the world from heading into another disastrous war.

Warlords IV: Heroes of Etheria is a fantasy turn-based strategy game in which players build heroes - their main characters - as battles progress, gaining new skills, spells, and levels, and ultimately becoming the mightiest force in the Realms of Etheria! Warlords IV: Heroes of Etheria features a brand new engine, and introduces players to a new level of resolving battles with the addition of tactical battles. Read more for the full review ...

For the first time, players control The Sims over an entire lifetime for the very first time. Every choice that is made has a relevant and dramatic effect on the life of a Sim. More life-like Sims, all new gameplay, and the ground-breaking addition of genetics, with the DNA of Sims passed down through generations, gives players a more vivid, realistic, and in-depth Sims experience. All of this takes place in a new amazingly life-like 3-D world. The Sims 2 wishes everybody a happy ThxGiving!

"Sonic Battle" brings furious combat action to the Game Boy Advance, as Sonic and his friends set out to determine which one of them is really the best fighter! Choose from eight characters such as Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Choose the arena, set the rules, customize your special attacks, and then engage in non-stop battles. Read more for no less than 170 new screens ...

Running With Scissors has taken the concept of multiplayer to disturbing new depths in 'POSTAL 2: Share The Pain'. Playing arenas are richly packed with weapons to maim, burn, gas, shoot and kill your opponents, as well as health bottles that can make you better or can be dropped strategically to callously snare opponents. Read more to check a few screens ...

Uru is the next saga in the Myst universe. The retail product allows players to experience an all-new single-player adventure that will be more stunning and visually captivating than ever. Ubisoft has released a new patch for Cyan World's Uru:Ages BEyond Myst. This upgrade brings your retail game to v1.2 and adresses some ATI gfx card issues as well as a dozen or so bugfixes. Read more for details & download links ...

Nyko Technologies will re-launch the company web site with an online contest: "Online Gamer's Ultimate Fantasy." Gamers can enter and play to win thousands of dollars in prizes at www.nyko.com today through Jan. 25, 2004. Nyko's web site will feature a new design of the Nyko logo to reflect the current direction of Nyko, and comprehensive information on the manufacturer's full product lineup.

Tecmo announced today that Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly, the sequel to the terrifying survival-horror game, Fatal Frame, has gone gold and will be available in stores from December 9th. Fatal Frame 2: Crimson follows the tale of twin sisters trapped in an abandoned village and forced to deal with spirits of a once sacred, now demonic ritual. The "psychological thriller" features a unique camera-combat system that is now upgradeable, a more disturbing atmosphere and setting, and lots of ghoulish apparitions. Tecmo’s game will be available Dec 9th on the PlayStation 2.