Matrix Games and X1 Software announced today that announced today that The Last Days, the second of two expansions due to release this week for IL-2 Sturmovik, is now available for sale from the Matrix Games website. The Last Days is compatible with the ACE Expansion pack and can be purchased online from the Matrix Games Online Store.

Atari has updated its Act of War: Direct Action website with a countdown timer ticking down towards the release of the public Act of War demo. A quick calculation points out that the release date would be January 13, 2005 and if you are really impatient you can go ahead and sign up to get an email notification as soon as the demo is available (thanks Blues). If you haven't yet, check out our Act of War preview!

Busy evening for the people over at Valve as today it disabled more than 30,000 Steam accounts (a few weeks ago Valve already banned 20,000) which had been used to try to illegally gain access to Valve games without a valid purchase. A new Steam update has been released fixing some some stuttering issues with Half-Life 2 and also addressing missing models when running the Counterstrike Source Video Stress Test.

Digital Jesters has opened up its upcoming Trackmania expansion Speed Up! for beta testing. Head on over to the official Trackmania website and sign up to enter the public beta test for Nadeo's racing game. The beta requires you to have the original TrackMania: Power Up! version. Head on over to the Trackmania website and download the Speed Up! Alpha 3, install, and you are good to go ...

Shadow of Rome, an all-new action adventure game, transports players to one of the most perilous ages of man, an era when Caesar was hailed as the leader of the Roman Empire and whose sovereignty dominated all of western civilization.

Ubisoft is pleased to announce that Spring’s hottest title, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, will be releasing a Limited Collector’s Edition for the PS2, Xbox, GameCube and PC in the U.S. and Canada. Read more for details as well as some new screenage ...

The Sims 2 University is the first expansion pack for the highly-acclaimed The Sims 2, giving players of The Sims 2 the ability to watch their Sims become young adults and put childhood behind them as they settle into an all-new college town to live out their ultimate college fantasy.

Raze's Hell is a darkly comic third-person shooter set in a fantasy world overrun by fiendishly cute creatures, Raze's Hell follows the exploits of Raze, a monstrous anti-hero who takes a no-holds-barred approach to stopping an onslaught of adorable characters and restore his planet to its naturally ugly state.

Digital Jesters have announced the launch of the official Bet on Soldier website for its forthcoming FPS, featuring screenshots, movie footage and a dedicated forum on which to chat about the game.

As a holiday gift to Stronghold fans worldwide, Firefly Studios has released Castle Attack 2, a free, fun and terribly addictive downloadable mini-game that gives you a small glimpse at the world of Stronghold 2. Defend your stronghold from maurauding invaders until your castle is finally built. Use burning logs, boiling oil and archers to fend off the enemy.

Buena Vista Interactive today announced that it will publish Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie’s Revenge for the PS2 and Xbox in North America. The games will release in October 2005 along with BVG’s previously announced Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King title for GBA. Capcom will publish the PlayStation 2 title in Europe in 2005.

In 1999, Rockstar Games and Rockstar North (then known as DMA Design) furthered the groundbreaking gameplay concepts established just two years prior in the original Grand Theft Auto - with the release of GTA2. GTA2 expanded on the top-down, open-ended crime world gameplay formula with a host of new features. Reap the benefits with all manner of shady work-for-hire gigs contracted your way. And climb your way to the top of the criminal pile. Go download the 350mb GTA2.

Created by Texas-based Gearbox Software, Brothers in Arms is the most realistic and authentic WWII shooter ever. While other WWII games have sugarcoated the war experience, Brothers in Arms is based on a true story and will immerse gamers into the gritty, uncensored and emotionally-charged side of war. Ubisoft has launched the official Brothers in Arms website, featuring previously release screenshots, trailers and game info.

In this new episode, you lead Team Rainbow, the world's most elite counter-terrorist unit, as they are called into action and unfamiliar territory to battle a bioterrorist threat. Stakes escalate as they are personally targeted by an evil terrorist organization. Used to protecting the lives of others, Team Rainbow must now embark on a mission to fight and save some of their own.

Dreamfall continues the story of one of the most critically acclaimed adventure games ever made, and will bring adventure gaming into a new era. Focusing on story and characters, Dreamfall features unparalleled 3D visuals, advanced character animations, stunning audio, and innovative gameplay - wrapped in a unique and magical ambience.

Publisher Strategy First and developer Mayhem Studios are happy to announce that Shadow Vault has shipped to retailers nationwide.

Featuring NBA legends, today's top stars, and original characters from past editions, NBA Street Vol 3 reaches new heights by making over-the-top, larger-than-life moves even bigger in this action-packed, arcade-style game. Customize your baller, build courts from the ground up, throw one down in an all-new dunk contest and go online to put your reputation to the test.

Cold Fear is the first action-horror title to be published under the Ubisoft brand and combines the popular elements of both action and horror releases, delivering an action-packed, tension-filled gaming experience.

Battle of Britain 2 "Wings of Victory" recreates the fierce and famous air battles southern England in 1940. The game delivers explosive fun for veteran and casual gamers alike, and occurs over a vast and living world below which will be forever known as one the world's most decisive moments in history.

World Snooker Championship 2005 will be launched at next year's World Championship in April 2005 on the PS2, Xbox, and PC formats. In addition to this, Blade is delighted to announce that it is developing World Snooker Championship for Sony's PSP.

Infinium Labs will demonstrate its flagship Phantom Game Service, built on Microsoft's Windows XP Embedded technology, in the Microsoft booth No. 7145 in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Thursday to Sunday, Jan. 6 - 9, 2005.

As promised, Starbreeze has now released the level editing tools for its action game The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay - Developer's Cut. This v1.10 toolset includes the Riddick GDK which allows you to edit the Riddick levels, but also requires you to have the latest Ogier level editor (v1.3), Starbreeze's game engine (thanks 3DGamers). Read more for details and download links ...

Codename: Panzers thrusts players into the high-powered battles of World War II offering real-time combat rampages with awesome 3D graphics. CDV has released a multilanguage patch for its WW2 based RTS, addressing several singleplayer/multiplayer issues as well as a new feature which allows you to upload a score and compare it with other players' highscores. Read more for download links ...

Matrix Games and X1 Software announced today that Case Blue, the first of two expansions due to release this week for IL-2 Sturmovik (compatible with the ACE Expansion pack), is now available for sale from the Matrix Games website.

Based on the DC Comics/Vertigo Hellblazer graphic novels, the supernatural thriller Constantine tells the story of John Constantine, a man who has literally been to hell and back. Constantine is being developed by Bits Studios and is based on the upcoming Warner Bros. Pictures film starring Keanu Reeves, due in February 2005.

Based on briefings and scenarios supplied by S.A.S. veterans, The Regiment is a tense, accurate simulation of close quarters combat. Lead four-man teams in assaults on terrorist strongholds. Rescue hostages held at gunpoint. Recreate the deadly climax to the Iranian Embassy Siege of 1980. Fight battles in Britain's corridors of power in a daring rescue at the Houses of Parliament or tackle the nightmare scenario of a terrorist takeover of a subway system.

THQ announced a new Dawn of War mapping contest which will allow fans of the game to submit their own creations to be judged by Relic developers. Read more for details ...

The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) announced that Bandai Visual Co. has joined the consortium that is currently almost 100 members strong and comprised of consumer electronics and PC manufacturers and content developers. With this announcement, consumers can expect to enjoy a rich high-definition library of Japanese animation, or Anime, and movies on a Blu-ray Disc.

Road to Fame combines the main features of the arcade and rally games, using realistic physics. Road to Fame lets you start as an unknown driver who's aim to climb the seven race classes of the game. Reaching the top is simple: You will have to win as much races as you can to upgrade your car and succeed in higher level.

Crashday puts you in a world of stunts, dents and adrenalin. Your task is to scrap your vehicle with breathtaking stunts or to wreck cars in aggressive street races, showing your opponents that they made a fatal mistake in choosing you as their enemy.

Enthusia Professional Racing is a PS2 new racing game, developed by KCES, designed to bring all of the white-knuckle energy and thrill of car racing to life, Enthusia features groundbreaking gameplay mechanics, enhanced physics and pixel-perfect graphics to deliver an unprecedented racing experience.

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 :

• S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow Of Chernobyl - Trailer
• Darkwatch - Trailer

With its touch screen, wireless communication and voice recognition abilities, the dual-screened Nintendo DS offers video game fans innovative new ways to play. Each unit comes with an embedded communication program called PictoChat, as well as a demo version of Metroid Prime Hunters that features both single- and multiplayer action.

DDR Ultramix 2 combines fun, excitement, competition, choreography and physical interaction into one game. By accessing the enhanced Xbox Live support, players can compete head-to-head with other dancers nationwide, conduct online tournaments, upload content and download new songs, steps and characters. Also boasting a bigger music library than ever before, DDR Ultramix 2 includes exclusive songs, new game modes and content exclusively for the Xbox.

In Battlefield 2, players will choose to fight for one of three military superpowers: the United States, China, or the newly formed Middle East Coalition. Armed with the latest modern weaponry, players can take control of any of the game's 30+ vehicles to engage in major conflicts with over 100 players in some of the largest online battles on the PC.