Ensemble Studios has released a new patch for their 3D RTS AoM (v1.09), as well as The Titans expansion pack (v1.02). The AoM version adresses some exploits and cheat fixes while the Titans patch adresses some additional bug fixes and game balance tweaks. Read more for download links ...

Developed by Ubisoft's Shanghai studio, the game offers the most thrilling and realistic single- and multi-player counter-terrorist experience available anywhere. The PS2 version features exclusive content (single- and multi-player missions) and a very cool split screen feature for 2-player, offline cooperative gameplay. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3 will be released for the PlayStation2 in March 2004, in the meantime, check the new screens and in game footage trailer ...

Ubisoft manager Rand Miller has announced that the multiplayer portion of Uru: Ages Beyond Myst is no more. "Even with all of the time, money, resources, code, people, sweat, and heart that were poured into Uru Live, we needed a certain number of subscribers to pay the bills. We didn't get there. Uru Live is innovative and unique; its online universe is one of the most beautiful and complex ever built, anywhere. The idea of ongoing content was dramatic and forward-looking, but it required a substantial continuing effort to sustain. We were just not able to sign up the number of subscribers (even for free) necessary to pay for that effort." Cyan Worlds plans to release new content for the singleplayer part of Uru: Ages Beyond Myst somewhere in March 2004, the first expansion "To D'ni", will be free.

Russian developer Burut has announced that they started working on the "GoldenLand :Cold Heaven" localization (means translating for non-Russian distribution). While the original game is not even available in English speaking territory, the addon has already gone gold in Russia and is expected to appear in stores soon. Rumor has it that both titles might ship at the same time (maybe as a package deal?) in English speaking territories. Read more to check out two new screens ...

Russian publisher Buka has revealed the first details of their new upcoming FPS 'The Stalin Subway' (under development at G5 Software, previously known for Fair Strike, Red Shark). The Stalin Subway is a realistic first-person shooter which is set in Stalin's Moscow of fall 1952. Iosif Stalin, the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of USSR is now 72 years old. A group of military officials of high rank decides that the Generalissimo is weak and the power can be taken away from him. But the fear of the Father of the Nation is still strong, and conspirators choose unusual weapon which can produce huge destructions and mass deaths... Read more for details and early screens...

EA has released another patch for Black Box's street racing game Need For Speed Underground. This update #4 (Euro/US editions available) will correct the black screen NOS effect with certain video settings. Read more for download links ...

Jowood has announced a new Spellforce patch is expected to go online by the end of this week, containing –apart from the usual bugfixes- substantial additions and changes that are mainly following requests by the community. There will be an additional difficulty level for experienced gamers, item sort functionality and improved hero equipment management. On top of this, we have added over 30 new bindstones to the game, making travel that much quicker and easier. With these changes SpellForce will remain a challenge even for experienced gamers. Read more for some new screens ...

Majorem Ltd. and Sanctum Entertainment, a producer/publisher of innovative entertainment software, today officially announced the anticipated Beta launch of the upcoming massively multiplayer real-time strategy game 'Ballerium'. The Beta will be closed for up to 5,000 players to subscribe to the fully 3D Massively Multiplayer game. Sanctum Entertainment is said to launch the game's closed Beta while displaying it on TGS, February 6-9 2004

LucasArts has released a new patch for BioWare's sci-fi 3D RPG Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. This update brings your retail game to v1.02 (contains the English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish editions all in one) and adds control options, GUI features, 1280x1024 res support, and the usual gameplay tweaks, bug fixes, etc (thanks Blues). Read more for detailed fix list and download links ...

Stormregion, who have previously developed highly acclaimed S.W.I.N.E., made massive tanks a crucial element in this tactical combat action title set in World War II. Russian, German and Allied troops fight in three campaigns and more than 30 breath taking single player missions. Over a hundred authentic 3D vehicles are at disposal as well as a wide range of ground troops. Panzers developer Achim Heidelauf has updated his website, read more to check the new screens...

iEntertainment Network announced today that WarBirds online subscription price has also been reduced by 44% to encourage access to players all over the world. “By reducing the subscription price of WarBirds so aggressively, we hope to gain more players from all over the world with our new servers, new features, and new pricing. We are now both the best online flight sim and the most aggressively priced, “ says Wild Bill Stealey, IENT’s CEO.

Star Wolves is a 3D space RPG with strategy elements. The game thrusts players into a world of freelance space hunters in the XXI-XXII Century A.D. during a time of political crisis for the all-powerful Empire and the three mega-corporations that control all the known worlds. Star Wolves is being developed by Xbow Software and published by 1C. Read more for some new screens ...

Tenchu: Return from Darkness brings the acclaimed Tenchu stealth ninja series to the Xbox, delivering the most realistic ninja action-adventure game ever. Based on Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven for the PS2, Tenchu: Return from Darkness offers several new enhancements including two exclusive single-player maps, improved gameplay balance with re-tuned enemy intelligence and new enemy placement, a user-interactive training mode and Xbox Live featuring two player online co-op and versus action. Read more for some new screens ...

Enlight Software has released a demo for their upcoming 3D action/strategy title 'Wars and Warriors: Joan of Arc'. This "final" demo is the same as the previously distributed demo ( features 'The Arrival at Orleans' tutorial as well as one full mission of the game), except with optimized 'gold' code, gfx and voiceovers. Read more for download links ...

Painkiller is a nickname of a pretty unusual mercenary, who is dealing with supernatural. There are places on Earth where demons and other evil creatures have their nests: abandoned prisons, private castles, deep caves in the mountains. "Cleaning" those places is good money, and our hero needs a lot of it, since he loves living the life to its fullest. One day he gets what seems to be a pretty simple job: to retrieve a religious artifact from one of the nests. When after a furious battle he realizes he might have been tricked into the war between two competing clans of the undead, he tries to play his own cards. Check these 49 new screens ...

Cenega Publishing is proud to announce a new title for their PC line-up, releasing in the fall of 2004. Creature Conflict: The Clan Wars (previously known as Animal Planets), by the Hungarian developer Mithis Interactive, is a turn-based combat strategy game, heavy on the humor! The game takes place in a galaxy populated by four different animal clans, each faction battling for control over all the planets.

Get ready, Ghost Recon fans! Showcase your skills and challenge other enthused Ghost players around the nation. In celebration of the release of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Jungle Storm for the PlayStation2, a three-on-three tournament will be held online to determine who has the goods to master the Ghost team. Sign-ups begin February 2 and continue until March 11 (or until all 128 slots are full - so act fast!). This momentous event will take place on April 3.

Microsoft Corp. today announced the launch of Game With Fame, a new program that allows fans to play against some of today's hottest stars on the Xbox Live service. The launch event, taking place Feb. 4, will give Xbox Live fans a chance to play "ESPN NFL Football" against today's hottest hip-hop duo and six-time Grammy nominees, OutKast. Read more for details ...

Numerous German-language sites have reported that Far Cry development studio Crytek have been raided by police and authorities after an ex-employee informed them of widespread software piracy at the studio. Reports indicate that the software has been used to create the game and that the value of the software, if purchased legally, would be over 1 million Euros. The home of Faruk Yerli, one of the three brothers who set up Crytek, has also been searched for illegal software.

UPDATE: Read more for Ubisoft's official statement...

During a press conference held today, Blizzard Entertainment announced plans to build a local World of Warcraft team in Europe. The team will be responsible for community relations, customer service, and technical support for the game. Additionally, they will manage the distribution and hosting of World of Warcraft on local European servers. With a regional team in place, Blizzard intends to affirm its commitment to the European game community by delivering a massively-multiplayer experience of unparalleled quality.

Already revealed in yesterday's financial results, Ubisoft is excited to announce that the Xbox, PC and GBA versions of Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow, the new adventure from the world of Tom Clancy, is on track to ship for the end of March. Due to development issues, and the groups' commitment to making these versions the same high quality as the Xbox version, the PS2 and GameCube will launch at a later date. This date is still to be confirmed. There's a single player mode and an "incredibly addictive" online version.

Gathering announced today that Mafia for the PlayStation 2 is in retail stores in North America and the English language PAL version of the title is available in Europe.

Trauma Studios developed the popular mod* to Battlefield 1942, DesertCombat. The new collaboration is for one of Digital Illusions' previously announced projects. The Company estimates the costs for the collaboration to approximately 550 000 USD during a period of 12 months. "We understood the impact DesertCombat had quite early. This mod kept Battlefield's popularity in place during the last year, as well as helped us sell a considerable amount of games", says Patrick Söderlund, CEO, Digital Illusions.

Eidos announces it has optioned the film and television rights to its sexy and action-packed video game franchise Fear Effect to producer and director Uwe Boll and his production company, BollKG. Continuing Eidos' success in transitioning game content to film, the Fear Effect deal follows in the footsteps of bringing the hugely popular Tomb Raider video game to the big screen via Paramount Pictures. Additionally, Eidos optioned the multi-award-winning game Deus Ex to Columbia Pictures and producer Laura Zisken in 2002.

Built from the ground up to deliver the bone-crushing action of championship boxing, EA SPORTS Fight Night 2004 is an all-new boxing game that features revolutionary new gameplay mechanics and a dramatic new-school attitude to immerse players like never before. Innovative new analog Total Punch Control allows gamers to throw punches, block, bob, and weave with unprecedented fluidity and precision. The game also includes a deep create-a-player option, career mode, and online play* for the PlayStation 2 console via EA SPORTS Nation.

Electronic Arts today announced plans to publish BREAKDOWN from Namco Limited for the Xbox. Breakdown is the hotly anticipated first-person action adventure title that combines Namco's legendary fighting game experience with the best elements of traditional shooters. A thrilling science fiction storyline is revealed through its high-end, real-time rendered graphics, bringing an unprecedented level of realism to the gameplay experience. The game features intense hand-to-hand and weapons-based combat, challenging puzzles, surreal dream sequences, advanced A.I and massive, detailed environments for exploration.

There are strange happenings in Springfield. People are missing, very mysterious crop circles are appearing, and hidden cameras are being exposed. When Homer notices a black van with a satellite dish parked outside the Simpsons house, he decides to investigate further into these odd events. What he reveals could be the biggest mystery to rock Springfield since Who Shot Mr. Burns?

Drake is the ultimate Anti-hero. Drake is Feel-good, action-packed gaming with instant gratification. Grim but colorful. Cool and violent without being controversial. Real-time 3D action shooter of furious and brutal revenge, supernatural Hong Kong action style. Read more for the full review ...