Gravity Interactive's launch of Amatsu for Ragnarok Online marks the first in a series of free expansions to the game based on different cultural settings. Amatsu opens up the world of Japanese folklore and legend for Ragnarok players. Read more for details ...

GMX Media are today announcing that they will be publishing a new PC adventure title "Legacy: Dark Shadows." The game is a point & click adventure with a dark science-fiction storyline spanning a period of 200 years.

LucasArts has issued the first patch for Pandemic Studios' scifi shooter Star Wars Battlefront. This upgrade brings your retail game to v1.00a and enhances NAT negotiation for online games, and addresses a small problem with the server browser screen (thanks 3DGamers). Read more for download links ...

EA has released an English demo for Sunflowers' strategy game Knights Of Honor. This demo contains two playable Kingdoms (Bohemia and Scotland), as well as the complete Tutorial with audio commentary, one Single Battle - Open Battlefield. In order to check out the Multiplayer Mode, two maps are available: Open Battlefield and King of Towers,each for up to 6 Players! Read more for download links ...

Fireglow team is now developing a next generation game engine (codename: Sudden Strike Next7) and the first game based on this engine , which now is officially named 'Sudden Strike III: Arms For Victory'. Fireglow plans to develop several other games based on this engine in different setups related to war conflicts. Read more for new screens...

Hearts of Iron 2 presents tons of new features including a redesigned map and interface, updated battle mechanics, re-worked technology tree, fine-tuned diplomacy and trade system as well as gameplay details like co-operative multiplayer. The game will also include, apart from the four major campaigns, battle scenarios optimized for one or two evenings of gaming, as well as different multiplayer settings.

ValuSoft today announced the release of Hot Rod: Garage to Glory. This smokin' drag racing game, which is the sequel to top-selling Hot Rod: American Street Drag, is rated "E" for Everyone and will be available in retail stores nationwide for $19.99.

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 :

• Time Crisis: Crisis Zone - Trailer
• Outlaw Golf 2 - Intro Movie
• Dead Or Alive Ultimate - Intro Movie

THQ has released the first patch for Relic's 3D RTS Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War. This update brings your retail to v1.01 and prevents the english versions from playing the non-english versions by upping the English Version's number to 1.01 (thanks RelicNews). Read more for download links...

ESPN Videogames is proud to announce that ESPN NBA 2K5 is currently in production and will ship to retail stores September 28, 2004. ESPN NBA 2K5 offers a multitude of enhancements that cement its place as the number-one rated NBA video game.

Vivendi Universal Games announced today that the company has forged a technology, marketing, and promotional relationship with ATI Technologies, the leading graphics card supplier, in support of the PC videogame Tribes:Vengeance, due to be released in the United States on October 5th.

In Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, fans follow the Baudelaire orphans as their luck goes from awfully bad to incredibly worse. Based on the popular book series and the upcoming movie starring Jim Carrey, this treacherous tale allows players to experience the eccentric adventures of Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire.

Believe it or not, there is actually some legit, non-speculative DNF news today. Meqon is glad to announce that 3DRealms have decided to buy our Meqon Game Dynamics SDK for their upcoming title Duke Nukem Forever.

In 'Playboy: the Mansion' you step into the virtual slippers of world-famous Playboy Founder Hugh Hefner, building Playboy Magazine and the Playboy Mansion into dynamic cultural icons. Gamers also will live the lifestyle, rubbing elbows with stunning women and popular celebrities, and share the mystique of the Mansion by hosting extravagant, exciting parties.

Ubisoft today announced that Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory will include the innovative co-operative multiplayer gameplay showcased at E3 2004, as well as the critically-acclaimed, wildly successful adversarial style of gameplay (known as 'versus mode') introduced by Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow.

DEEP SILVER continue to sign new and innovative tiles for their ever increasing 2005 gaming portfolio. Following the recent announcements of the February launch of X²: The Return from EgoSoft and the development of Heart of Empire, from renowned UK team Deep Red, DEEP SILVER are delighted to add another title to what is becoming a 'star studded' first quarter.

Platinum is partnering with Icarus Studios to develop a massively multiplayer online game in tandem with the film. Based on a Platinum Studios graphic novel, "Atlantis" is a political sci-fi thriller about an underwater kingdom and the surface world coming to the brink of war, with both civilizations hanging in the balance. "Atlantis" was created by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg and written by Scott O. Brown. It belongs to what Platinum calls the same "Macroverse," which also includes "Cowboys & Aliens," set up at Sony, and "Unique," set up at the Walt Disney Co./Touchstone.

Atari has announced three new Backyard Sports titles shipped to retail stores nationwide today, including Backyard Skateboarding and Backyard Hockey 2005 (PC) and Backyard Basketball (GBA).

Atari has released the demo for Frontier Developments' amusement park simulator RollerCoaster Tycoon 3. This demo features three tutorials and a demo scenario "A Taste of Paradise", playable for 45 minutes on the "Apprentice" difficulty level. Read more for download links ...

Midway today announced that Shadow Hearts: Covenant, sequel to the critically acclaimed role-playing game released in 2001, has shipped to retail outlets nationwide exclusively for the PlayStation2.

Electronic Arts today announced that, based on internal data, The Sims 2 sold more than one million copies at retail stores worldwide within the first ten days -- the biggest PC launch in EA's 22-year history.

Sony Online today announced PlanetSide: Aftershock, featuring PlanetSide, the original game that defined the massively-multiplayer online action genre, PlanetSide: Core Combat expansion pack, and the recently announced BattleFrame Robotics (BFRs) action pack. PlanetSide: Aftershock is expected to ship to North American retail stores on October 18, 2004.

Developed by Ubisoft's award-winning Red Storm studio, Ghost Recon 2 launches on next-generation consoles and PC this Holiday season. The game is set in the chaotic battlefields of tomorrow, and will offer gamers an insider's view of the way large scale conflicts will be fought in the near future.

Today we have more screens for Konami's 2004 Tokyo Game Show lineup. Check the following new screens for :

• Enthusia Professional Racing
• Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
• Metal Gear Solid Acid
• OZ
• Rumble Roses

SCi Entertainment and Davis Panzer Productions today announced they have joined forces to develop the game rights to the classic Highlander franchise.

Phantom Brave improves upon the tactical gameplay found in Disgaea and La Pucelle in every way. Its redone, open-ended battle system is limited only by the user's imagination. If you fell in love with Disgaea, you definitely won’t want to miss out on what’s sure to be this year’s best strategy RPG.

Today we have more screens for Sega's 2004 Tokyo Game Show lineup. Check the following new screens for :

• Sega SuperStars
• Shining Tears
• Super Monkey Ball Deluxe
• Sonic Mega Collection Plus
• SpikeOut
• Virtua Quest