GMX Media and Cornered Rat Software are pleased to announce a public beta and 3 day stress test for the upcoming release of Battleground Europe. Beginning at 1200CT (US) on Thursday, August 25th, 2005 account creation forms will be made available on the official website for test accounts. Participants will receive instructions on how to download the pre-release client and information on where to submit error reports.

Star Wars Battlefront II takes one Imperial-walker step forward with all-new space combat, playable Jedi, and never-before-seen environments straight out of the Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith film. Enjoy an all-new single-player experience that takes players through an epic, story-based saga where every action the player takes impacts the battlefront and, ultimately, the fate of the Star Wars galaxy.

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 :

• Black & White 2 - Making of Trailer #1
• Jak X: Combat Racing - Trailer #5
• 
  
  We will update this throughout the day when new trailers become available. Read more for download links ...

X³: Reunion utilises a new generation game engine, developed to immerse the player into the most realistic, living universe, ever experienced. The full use of DirectX 9 technology will create dramatic visual effects and stunningly realistic starships. The economy model in X³: Reunion is more complex than any previous X game. Coupled with the massively enhanced A.L. (Artificial Life) system, X³: Reunion will present players with an ever changing, evolving universe; where a player’s actions really can shape the future of the universe.

EA today revealed the highly-anticipated list of bands that will be featured in Madden NFL 06. Characterized by the same intensity and high energy of the sport, the music in Madden NFL 06 brings together the hottest artists from hard rock and hip-hop.

Devil Kings is a fast-paced action game set against a backdrop of a warring nation as feudal lords battle for land and power. Choose from a selection of heroic warriors and utilize their unique combat abilities to fight on the battlefields and unify the country. Devil Kings possesses compelling gameplay that will have gamers unleashing a variety of devastating attacks to triumph over every enemy.

Officially licensed by the NHL, NHLPA, NHLCA, and new for this year -- the AHL, Gretzky NHL '06 allows gamers a chance to suit up and skate with their favorite team in either league. With the AHL license, hockey fans can play as or against all 30 AHL clubs in the actual arenas with all of the top AHL players. Due to hit stores in September (PS2) and October (PSP).

Three Rings, developers of Puzzle Pirates, announced today the active development of Bang! Howdy, a multiplayer online tactical strategy game for the PC. Players face off in the steam-powered Wild West, using traditional strategy game mechanics in a variety of gameplay modes like Claim Jumping, Cattle Herding and Steam Mustang Hockey!

Ghost Recon 2 Summit Strike will expand the gameplay with more maps, missions, and weapons. Eleven new exciting mission single player campaign and expanded Xbox LIVE multiplayer content.

Burnout Revenge lets gamers rip through rush hour traffic and lay waste to scores of rubbernecking roadhogs in an over-the-top scene of vehicular mayhem. The game is currently in development by Criterion Games for the PS2 and Xbox.

As promised Blizzard has released a new patch for its every popular RPG Diablo II. This update brings your retail game to v1.11 patch and adds a new Mystery, new Runewords, hireling enhancements, unique items, a slew of bug fix, plugged some game exploits, etc.. Simply connect to Battle.net to download the patch or read more for download links ...

As part of this initiative to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of its teams, a majority of the staff from Blizzard's Northern California office will have an opportunity to relocate to the company's Irvine office, where they will continue work on an unannounced project. "We're looking forward to having our PC development teams together in Irvine," stated Mike Morhaime, president and co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment. "In addition to improving our efficiency as a company, the relocation also represents an opportunity for all of our teams to have regular, direct input on each other's projects." Blizzard does not believe that these changes will cause significant delays on any of its projects in development.

X-Men Legends II introduces the epic storyline of an uneasy alliance between the X-Men and the hated Brotherhood in a fight to reclaim Earth from Apocalypse's grasp. Impressive gameplay enhancements include more than double the superpowers and customization capabilities, the debut of several new playable characters, over 100 diverse types of enemies, and a breathtaking range of exotic and real-world environments—from the Madri Temple to Egypt.

While rumors were already floating around during E3, and more recently its Party 2005, Square Enix today issued a statement on its official website, that Final Fantasy XII producer Yasumi Matsuno will be taking a step down from the development due to health reasons. While he stays on the project as supervisor, Akitoshi Kawazu will take over as executive producer. The statement also clarified that FFXII is just one step away from completion, and is on track for its March 16 release date, as announced earlier today.

Namco is still pluggin away at Tales of Legendia, and the next installment in the Tales of RPG series has already been revealed. Luke is the lone son of a noble family who lost his memories when he was a kid during an invasion by an enemy country. He grew up spoiled and naive and has learned how to use a sword as a hobby. Tia lost her parents and has been raised as a warrior and priestess of the Lorelai religion, and uses a mysterious form of ancient power called Seventh Sound.

Vietnam Combat: Enemy Territory, under development at Exozet Games/Provox, is a Vietnam military turn-based strategy game that it will unveil at the Leipzig game convention in Germany. Not much details are available at this point, so read more to check out some screens instead.

Square Enix has announced the Japanese release date of Final Fantasy XII for the PlayStation 2. The long-awaited role-playing game (RPG) will ship to retailers in Japan on March 16, 2006, while the North American version is scheduled for release later in 2006.

For the first time in many years the Northern Hemisphere Rugby nations are now on equal billing with their Southern Hemisphere counterparts and the competition for the top position has never been so close with even the minnows of the International scene coming up with shock results. Rugby Union has never been so competitive or so popular, even at club level.

UK computer games distributor Contact Sales is pleased to announce that it has signed a distribution deal with Tesseraction Games to distribute the eagerly anticipated updated PC version of Enigma Rising Tide - Gold Edition in the UK and Scandinavia. The product will be available in late August 2005 and published under the Tesseraction Games label.

The ingame auto-update fixes several minor sound issues and adds Windows 64-bit edition support, as well as new game modes and racetracks have been added. The new tracks will range from volcanic islands and icy lakes, to off-road racetracks and original tracks optimized for multiplayer racing. The brand new multiplayer modes include: Return The Flag, Jamboree and Destruction mode, ensuring even more fast paced online fun (log on via All Seeing Eye). Invictus Games also included a car building devkit.The kit makes it possible to import your own car or edit original cars to your own taste.

F.E.A.R. is an intense combat experience with rich atmosphere and an engaging story presented entirely in first person. Be the hero in your own blockbuster action movie. As part of a classified strike team created to deal with threats no one else can handle, your mission is simple: Eliminate the intruders at any cost. Determine the origin of the signal. And contain this crisis before it spirals out of control. Vivendi is giving away 1200 beta keys on their freshly re-launched FEAR website.

Scooter War3z delivers a surprising combination of high-speed racing, crash'em up action and death defying ragdoll stunts. Discover the dark but alive world of Scooter War3z, taking place in a free-roaming city featuring several interconnected neighborhoods, where it's all about winning. Team 6 has released a demo for its scooter racing game allowing you to try out 4 scooters and one racing track, but no stunt-area. Read more for download links ...

While Battlefield 2: Special Forces has barely been announced and is not yet available, European online retail store World of Games seems to reveal that there is already a second addon for DICE's online shooter in the works. While the product listing does not have any specific details, or even a product name apart from Battlefield 2 Addon 2, it does however list the new addon as scheduled for March 2006. Truth or not, time will tell....

The Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack adds nine all-new multiplayer maps, additional bonus content showcases previously unreleased footage including an animated feature highlighting an unseen battle in Old Mombasa and a mini documentary showcasing the creative process behind the new multiplayer maps. The map pack disc also contains the Halo 2 Auto Update, providing non-Live gamers with the ability to enjoy recent gameplay enhancements and improvements.

The player takes the role of Maximillan, the leader of "Bounty Hounds" – a ruthless band of mercenaries. The mission is to engage in battle with Extraterrestrial Intelligence (ETI) spread across planets and unfold a sinister plot between a corporation and ETI that threatens to take over the world.

Going hands-on with Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction is an amazing rush. You can break, smash, and throw nearly every object in the game, jump to the top of every building, and pull off some amazing stunts. Featuring an all-new storyline and classic Hulk characters like Doc Samson and the Abomination, Ultimate Destruction is absolutely the game that Hulk fans have been waiting for.