Microsoft announced the launch of Windows Live Messenger on Xbox 360, connecting friends across X360 consoles, PCs and Windows Mobile-powered devices. With this update to Xbox 360, friends and families can easily connect and chat directly from their television using Windows Live Messenger.

The Rise of Atlantis is a puzzle game offering 77 captivating levels of addictive gameplay with quite impressive power-ups and handy bonuses.

Set in the deceptively idyllic town of Bright Falls, Washington, Alan Wake places gamers in the role of the best-selling suspense author, Alan Wake. He escapes to this small town to recover from the mysterious disappearance of his fiancée. In Bright Falls Wake comes face to face with his darkest nightmares.

Another day, another batch of game trailers was released. Instead of giving them all their own posts, we grouped them, and so far there are trailers for:

• Xbox 360 - Spring Dashboard Update Trailer
• Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai Another Road [PSP] - Trailer #2
• Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII [PSP] - Trailer #2
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  We will update this throughout the day when new trailers become available. Read more for download links ...

Forza Motorsport 2 features authentic simulation physics, bone-jarring damage, photo-realistic graphics, 300 of the world’s hottest cars for you to collect, and licensed tuning and plenty of customization options.

Sadness is a black & white action game taking place before 1914, pre-World War I. Often compared to the comic book-based movie "Sin City," the game is totally different in style, and rather a tribute to pre-World War I cinema, with a similar atmosphere. Frontline Studios revealed they are no longer associated with the project, without giving further details ...

World in Conflict is a strategy game that delivers intense action and coordinated team play amidst the war the world feared most – an apocalyptic showdown between the Soviet Union and the United States, with completely destructible 3D battlefields, aggressive team-based multiplayer action and a focus on fast, hard-hitting battles.

BioShock is 2K Games' hybrid first-person shooter, in the works over at System Shock 2 developers Irrational Games, combining elements of sci-fi and role-playing genres. The unofficial Sony blog Threespeech lists several upcoming PS3 games, including BioShock, which would confirm earlier rumors. However, a 2KGames rep. debunked it right away, saying BioShock is exclusive to X360 and PC.

Now ThreeSpeech admit they made an error.

Using an enhanced ‘Tomb Raider: Legend’ game engine, the graphics, technology and physics bring Lara’s adventure and pursuit of a mystical artifact known only as the Scion right up to today’s technology standards and will offer gamers a completely new gameplay experience.

A recent 1UP podcast with editor Shawn Elliot included an interview with Epic Games founder Tim Sweeney, revealing that Microsoft is not letting them release free Gears of War maps. "We already released two (maps) and we have four more maps that we've built. We've been wanting to give them but actually Microsoft has been pushing back on us. They're trying to build this business model around selling additional content for games and that's a valid idea, but we would definitely like to release more stuff for free, and we haven't been able to do so yet."

UPDATE: According to Epic's Mark Rein, both parties have made a compromise. The maps will be sold at first, then made free after a few months, much like the previous Halo 2 map pack.

Black Element Software announces that its single-player oriented sci-fi FPS will be available on IDEA Games' digital distribution service Sprocket later this month. Alpha Prime features a varied balance of combat and more technical activities such as hacking and remotely controlling robotic devices.

Adds layers of strategy to your gaming experience by building mobile bases, wielding the power of terrifying Ion Storms on the battlefield, or customizing your armies by combining units. EA has released the v1.04 patch fixing more lobby issues, video playback hiccups, battlecast desync issues and more...

Another day, another batch of game trailers was released. Instead of giving them all their own posts, we grouped them, and so far there are trailers for:

• World in Conflict - Combat Briefing Trailer #1
• Sam & Max Ep. 5: Reality 2.0 - Trailer #2
• Sacred 2 [X360/PC] - Trailer #3
• Mass Effect [X360] - Trailer
• Rush for Berlin: Rush for the Bomb - Trailer #2
• 
  
  We will update this throughout the day when new trailers become available. Read more for download links ...

Revealed by forumite michi.be over at the MapCore chatboards, it seems GSC World might have been using assets from DOOM 3 and Half-Life 2. Screen captures allegedly comparing the light image folders from S.T.A.L.K.E.R. to those of DOOM 3 reveal they had been modified in various ways, such as having hue or saturation adjustments, but the original filenames were kept (for example, a file with the Doom-esque name "lights_impflash.dds), referring to one of the game's enemies. id Software CEO Todd Hollshead commented they are aware of the issue and are looking into the matter, indicating the use may not have been authorized.

While there has not yet been any official announcement, Final Fantasy Tactics A2 is Square Enix's latest foray in presenting the FF franchise as a turn-based strategy. The PSP has Final Fantasy Tactics: The Lion War and now the NDS gets the first Tactics title since the GBA. A formal announcement is expected next month at the Square Enix Party 2007.

As promised, Turbine and Midway kicked off their massive, free "World Tour of Middle-earth," beginning today until its April 24th launch. Over one million players will be invited into The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar world, and also serves as a head-start for pre-order customers, allowing them to roll their characters into the launched game.

Shadowrun is a team-based FPS set in a world where ancient magic blends with modern weapons and advanced technology to form a revolution in multiplayer FPS gaming, allowing PC and X360 gamers to play against each other.

Steam Guest Passes are now available to all owners of Counter-Strike: Source. Just like the Steam Guest Passes recently issued for Day of Defeat: Source, all CS:S players now have the ability to invite a friend to their favorite online game. Upon receiving and activating the Steam Guest Pass, the invited friend has 3 days of Counter-Strike: Source play available to them for free, with no obligation to purchase.

Taking full advantage of the Nintendo DS's unique characteristics, KOEI's action-combat series Dynasty Warriors will be unlike any other Tactical Action game previously released on the NDS.

Legendary voice actors Peter Cullen and Frank Welker signed on to star as the lead characters in Transformers: The Game, letting you control the outcome in the battle for Earth as you choose to protect it as Autobots or destroy it as Decepticons. In case you missed the new screens from earlier today, check them here...