Buena Vista Games Senior Producer Robert Coshland has left the Disney games division to start up studio Republik Games, Inc. as CEO. The new company is already at work on a soon-to-be-announced online dating game and a related web community.

MadMinute Games and Activision Value have amicably parted ways. The Take Command Series will no longer be published under the Activision Value label. MadMinute Games, Inc. will announce their next title in October 2005.

Take2's Serious Sam II multiplayer details announcement yesterday stirred up a bit of a ruckus due to the lack of any deathmatch support, and today fan site Seriously! received confirmation from developer Croteam it will release a patch after the game's initial launch that will add/enable multiplayer deathmatch. Whether this was initially plannend or due to fanbase pressure was not specified.

Black & White 2 includes other new elements, such as improved graphics and Miracle effects such as rivers of fire and earthquakes that yield mass destruction. The game also includes weather systems that impact gameplay; players will see the impact of a drought that scorches the arid plains of Egypt or the effect of a heavy snowfall on the Norse Mountains.

Namco announced today Bounty Hounds, a third-person weapons-based action game for the PSP. In Bounty Hounds, players utilize a massive selection of weapons and armor in order to fight more than 40 alien species across 40 expansive missions in a future gone awry.

Dragonshard will incorporate classic role-playing themes, a powerful and dynamic real-time strategy engine all woven together with a rich storyline involving a global conflict for an immensely powerful artifact with the power to change the fate of Eberron itself. Already revealed a few months ago, Atari today official announced that it will release Liquid Entertainments RTS Dragonshard on September 20, 205.

True Crime: New York City will follow another policeman through the meticulously re-created streets of a real-life metropolitan area. However, instead of the wisecracking LAPD detective Nick Kang, gamers will now play as Marcus Reed, a former gang member turned NYPD officer. Though few details about TC:NYC have been revealed, it will presumably have a similar moral-ambiguity system where Marcus can be either a good or a (very) bad cop.

Tulga Games has been hard at work, with vast game improvements and innovations, especially relating to the powerful Dragons. For a limited time Tulga Games are extending the free trial period from 7 to 14 days, allowing you to experience the only game in the world that lets you breathe fire, learn to fly, and become a fearsome adult Dragon. Horizons takes place in the fantasy world of Istaria and, in addition to Dragons, includes ten other unique player races, dramatic combat spells, awesome monsters, player-built cities and a compelling crafting system.

The Adventure Company launched the official Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None web site, the first ever video game based on the novel by the Queen of Crime due out this November for the PC. Mystery fans and adventure gamers can begin their investigation by visiting the website where they will find the latest information on the game, view character bios, artwork, and learn more about Agatha Christie.

Ankh is a point and click adventure game in development over at German Deck 13. You play as Assil, a young Egyptian man in trouble, making his way through treacherous Cairo, avoiding evil Pharaohs, crocodiles and assassins, to lift his own death curse.

Sid Meier's Civilization IV is a bold step forward for the franchise, with spectacular new 3D graphics and all-new single and multiplayer content. Civilization IV will also set a new standard for user-modification, allowing gamers to create their own add-ons using the standard Python and XML scripting languages. Firaxis producer Barry Caudill tells us more about the 'Great People' feature.

Blitzkrieg II is created with a new focus on fast-paced gameplay, a strategic layer and new tactical opportunities. A completely new engine takes WWII into full 3D where players can command famous aces and units, strategically plan battles in multiple theatres, choose their reinforcements and use a wide range of new unit types such as aircraft and ships.

Ubisoft has released a new patch for Crytek's Far Cry. This Win32 update patch brings your retail version to v1.33, and fixes a server crash, resolves some cheating issues, and checks so that only 1.33 clients can connect to 1.33 servers. Read more for download links ...

The Adventure Company announced today that NIBIRU: Age of Secrets, known in Europe as NIBIRU:Messenger of the Gods, has reached gold status. NIBIRU will begin shipping in North America at the end of this month.

An evolution in open world gaming, Saints Row provides an unprecedented amount of freedom to experience the game as the player sees fit. The game, based in the fictional urban surroundings of Still Water, is action adventure with its core as a third-person shooter.

Delve deeper into the film experience through alternative viewpoints designed to immerse the player into the action and truly "feel" the tension of the adventure. Unprecedented Alternating Gameplay Battle for survival on Skull Island in first-person as Jack Driscoll AND experience the staggering power of King Kong in third-person taking on massive beasts.

EA today announced that, based on internal sell-in data, Battlefield 2 has sold more than 1.2M copies worldwide, bringing the overall Battlefield franchise to 7.2M.

Vivendi announced today that it has signed a 10-year licensing deal with Ludlum Entertainment to develop games based on author Robert Ludlum's spy novels Bourne and Cover One, but not the movie content, so don't expect Matt Damon to make his game debut just yet.

NHL 2K6 continues its legacy with more control, more emotion and more detail than ever before. Puck fans take command of tape-to-tape passing, behind-the-net plays and precision give-and-go attacks. Players dominate the ice with NHL caliber goaltending, skating, checking and puck handling with the deeply enhanced animation system. Featuring all-new presentation elements, commentary and cut-scenes, NHL 2K6 is the ultimate hockey experience.

Gamefactory Interactive announced today that it has acquired Zelenograd studio MiST land South and all its holdings, and also that it has named MiST land South's president Vitaly Shutov to Development Director of PC-projects of GFi company.