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 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.

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 :

• FEAR - Delta Level Trailer
• 50 Cent: Bulletproof - Trailer #4
• Soul Calibur III (PS2) - Story Mode Trailer
• The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction (PS2/Xbox) - Trailer #4
• Nascar 06: Total Team Control - Trailer #3
• Madden 2006 - Trailer #7
• 
  
  We will update this throughout the day when new trailers become available. Read more for download links ...

Infected, under development at Planet Moon Studios, is a thrilling new run-and-gun shooter that allows players' avatars to invade opponents' PSP systems via multiplayer victories. Infected is scheduled to ship this fall and is the first release in an exclusive three game PSP deal between Majesco and Planet Moon Studios.

City Interactive is working on a sequel to ita budget shooter Battlestrike: Road to Berlin. The Siege is scheduled for this release in Europe coming August and will give players another 12 new missions in which you once again will take up arms against Nazis. This time around you will not only switch between battle tanks, airplanes or act as a sniper, but also get thrown in naval battles and be positioned on ships.

Israeli developer Majorem has once again resumed development on its oft cancelled and un-cancelled RTS MMO Ballerium. Only last month did it was halted after Interplay failed to honor its obligations, and now Majorem is getting ready for the next round of betatesting (thanks Blues). Ballerium uses OPIUM technology to create a fully persistent world that is able to handle an infinite number of players. Ballerium looks to be an innovative new entry to the massively multiplayer gaming market, providing players with never before experienced levels of persistence and control.

War World is a fast paced, third person online shooter where players build and battle the ultimate mech warriors. Designed for multiplayer mayhem, War World lets players challenge other warriors online as they try to work their way up the War World rankings ladder. As players move up the ladder, they will be able to earn and purchase upgrades and enhancements for their mechs. This demo features a single player level and allows you to try out 30 mins of multiplayer, after which you can purchase a key to unlock the full game.

Rockstar Games proudly presents The Warriors for the PS2 and Xbox based on the 1979 Paramount Pictures cult classic movie. Developed by Rockstar Toronto, The Warriors expands the stylized cinematic journey of the film into a gritty interactive experience set in 1970s.

With The Sims 2 Nightlife, players will be able to take their Sims out to hit all the swanky hot spots in the all new downtown location and spice up their lives with an all new dating gameplay and a new life goal focused on pleasure seeking.

Presenting rFactor, the new racing simulation series from Image Space Incorporated. After successfully creating over a dozen products in the past ten years, Image Space takes the next logical step, creating a completely new technology base and development process. This new isiMotor 2.0 environment will be the foundation on which to build exciting products for many years to come.

With customizable weapons and hardcore, real time battle systems that take place on a 3D field, Square Enix's newest RPG Code Age Commanders sets the scene for action that's never been seen before. The game's character creation system allows players to customize their character's abilities, affecting their character's growth patterns by the decisions they make.

Down In Flames focuses on tactical fighter to fighter dogfight combat in World War II. The game is turn based, and the action is resolved through a unique 'action - reaction' game mechanic that allows players to experience the feel of real life aerial dogfighting with a fast paced, easy to learn system. This demo features one campaign (Dunkirk), 4 planes, online and lan (up to 4 players), and choose from four different nationalities. This demo requires you to install Microsoft .Net Framework 1.01. Read more for details and download links ...

Almost 2 years after previous patch, Blizzard has revealed that work on on a new update for their ever popular RPG Diablo II is nearing completion. While no specific details, or release date, were revealed, they did show off some new screenshots, and a few teaser words "Great evil has returned to the world of Diablo 2. Will you answer the call to save Sanctuary? Patch 1.11 is coming...." (thanks VE3D). We will of course have the patch on our fileserver network as soon as it becomes available.

Jak X: Combat Racing, created exclusively for the PS2 by Naughty Dog, introduces head-to-head car combat and incorporating both multiplayer and online functionality to deliver a refreshingly new experience to fans of both the Jak and Daxter series and car combat gameplay.