Developed by Mad Doc Software and due for release in the first half of 2005, Empire Earth 2 will build upon the award-winning formula of its predecessor by adding features requested both by casual game players interested in a brief spin through history and by more hard core gamers who demand a real-time strategy game that will challenge them for dozens, if not hundreds, of hours.

Developed by Irrational Games, SWAT 4 allows players to take control of a squad of up to five police officers tasked with performing dangerous operations such as high-risk arrests, hostage rescue and counter-terrorism. Read more for details and some new screens.

Cutesy characters finally get their comeuppance as Majesco introduces Raze's Hell, a new third-person shooter developed by Artech Studios, available exclusively for the Xbox and is scheduled for spring of next year.

The all new Nintendo DS is proving a huge hit in both the US and Japan, with retail sales in N. America alone having reached 1 million to date. In Japan, demand for the console is also huge and sell in has already hit 1 million units. All this within just weeks of launch! To meet the insatiable demand, Nintendo has increased total shipment figures to the US and Japan and now they will exceed 2.8 million by the end of 2004.

In 'Operation: Matriarchy' you are a trooper of the government army sent with the expeditionary force to attack Velian. As you accomplish missions given to you at the headquarters, you get new opportunities in selection of weapons and military equipment. Each mission will also get you closer to the secret of the origin of the Velian anomaly of the human race.

UEFA Champions League will offer soccer fans the opportunity to guide their chosen club from qualification anxiety through to big night glory, adding an element of the unexpected allowing lower league teams into the glamour world of European football. Throughout the game, players need to negotiate 50 unique and challenging on- and off-field missions successfully to take control of their UEFA Champions League destiny.

SEGA Classics Collection offers contemporary updates of nine arcade and console classics: Outrun, Golden Axe, Space Harrier, Columns, Fantasy Zone, Virtua Racer, Alien Syndrome, Monaco GP, and Bonanza Bros & Tant R. Re-live the thrill and excitement of the SEGA hits that changed the world of videogames. Now with enhanced graphics and sound for a superior gameplay experience.

Hip Games announced today that it has signed the Europe distribution rights to Namco's high octane racing game SRS: Street Racing Syndicate, which is being developed by Eutechnyx Ltd.

Virtua Quest is a 3D Action/RPG that features both core RPG elements (exploration, treasure gathering and character development) and a strong fighting component. Read more for screens ...

CJ is forced on a journey that takes him across the entire state of San Andreas, to save his family and to take control of the streets. Rockstar sent us a bunch of cheat codes, people say cheaters never win, well, they can at least have fun!

EA confirmed its decision to change one of the conditions for the offer to the shareholders of Digital Illusions CE AB (DICE) and to extend the acceptance period from Dec 16th until January 20, 2005. DICE's Board of Directors recommends its shareholders to accept the offer.

Valve's SteamPowered website has been updated with details regarding yet another Half-Life 2 update which adds a slew of Source SDK tweaks. Read more for details ...

Set in historical Japan, Tenchu: Fatal Shadows features two playable ninja warriors - returning heroine Ayame and newcomer Rin. This installment of the fan-favourite franchise offers a tight balance of melee combat and shadow stalking, and its levels are structured to avoid the frustrating trial-and-error patterns that are all too familiar in the stealth genre.

Activision has released new Linux patches for Infinity Ward's WW2 based FPS Call of Duty and its expansion pack, Grey Matter's 'United Offensive.' The Call of Duty patch brings your retail game to v1.5 while the United Offensive will become v1.51. Read more for download links ...

For the first time, EA has moved development for NASCAR PC racing games to the Tiburon Studio in Orlando, FL to focus exclusively on building the ultimate racing simulation. For 18 months, a dedicated team of NASCAR gaming veterans from the top shops has been focused on creating the ultimate simulation for the 2005 NASCAR season. The game will feature the new Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series championship format and will also include the Nascar Craftsman Truck Series and the NASCAR Busch Series.

This morning revealed, and there are the first screenshots from Akella's Age of Pirates. Not much information available at this point, so read more to check out the goodies ...

Valve has just released a free demo of Half-Life 2. Featuring some of the amazing digital actors and physical gameplay that has made Half-Life 2 the leading contender for Game of the Year 2004, the demo takes players through some of the early levels of the game and later transports them to the area of the game known as Ravenholm. The demo will require a Steam account to install. Read more for download links ...

Topheavy Studios ships The Guy Game, the first-ever video game to feature hours of live-action video clips of topless women during Spring Break. Released in September for the PS2 and Xbox, The Guy Game matches players' wits against more than 60 attractive co-eds, all of whom are not afraid to grin and bare it. In addition, the PC version features exclusive new Spring Break footage not available on the console versions.

Today Microsoft announced the launch of the official Forza Motorsports website, but more importantly, the same statement also revealed Microsoft pushed back the release from its original February date, to April 2005. Head on over to the official website for all the latest info, an innovative car builder page enabling car enthusiasts to modify the look and performance of six cars – the Acura NSX, Nissan 350z, Audi TT, Silvia, Hyundai Tiburon and Volkswagen Beetle, the latest screenshots or Car Cultures, a page dedicated to the wide-range of cars and car cultures that make up Forza Motorsport.

In an interview on Pirates Ahoy, Akkela's Project Manager Renat Nezametdinov, reveals that the game formerly known as Corsairs 2 is now finally getting an international release under the name of Age Of Pirates, and not Sea Dogs 2 as previously anticipated. While Corsairs 2 was only intented for Russian release at first, the new project under the AoP name will be targetted for European and North American audiences. For more details read the full interview