SCi today announced that Bill Gardner will join the company as CEO US Publishing and a member of the Management Board. Gardner will lead the US publishing office in San Francisco, including publishing, sales and US support teams, working closely with the other members of the Plc and Management Boards to ensure an aligned global strategy.

Legacy Interactive has released a new update patch for its TV Series based strategy game ER. This patch fixes several memory leaks, and addresses an issue where AMD Thunderbirds would lock crash on startup. Read more for detailed fix list and download links ...

The newest PC Gamer issue has some rather interesting information about Ritual previously cancelled but recentle resurrected SIN 2. Ritual CEO Steve Nix revealed that they have been talking to Valve for several years now regarding to release periodic installments for SIN 2, every 3-4 months, starting winter 2005, but up until now they have not been able to find a publisher, so Valve's Steam delivery system would be very suitable (thanks Eurogamer).

ZOO Digital Publishing has released the first patch for Climax's RPG Sudeki, addressing several graphical and sound problems, various controller conflict and miscellaneous language issues for French, German, Italian and Spanish. Read more for download links ...

The series famous for relentless intensity is returning bigger, better looking and more frantic than ever before. Sam Stone is back to rescue the universe one bullet at a time against overwhelming hordes of time traveling enemies in Serious Sam 2. Built from the ground up with a completely new engine, Serious Sam 2 will be a shot of adrenaline to the hearts of first-person shooter fans across the world. This is serious!

Ratchet: Deadlocked, created exclusively for the PS2 by Insomniac Games, incorporates co-op gameplay in both single-player and multiplayer story modes -- as well as squad-based functionality. Read more for new screens ..

The fourth game in the PC strategy series that has sold over five million copies, 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.

Developed by Strangelite Studio, the game is based on the Starship Troopers movie in which you will take the role of an elite 'special forces' trooper in the Mobile Infantry spearheading the assault against thousands of intelligent enemy bugs, emulating the best scenes from the movie and a whole lot more!

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.

IncaGold is pleased to announce that it has acquired European distribution rights to two racing titles from Hungarian developer & publisher 576 Media, 'Road to Fame' & 'Army Racer.'

PT Boats is the first simulator of the Mosquito-fleet, created with the use of technologies of a level never seen before in naval combat simulator games. The key features are: astonishingly beautiful dynamic sea, historically authentic World War II ships and weapons, possibility to control any member of the crew and a multiplayer game. Patrol Torpedo Boats were used in WW2 mainly to attack large cruiser due ot their maneuverability and speed.

Get ready for NBA hoops like you've never seen it before: unprecedented player detail, seamless gameplay and full arenas packed with rabid 3-D fans. This is the next generation of NBA LIVE, and it's gonna knock your socks off. As the new line of hardware consoles begin to hit stores in Fall 2005, NBA LIVE will be there, opening up a whole new dimension for hoops fans everywhere.

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.

Next week Valve plans to release the remade version of cs_assault to Counter-Strike: Source owners. If you don't currently own CS: Source, you can purchase it through Steam via any of the Half-Life 2 packages. Along with the release of cs_assault, a rebuilt version of the existing Terrorist model will be icluded, and over the course of next few months models for both teams will get updated. If you're a MOD developer, or just someone who likes to keep an eye on the MOD community, head on over to the Valve Developer Community launched earlier this week.

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.

Video game players may spend a lot of time on the couch, but when they're ready to go out they can find their keys quicker than the rest of us, a study suggests. Researchers found that gamers who devote much of their free time to this activity may be able to scan their environment and spot the target of their search more quickly than non-gamers can.

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 :

• Brian Lara International Cricket 2005 - Trailer #3
• Madden 2006 - Trailer #3
• Shattered Union - Intro Trailer
• Rainbow Six 4: Lockdown [PS2] - Multiplayer Trailer
• One Piece: Grand Battle [NGC] - Trailer #2
• Zatch Bell [NGC] - Trailer
• 
  
  We will update this throughout the day when new trailers become available. Read more for download links ...

UFO: Aftershock follows directly from one of the endings of UFO: Aftermath, where the player agrees to hand over the Earth to the Alien scientists, who are trying to change the planet into a giant living organism. The Council of Earth and their followers take refuge on an orbiting satellite prepared for them by the aliens, but not all the survivors of the original invasion where re-located.

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.

Ubisoft sent us a note that it has launched the official 187 Ride or Die website, offering fans up-to-date information, screenshots and movies. 187 Ride or Die tells the story of a reluctant urban hero named Buck, a young man living a thug's life seething with money, fast cars and beautiful women -- with danger lurking around every corner. Set in the underworld of Los Angeles, Buck must defend the territory of his mentor Dupree from a menacing nemesis and his gang of bandit roughriders, led by Cortez, who are determined to take control of the streets.