The countdown has begun to the release of '24: The Game' on PS2. Set to become the biggest action adventure game of the year, '24: The Game' lets gamers take control and live a 'brand new day' in the life of Jack Bauer and the Los Angeles Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU).

Today Ubisoft announced that Far Cry Instincts will be available exclusively for the Microsoft Xbox. Far Cry Instincts takes the PC version's signature locations, Full-Action Response A.I. (F.A.R. concept), and unprecedented view-distance, and combines them with improved gameplay scenarios that will challenge players to utilize an even broader range of strategies and survival tactics to uncover the many secrets within the beautiful, but deadly islands. The game is scheduled to ship September 2005.

Prepare to journey through a living, breathing fantasy world in the Square-Enix/tri-ACE co-production Radiata Stories. Explore a living, breathing fantasy world where time passes and NPCs all have their own daily routines. Recruit allies and pick sides in the war between humans and the faerie. The future's riding on your decisions.

Blizzard announced today the very first Blizzard Convention, to take place on October 28 & 29 in Orange County, California. BlizzCon is a celebration of our Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo franchises and the players who have helped make them so popular around the world. Read more for details ...

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.

Namco announced today that Dead to Rights: Reckoning has shipped to retail outlets throughout North America. Developed by Rebellion in the UK, Dead to Rights: Reckoning is a third person action game featuring frantic cinematic action, an original hard-nosed cop storyline and wireless multiplayer shootouts for up to four players.

SNK Playmore announced today that they have shipped KOF: Maximum Impact - Maniax, the first original the King of Fighters 3D title for the Xbox. KOF: Maximum Impact - Maniax will have a host of new, innovative features created exclusively for Xbox users, including a 128 player tournament mode on Xbox Live where KOF fans can play and challenge the rest of the world.

Chip maker Advanced Micro Devices Inc. has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Intel Corp., accusing its market-dominating competitor of forcing customers into exclusive deals to keep them from buying AMD microprocessors.

Pre-order campaigns for MMO games offer, as a rule, bonus in-game goodies to reward early adopters with something special. NCsoft Europe has today announced that it plans to go one better with Auto Assault as European players will be able to vote for which in-game weapon will be included in the pre-order campaign.

Activision announced today that Fantastic 4 is currently available in retail stores nationwide. Based on Twentieth Century Fox's Fantastic 4 feature film, the team-based action adventure game lets players take on the role of Marvel's first family of Super Heroes to overcome the evil Doctor Doom.

Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) announced today that more than one million votes have been cast in the nationwide "Quest for Antonia" search as the final days of the contest come to a close.

WEBZEN announced today that its highly anticipated massively multiplayer freeform combat and driving-based game, All Points Bulletin (APB), is in development for the X360. APB is being developed by Real Time Worlds under the leadership of David Jones, creator of the original Grand Theft Auto franchise. APB will be the first real-world based, massively multiplayer online game for Xbox 360.

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!

Enter an all-new Evil Dead experience, as Ash finds himself arrested, convicted of murder, and sentenced to Sunny Meadows, an institute for the criminally insane. Though better than the madness he escaped hidden within the woods, he quickly learns the evil has only become more malevolent.

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 :

• Age of Empires III - Trailer
• Dawn of War: Winter Assault - Trailer #2
• City of Villains - Zone Tour Trailer
• X3: Reunion - Trailer #2
• Need For Speed Most Wanted - Trailer
• Makai Kingdom - Trailer #3
• Atelier Iris - Trailer #3
• 
  
  We will update this throughout the day when new trailers become available. Read more for download links ...

Diver: Deep Water Adventures is a mix of 3d tactical strategies and first person adventure action. All events of the game are developed under water, in the underwater reign; you must carry out a lot of tasks, beginning from lifting of treasures, and the destruction of enormous white sharks, to the surveys for National Geographic publishing house.

Matrix Games and Slitherine Strategies are pleased to announce that Spartan, the classic empire-building and ancient battles game, is now available for purchase as a digital download from the Matrix Games website.

Set in the seedy underbelly of Las Sombras, players are immersed in an urban setting ruled by a criminal underworld of power, greed and corruption. This intense, urban action game features a twisting storyline filled with betrayal, warring cartels and hard-hitting battles.

Fallen Lords: Condemnation is a spectacular 3D fighting adventure set in the Afterworld, a kingdom of endless war as the Forces of Light, the Forces of Darkness and the Souls of the Purgatory battle for the precarious balance of the world.

This year's festival features major changes to the format of the competition, including a $20,000 Grand Prize for best game, a new modding competition, and increased prizes for smaller award categories. Submissions will be accepted in August. The deadline for the main IGF Competition is set for September 6 and Modding Awards and Student Showcase submissions are due November 15.