Atari and Liquid Entertainment are pleased to announce the initial sign-up phase of the closed beta test of our upcoming Dungeons & Dragons real-time strategy title, Dragonshard. Sign-ups for are now available for this fantasy real-time strategy experience at Atari's betatest.net, so put in a request now. The beta start date is coming soon.

TrackMania Sunrise, the legitimate heir to the throne, is shifting up a gear. Sunrise moves faster, handles better and features improved air-control – vital for making the massive jumps – to ensure that gameplay never moves at anything less than fast. And it's all about the gameplay.

Atari announced today that a special Limited Edition version of Sid Meier's Pirates! will be packed with tons of bonus material and is available through select retail channels for fans who pre-order the game. The Limited Edition will be offered at the same price as the regular game and can only be reserved before the game launches. Read more for details ...

Ubisoft today announced the signing of a new and exclusive licensing deal with LucasArts to develop portable video games based on the upcoming Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith movie. The title will be available on the new next-generation of handheld consoles - PSP, Nintendo DS, as well on Game Boy Advance - and will launch in conjunction with the movie in Spring 2005.

Stateside soccer fans can now experience an international match on U.S. soil as Codemasters today announced that Manchester United Soccer 2005 is now shipping to select retail outlets nationwide for PC-DVD. Now American enthusiasts can experience what it is like to bring home a championship with the boys from “across the pond.”

Namco Hometek Inc. announced today that the epic role-playing adventure Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean has gone gold. Available exclusively for the GameCube this November, Baten Kaitos takes players on an intense and innovative epic journey to save a world in crisis.

Prince of Persia: Warrior Within features a deep, mysterious storyline starring a darker, edgier Prince who is vigilant in his quest to unseal his mortal destiny. Read more for new screens showing off some of the enemies and monsters you will encounter in the game ...

SCEI is working on a sequel to what a lot of people call one of the best games of all time, ICO. Carrying a somewhat odd name, 'Wanda And The Colossus' is situated in the same universe as its prequel, but will follow a totally different story line. Not much details are available yet, but with the Tokyo Game Show in progress, there should be more info coming soon. In the meantime, check out the new screens...

Codemasters announced today that its internationally acclaimed rally game, Colin McRae Rally 2005, has shipped to North American retail outlets for PC-DVD. A console version of the game is also available on the Xbox.

Ubisoft has released a beta version of the Dynamic Mission Generator for 1C Maddox's World War II combat flight simulation Pacific Fighters. No specific details are available at this point. Read more for download links ...

Based on an updated version of the same engine technology used in Bungie's first person shooter "Halo," "Rebel Without a Pulse" puts players in control of a wisecracking zombie named Stubbs, "who takes on an ultra-modern city of the future using nothing but his own carcass and the weapons of his possessed enemies." The game is rife with tongue-in-cheek humor, a strong storyline and innovative combat techniques.

The Roots combines a classic RPG with dynamic gameplay and the fast paced plot characteristic of action-adventure games. The Roots has a complex, multi-threaded storyline and a vast world, which the player discovers whilst traveling with his party, fighting various monsters and living through great adventures.

Going where no previous James Bond game has dared to tread, the upcoming GoldenEye: Rogue Agent first-person shooter from Electronic Arts breaks all the rules by transporting players to the dark side of the Bond universe to experience life as a high-rolling, cold-hearted villain. Read more for new screens ..

SCi has released a new patch for Warthog's rally racing sim Richard Burns Rally. This update patch brings your retail game to v1.02 and mainly seems to address audio issues, some minor bug fixes and redbull animation, AMD crashes, replay slow-downs, glass shader errors, etc (thanks bluesnews). Read more for download links ...

EA today announced that Snoop Dogg's remix of The Doors' legendary rock song 'Riders On The Storm' will be available exclusively in Need for Speed Underground 2. The in-game soundtrack shifts seamlessly from rock to hip hop to techno with 26 additional hit songs.

Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (SOE) today announced Station Players, a new Web-based service that allows gamers to connect with their friends, their game community, and their in-game characters from SOE games. The new service gives players more ways to access, track and expand upon their game experiences, and also provides a centralized location where communities connect and grow.

Seconf Life developer Linden Lab announced today it has closed a financing round of $8,000,000 led by Benchmark Capital and with participation from Omidyar Network, a new organization lead by eBay founder, Pierre Omidyar. Existing investors including software pioneer Mitch Kapor also participated in the round.

Pathologic is a unique example of a dramatic game, which directly affects the player's state of mind. Featuring a bizarre combination of first-person game, role-playing features, non-linear plot and real time flow, three unique campaigns and multiple endings.

Alexander is Ubisoft's real-time strategy video game based on the upcoming motion picture Alexander, the biopic based on the life and conquests of Alexander the Great from director Oliver Stone. Read more for details and new screens...

In Battlefield 2, players will choose to fight for one of three military superpowers: the United States, China, or the newly formed Middle East Coalition. Armed with the latest modern weaponry, players can take control of any of the game's 30+ vehicles to engage in major conflicts with over 100 players in some of the largest online battles on the PC.