Cossacks: Napoleonic Wars returns one of the most successful strategy games of the past years to the real-time battlefield - with reinforcements: Meet Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France and probably the most ingenious strategist in European history! Enter the battle on the side of one of 10 great European nations and rewrite European history in six exciting campaigns.

7 Sins is an action-oriented life simulation that immerses mature players in a world of celebrity and greed, where the right relationship can help you claw your way up the career and social ladder. In a game universe where fame and fortune are all that really matter, players charm, finagle, fib, and finesse their way through seven campaigns and over 60 non-linear missions in hopes of reaching the top.

SCAR, a brand new racing simulation licensed by Alfa Romeo, and developed by racing sim specialists, Milestone, creators of the Superbike series and Racing Evoluzione. SCAR, Squadra Corse Alfa Romeo, is a stunning racing simulation which combines both realistic car physics, and vibrant graphics together with classic Role Playing Game elements to become the first 'CARPG' ever developed.

Fans now have the best of both worlds with a game that not only captures the 'real' essence of the sport but delivers an unrivalled experience with real racing satisfaction. Formula One 05 boasts all of the official cars, drivers and teams, including the new Turkey Circuit. Driving fans will be able to explore new functions with now interactive pit stops, a variety of new modes and the opportunity to race in the cars that have made Formula One history.

Neuro has a futuristic setting, when humankind invents a totally new way of traveling in space. That is why people already inhabit the nearest star systems. Time passes by and these colonies grow into the biggest industrial and scientific centers. Obvious enough, they want to get independent and quit the Earth Confederation. The game starts on the surface of one of the colonies - a planet named Sorgo.

This fighting-action game features up to 16 playable characters, all free to simultaneously roam and destroy a vast 3D world. With Xbox Live and System Link Play support, players can now experience cooperative and competitive gameplay with friends and foes while talking smack via Xbox Communicators. Bonus online features include downloadable items, weapons, stories, stages, characters, sound files and much more. Sega of America has narrowed down the release date from a previous vague Spring 2005 to March 29th, 2005.

Vanguard: Saga of Heroes will be the premier third generation massively multiplayer RPG. A vast, seamless, immersive virtual world filled with elements of familiar High Fantasy, including traditional themes and more, all depicted using cutting-edge graphics technology. Sigil’s expertise and experience in the field will bring groundbreaking static and dynamic content to the genre.

Stronghold 2 will bring the the castle-sim and siege-warfare RTS series to life in glorious 3D. Stronghold 2 will also offer players a "castle-life" campaign, enhanced multiplayer capability and a new, innovative and exciting single player campaign that will be revealed in the months ahead. Check out these new screens and in-game trailer...

Macrovision today announced the results of a gaming piracy study that shows significant losses experienced by the gaming industry due to software piracy. The surveys of 6,000 Microsoft Xbox and Sony PlayStation 2 users show that 21% of gamers play pirated games, but 73% would have bought the game within one month if a free version had not been readily available. This high level of piracy on console systems, which are generally considered to be secure closed systems, is surprising.

That tap-tap-tapping you hear is the sound of the most innovative video game control system to come along in years. Get physical with Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, made exclusively for GameCube, by using a pair of bongos to control the game action. Mastering the game requires good timing, bongo abilities and a love of bananas.

Warfare is a real-time global war simulator with real material and it's devoted to a conflict in the Near East. There are two campaigns, one for the USA, the other for Saudi Arabia. The main goal of the first campaign is taking full control of the region; the second one is coming to power in Saudi Arabia and achieving the withdrawal of all American troops.

Metal Slug has been around for seemingly ages. SNK's little franchise, a wonderful little action game, first impressed gamers on the Neo-Geo, but has since visited other consoles, including the Xbox and PS2; and, in its short lifespan, the Neo-Geo Pocket Color. November 2004 we saw the first Metal Slug on GBA in the Advanced version, some mechanics were changed, no blood and while the game was still great, it wasn't true port from the original game. While no specific details were disclosed yet, SNK's release schedule show it will be be bringing Metal Slug 1 to the GBA, expected winter 2005.

Day 1, FASA, and Microsoft announced that the MechAssault 2 Auto Update has been released! This update will provide many gameplay improvements. In MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf gamers will be able to step outside the 'Mech and live the life of a human pilot in a fresh new single player game. Tanks, VTOLs and BattleArmor will offer players plenty of opportunities to rain destruction on their opposition in both single and multiplayer games. Read more for details ...

"Over the recent weeks we have been investigating the activities of certain individuals who have been farming gold in order to sell it in exchange for real world currency. After researching the situation, we have issued permanent suspensions to over one thousand accounts that have been engaging in this practice. We do not condone such actions and will take decisive action as they are against our policy and damage the game economy as a whole. We will continue researching this matter. If you suspect someone of taking part in said gold farming, please eMail the report to wowgm@blizzard.com."

SNK Playmore USA announced that it will release a special Metal Slug 4 & 5 bundle pack for the PS2 and Xbox. The Metal Slug 4 & 5 will ship in early summer 2005 and each will have a suggested retail price of $39.99. Read more for details and screens ...

Compete and earn respect in Need for Speed Underground Rivals only available on the PSP. Customize and take on the pinnacle Japanese & American tuner cars in a pursuit of total ownership of the street racing scene. A uniquely designed racing game based on the legacy of the hugely successful Underground series.

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 :

• Jade Empire - Trailer (2)
• Forza Motorsports - Game vs. Reality Trailer
• Fear & Respect - Trailer #2
• Total Overdose - Trailer

Forza Motorsport gives Xbox gamers who are passionate about cars and racing the opportunity to own, customize, and race their favorite cars in a realistic driving simulation. From sport compacts to LeMans prototypes, players use earnings from hundreds of races to buy upgrades and aftermarket parts so they can transform real production cars into high-performance race cars.

Build your own movie studio and make films to capture the world’s imagination. Start filming in the break-neck 1920s and rewrite history as you pioneer the great cinematic advances. Be the first to introduce talkies, colour, animation or computer-generated special effects. Pick the scripts you want to shoot, design and construct the sets and hire the director, the crew and the stars.

Developed internally by Empire's award-winning Strangelite Studio, the game will be released on PC, and all current and next generation consoles. The game will be based on the movie of the same name and animated series franchise. 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!