Imagine a time where everything you believe and think you know becomes blurred and uncertain, a time where your darkest secrets, emotions and desires can be painstakingly extracted from your very soul and brought to light. Imagine a troubled age where speaking a few lighthearted words can turn into a death sentence and where religion mixes with politics to bend a changing society. These confusing times are recorded by history as ‘The Renaissance’.

Atari today announced Atari Anthology, a round up of 85 vintage Atari games being released for the first time for the PS2 and Xbox. Capturing the nostalgia and sheer fun of the original video game revolution, Atari Anthology is scheduled to hit retail shelves in November for $19.99, making it irresistible for holiday shoppers.

Star Wars Battlefront is an action/shooter game that gives fans and gamers the opportunity to re-live and participate in all of the classic Star Wars battles like never before. Players can select one of a number of different soldier types, jump into any vehicle, man any turret on the battlefront and conquer the galaxy planet-by-planet online with their friends or offline in a variety of single player modes.

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.

Set in the evocative land of ancient Egypt, Children of the Nile is the first and only strategy game where citizens who behave like real people are your primary resource. As their leader, you must build a place in which they can live and work, establishing a relationship of trust and cooperation which you then leverage to build a lasting civilization, and bring it to its cultural peak. Read more for some new screens ...

The Battle for Middle Earth utilizes the Generals game engine, and in the game, players can select from the different "good" or "evil" campaigns, where they will be given the freedom to command a variety of major armies from the films, each with their own distinct strengths and weaknesses.

Get On Da Mic allows players to live the fantasy resulting from their rap superstardom, embracing the famous excesses of the hip hop lifestyle. Gamers must wow the crowds with their ‘dope’ rapping style as they go from the street, play “da clubs,” record at the studio, shoot the video, and ultimately perform for thousands of fans in order to acquire the fantastic material wealth that comes with unimaginable success. Check out the freshly launched official website or read more for new screens...

The latest Settlers game takes the franchise and pushes it to the next level. Fans will enjoy fully animated 3D technology and enhanced gameplay features, but still be able to relive the experience that makes the Settlers series such a big hit. The game will take the player to a medieval setting, to re-conquer the kingdom currently under the domination of an evil tyrant.

Oddworld Stranger's Wrath combines first and third-person gameplay with familiar Oddworld elements and an all-new engine to deliver a unique gameplay experience. Set to award-winning visuals, players will be moved by the complex and inspiring story as the Stranger comes to grips with his true nature in the hunt for the ultimate bounty.

Vivendi Universal Games announced today that Crash Twinsanity, the next installment in the best-selling video game franchise, has gone gold. The irrepressible Crash Bandicoot is set to hit retail shelves this month in his funniest adventure yet! Developed by Traveller's Tales, the new action platformer will be available for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox.

Ubisoft released a demo for Stardock's strategy game The Political Machine, where players take on the role of campaign manager for a presidential candidate. Players must raise money, take out advertisements, win endorsements and appear on popular TV news shows to answer tough questions about today's most pressing issues (thanks Blues). Read more for download links...

Electronic Arts and Def Jam today announced the explosive in-game soundtrack that will fuel Def Jam FIGHT For NY, the blazing-hot sequel to Def Jam Vendetta, set to drop this October. Delivering a hard-hitting mix of 28 hot new tracks and old-school hits from Def Jam and other prominent hip hop labels, the soundtrack magnifies the game's gritty, intense gameplay and dramatic storyline.

Head over to our dedicated EGN section to check out the following new screens from The Adventure Company's 2004 EGN lineup:

Atlantis: Evolution (PC) - Dark Fall 2: Lights Out (PC) - Dungeon Lords (PC) - Painkiller: Battle Out of Hell (PC) - Sentinel: Descendants in Time (PC) - SuperPower 2 (PC)

Ubisoft today announced the launch of Scrabble Interactive 2005 Edition, developed by Ubisoft's Casablanca studio, available in October on PC.

Activision, Inc. is bringing the funky vibe of DreamWorks' Shark Tale video game to life with a soundtrack featuring licensed songs from today's biggest hip-hop and reggae talents like Outkast, Ziggy Marley and Sean Paul as well as classic R&B and funk tracks from Cheryl Lynn, Rose Royce and Wild Cherry, as remixed by renown producers Swizz Beatz and "Bassy" Bob Brockman.

Ritual Entertainment is currently looking to hire several experienced console programmers to work on a multi-platform action title. The full set of required qualifications can be found at the help wanted section of the Ritual website. In addition, the company has several art-related openings. Information on all open positions and on how to submit applications can found at the following the help wanted section

Microsoft has issued a new patch for Gearbox/Bungie's first person shooter Halo: Combat Evolved. This upgrade brings your Halo retail to v1.05 and addresses a rare crash bug that could occur if a malicious individual (hacker) purposely sends a malformed packet to a game server, as well as fixes to resolve compatibility problems with WinXP SP2 and certain 256MB video cards, which could cause the game not to launch, or not to display chat messages (thanks Joe). Read more for details and download links ...

Konami today announced that Silent Hill 4: The Room for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC has shipped to retail stores nationwide. By enhancing the award-winning features that have defined the series - intense and bone chilling gameplay, superior graphics and a haunting musical score by the series' producer, Akira Yamaoka - Silent Hill 4: The Room will strike terror into the hearts of gamers with the most frightening experience in the history of the franchise.

Namco announced today that Katamari Damacy, the highly addictive and immensely entertaining action game has gone gold. Available this September exclusively for the PlayStation 2, Katamari Damacy is set to capture the attention of gamers of all ages.

TriSynergy and Nevrax confirmed today that Nevrax's graphically stunning MMORPG The Saga of Ryzom has entered manufacturing and will begin shipping to retail stores throughout North America the week of September 20.