GSC GameWorld sent out a newsletter with details on how the AI it has implemented in its FPS S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow of Chernobyl will work, react to circumstances, and how the development team faced the necessity to invent new methods of game AI. Read more for the full newsletter...

PomPom Software, in conjunction with Oberon Software, today announced that Mutant Storm has now been released through Mircosoft's Xbox Live Arcade system. Read more for details ...

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. Read more for details about the Stronghold 2 Kingmaker mode.

Developed by Monolith Productions, F.E.A.R. (First Encounter Assault and Recon), is an intense first person close-quarters combat experience with rich atmosphere and an engaging storyline. Read more for some new screens ...

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.

Alien Hominid originated as a Web based flash game, which went on to have over 9 million downloads from its host site Newgrounds.com. The game has built up a huge following globally and the news that ZOO is bringing Alien Hominid to Europe will delight many fans. Behemoth's Alien Hominid will be released in May 2005 for PS2 and Xbox throughout Europe.

Captured, conveniently forgotten, tortured, and left for dead, MI6 agent Andrew Sterling awaits execution in a Chinese prison. The story begins when a mysterious friend from his past rescues him, setting off a chain of events that could rock the very foundations of global security and wreak chaos on a worldwide level.

Based on Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the Dynasty Warriors series of action games takes players back in time and onto the battlefields of Ancient China. In the games, players experience the thrill of fighting single-handedly against nearly endless legions of enemy soldiers in historical battles that shaped an empire.

Viacom Consumer Products Senior Director Harry Lang has posted over at Star Trek Gaming Universe giving an update on the state of Star Trek gaming. The previously announced Star Trek Online is deep in design, and is set for beta sometime in 2006, release sometime in 2007. Harry also revealed that several all-new singleplayer/multiplayer Star Trek games, specifically mentioned "strategy" genre, are being discussed, as well as the resurrection of a previously cancelled ST game, as well as a project that would involve the modding scene exclusively.

Over the weekend Blizzard updated some of the World of Warcraft database hardware in order to improve performance. This update required extended downtime for certain realms as data was transferred from the launch servers to the new servers. Due to the extended nature of the server issues, Blizzard will be providing a free 48-hour extension of play time, which will show up as free extra time on your current billing period. You can read more about it on the official World of Warcraft website...

Codename: Panzers thrusts players into the high-powered battles of World War II offering real-time combat rampages with awesome 3D graphics. CDV has released a multilanguage mod patch for its WW2 based RTS, allows you to play custom made maps in single, and multiplayer (thanks 3DGamers). Read more for download links ...

SEGA of America today announced the availability of Virtua Quest, an action-RPG spin-off of the renowned Virtua Fighter franchise, for the GameCube and PlayStation2.

Choose your team, choose your court, choose your bikini and then serve up the attitude. Scantily-clad babes and seriously twisted dudes bring their famous "Outlaw" vibe onto the court as they bump, set, spike, AND throw punches on their way to total victory. Outlaw Volleyball provides fast, furious, and uncouth action via PS2's network adapter and everyone can experience the outrageous humor and fantastic gameplay that the "Outlaw" gang is known for.

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 :

• Champions of Norrath: Return to Arms (PS2) - Trailer #2
• Shadow of Rome (PS2) - Trailer #7
• Fight Night Round 2 (PS2/Xbox) - Trailer #2
• The Punisher (PS2/Xbox/PC) - Trailer #6

Restricted Area is an action-based roleplaying game with realtime combat, which combines a fascinating gameplay similar to Diablo 2 with innovative technology, tactic-shooter elements and a dark future scenario. Read more for a few new screens.

Square Enix announced today that Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel is now available at retail outlets nationwide. This action role-playing game is exclusively for the PS2. Fullmetal Alchemist expands the story of the popular anime series, which airs on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim programming. The tale follows brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric on their quest to right the mistakes of their past.

SCEA announced today that World Tour Soccer 2006 from 989 Sports will be available in stores this Spring, marking the fourth iteration of the critically acclaimed soccer franchise. Developed exclusively for the PS2, World Tour Soccer 2006 features an unprecedented line-up of teams and players from around the globe in order to bring the excitement of the world's most popular sport to the forefront for gamers and soccer fans alike.

Hell Forces is a classical FPS in which the main hero, Stephen Geist, is trying to find out, what has happened to his missing friend. During this search he is mired in a satanic conspiracy, and is trying to stop dread forces of Baphometh, the servant of Satan. Infernal legions are uncountable, but Stephen is not. Only with your help he can find out the truth and stop the invasion.

The Kessen series melded two elements, ‘game’ and ‘drama’ together into grand epics that have won the acclaim of critics and consumers worldwide. The appeal of commanding one side of an epic clash between two great armies and the awe of watching dramatic events unfold across spectacular vistas are what the Kessen series is all about. Kessen III will be considered the game that redefined the Kessen series.

According to The NPD Group Annual 2004 U.S. retail sales of video games, which includes portable and console hardware, software and accessories, saw sales of over $9.9 billion -- a decline of less than one percent when compared to $10 billion in Annual 2003. However, while dollar sales were down slightly, total industry unit sales were up 4 percent over the same period last year.