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.

Atari has released a patch for Firaxis' action/adventure game Sid Meier's Pirates! This is a replacement executable for the DVD version that fixes an issue with SecuROM copy protection, so just overwrite the old one, maybe make a backup just to be safe (thanks 3DGamers). Read more for download links ...

Tilted Mill has released the first patch for its city building strategy game 'Immortal Cities: Children of the Nile.' This update brings your UK retail game to v1.2 and resolves some pathing & stuck figure issues, allows for easier dock placement, and makes a couple of graphical additions and fixes. Read more for download links ...

Blizzard has released yet another new Warcraft III map, this time called "Highperch"... Map info: "Highperch bestows beauty and magical powers to those brave enough to withstand savage attacks from the inhabitants who protect its secret healing waters." This is a medium map and the suggested no. of players is 2v2 or 3v3. It is based on the "Barrens" tileset. Go download it here!

LEGO Star Wars combines two childhood favourites, LEGO and Star Wars, to create an innovative and exciting action-adventure title designed for young gamers. The game is based on The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and the eagerly awaited Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, slated for worldwide release in May 2005.

Capcom today announced Gyakuten Saiban (working title) for Nintendo DS, the first in the popular court room battle series from Japan to be released in the US. While the series' previous three entries appeared on the Game Boy Advance system in Japan, this marks its debut on the Nintendo DS. Not everyone is innocent until proven guilty!

Liquid Games confirms a March release date for their homage to the fastest growing sport in the world; Poker. With Poker appealing to every level of society from the postman to the billionaire banker, Liquid's Poker Masters allows the player to engage in any one of the five forms of poker; all gauged to test his or her cunning and strategy to their limits.

Outlaw Tennis is a top quality tennis sim combined with the outrageous characters, play modes and humor of the Outlaw series of games. The Fighting/composure system that is unique to the Outlaw series adds a whole new dimension to the otherwise conservative world of tennis. Get ready to hit the courts, beat the daylights out of your opponent and cause a “racquet”.

Phantagram today announced that a sequel to Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders is currently in the works for Xbox. Produced by Phantagram and developed by Blueside, Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes will feature greater approachability and major enhancements in action and online elements over the predecessor. Henry Lee, who led the creators of Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders in Blueside, will also direct Kingdom Under Fire: Heroes.

Midway Games announced today the pre-sell program for Area 51. Gamers can pre-order their copy of Area 51 and receive a copy of Midway Arcade Treasures 2, for free. Comprised of twenty arcade classics such as Mortal Kombat II and 3, NARC, Gauntlet II, and Pit Fighter, Midway Arcade Treasures 2 allows gamers to rediscover the retro fun of single and multiplayer arcade favorites.

Over the next month or so there will be a couple of interesting releases via Steam, in addition to the upcoming Counter-Strike map de_compound. First, Valve will be releasing an update to Half-Life 2: Deathmatch that will include the Slam, Stunstick, and the Crowbar.

Intense, free-roaming, off-road racing takes on a whole new meaning as gamers will be able to blaze their own trail, anytime, anywhere with ATV Offroad Fury Blazin' Trails for the PSP.

Variety is reporting that Microsoft recently completed a million dollar deal to secure the services of Alex Garland, 28 Days Later and The Beach writer, who is now in the process of penning a screenplay for Halo The Movie. Once the script is complete and signed off by Microsoft, it will be sold to a studio with ex-Columbia Pictures President Peter Schlessel keeping a close eye on the proceedings (thanks VE3D).

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 :

• Pro Rugby Manager - Trailer #2
• Brothers in Arms - Trailer
• Cold Fear - Trailer #2
• Atriarch - Trailer

Midway announced today that Mortal Kombat: Deception has gone gold for the GameCube and is slated to arrive to retailers ahead of schedule on February 28, 2005. Featuring exclusive GameCube content, Mortal Kombat: Deception allows fans to play both as and against Mortal Kombat legendary characters, Goro (Boss creature from Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat 4 and Mortal Kombat: Trilogy) and Shao Kahn (Final Boss in Mortal Kombat II and Mortal Kombat 3).

Resident Evil Outbreak File #2 unfolds further scenarios in the saga of eight average Raccoon City citizens in their desperate quest to escape the zombie infested town. The game supports both single player offline and up to four player network modes. Read more for some new screens...

Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower is a hard hitting fighting game summons the return of Capcom’s greatest monster warriors to once again battle for control of the night. This fierce brawler not only encompasses all 18 menacing characters from the five critically acclaimed instalments of the franchise, it is also remastered to include additional content with Wi-Fi functionality.

Megaman Battle Network 5 will be released in two versions- Team Protoman and Team Colonel for the GBA. Free the internet once and for all from the cyber menaces that await Megaman, his pal Lan and friends as players experience the most exciting ‘Battle Network’ adventure yet. Building on the prior Megaman Battle Network games, the Protoman and Colonel versions will be distinctly enhanced with different enemies, characters, souls and battle chips.

Capcom today announced Beat Down: Fists of Vengeance for PS2 and Xbox. 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. Players must use their wits and depend on their fists above all else, as they seek vengeance against their enemies. Beat Down: Fists of Vengeance includes multiple modes, diverse gameplay and an open format that offers players a high level of freedom.

Haunting Ground is a spine-chilling survival horror game is set in a mysterious castle that has become a prison for two innocent characters- an orphaned young girl and a white shepherd dog. They must utilize each other’s strengths if they hope to escape from their horrifying surroundings. Haunting Ground combines a compelling ambiance of terror and solitude with challenging puzzles and a unique gameplay approach.