"Dragonshard" will incorporate classic role-playing themes, a powerful and dynamic real-time strategy engine all woven together with a rich storyline involving a global conflict for an immensely powerful artifact with the power to change the fate of Eberron itself.

Over the weekend PC Gamer organized an IRC chat with Gearbox Software to talk about its upcoming WW2 based FPS Brothers In Arms. An edited chatlog is now available for people who were not able to attend the discussion, main points are the system requirements, an upcoming demo "soon", and the announcement that PC Gamer is starting a contest where three winners can win a trip to play the game at Gearbox's offices and jump out of a perfectly good airplane.

Rugby fans are used to spending their weekends huddled in the cold, watching the stars of the Zurich Premiership running about and staying nice and warm. Now you can finally take off your scarves and mittens. Digital Jesters are excited to present a taste of the authentic 3D stadiums that feature in Pro Rugby Manager 2, allowing those long suffering supporters to enjoy the same views from the comfort of their centrally heated living rooms. Read more for details ...

Eidos in conjunction with Highway 1 Productions, takes an unrelenting look at urban street crime in its upcoming action video game 25 To Life. 25 To Life is being developed by Avalanche Software and will be available for PS2, Xbox and PC in March 2005.

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. Read more for screens & trailer (thanks XboXyde).

Starbreeze has released the level editing tools for its hack and slash action game Knights of the Temple: Infernal Crusade. These level editing tools require the lastest v1.02 Ogier editor, which in combination will let you create your own Knights of the Temple specific maps (thanks 3DGamers). Read more for download links ...

In Elite Warriors: Vietnam, you will fight along side Green Beret commandoes as you conduct classified missions deep in Southeast Asia. By using patrol techniques still being used today in Iraq and Afghanistan you will rescue downed pilots, ambush convoys, seize enemy prisoners, and discover targets for air attacks.

"Dungeon Siege II" promises to set a new standard in role-playing games by combining an intriguing story-line with intense real-time party combat and cutting edge 3D graphics. Read more for some spiffy new screens ...

Blizzard is not only hunting down people using cheats in World of Warcraft but not also taking action against people selling items for real money of Ebay. "It has come to our attention that certain individuals are selling Blizzard's in-game property for cash on auction sites such as eBay and on personal websites. The World of Warcraft Terms of Use clearly state that all of the content in World of Warcraft is the property of Blizzard, and Blizzard does not allow "in game" items to be sold for real money." Read the full article here ...

The Conspiracy Project, a 3rd person horror/espionage game, is the most thrilling and frightening experience that uncovers the truth behind the secret plans of the government and the legal authorities. Read more for screens & trailer ...

Lula, the curvaceous producer of erotic movies, is in a serious fix. Just before shooting begins on her new film, three of her best bosom stars are kidnapped. There's no time to lose! Slip into Lula's role and race off to Frisco in her racy hot rod. Experience a wild chase across America with breakneck twists and a volley of erotic action.

Taxi 3: eXtreme Rush is a high end racing game in which you dash frantically through the city of London in order to pick up and drop off passengers. Xing Interactive have announced Taxi 3 for February 1st 2005, and will be distributed by Atari in some territories and by local distributors in others. Read more to check out some new screens ...

Blizzard has released yet another new Warcraft III map, this time called "DragonBlight"... Map info: "Those who have braved the chill wind speak of a graveyard called Dragonblight. Treasure is rumored to lie beneath draconian bones, but vigilant dragons watch this sacred ground for foolhardy graverobbers." This is a medium map and the suggested no. of players is or 3v3. It is based on the "Northrend" tileset. Go download it here!

'Desert Combat eXtended' is a mod for a mod, believe it or not. The DCX team has released an update version to be compatible with the latest DC and BF1942 v1.6. There is a full v0.8 install and an additional v0.81 patch addressing some texture problems. Read more for download links ...

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 :

• Close Combat: First to Fight - Trailerpack #2
• Dragonshard - Trailer (2)
• City of Heroes Issue #3 - Trailer

LucasArts send out notice today about some little adjustments it has implemented after the initial SWG:JTL launch. Recognizing that amassing over 200,000 credits for a brand new player can be a daunting task, the game's developers have significantly improved the starter ships for all three novice piloting professions. Both brand new and active players with JTL will receive a 75,000 credit bonus automatically added to their accounts to aid in the purchase of high level ship components. Starting Dec. 17, 2004, FilePlanet.com will host a 10 day free trial.

Ace Combat Advance casts the player as a pilot in the United Air Defense. As the newest recruit, you must help the UAD to destroy the Air Strike Force and bring General Resources Ltd., an evil worldwide economic superpower, to its knees. Read more for details, screens & trailer ...

For the first time, EA has moved development for NASCAR PC racing games to the Tiburon Studio in Orlando, FL to focus exclusively on building the ultimate racing simulation. For 18 months, a dedicated team of NASCAR gaming veterans from the top shops has been focused on creating the ultimate simulation for the 2005 NASCAR season. The game will feature the new Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series championship format and will also include the Nascar Craftsman Truck Series and the NASCAR Busch Series.

Valve's SteamPowered website has been updated with details regarding yet another Half-Life 2 update that addresses a Securom fix (by removing the Securom disc check routine), but also a few changes to the Source Dedicated server and HL2 Deathmatch. As usual, all you have to do is restart steam and the update will happen automagically.

Massive Entertainment has released a new multiplayer map or its sci-fi RTS Ground Control II: Operation Exodus. This ReaperMoor bonus map, created by Massive's Andreas Palmgren, needs to be installed in the standalone copy in the game's Custom_Maps folder. Massive Entertainment will be releasing new maps every Friday for the next few months. Read more for download links ...