Ubisoft today announced Ape Escape: Pumped & Primed for the PS2 to be released in North America. In a brand-new twist to the series, Ape Escape: Pumped & Primed sets players on a fast-paced sports marathon across two action-packed game modes. A tournament-style game, Ape Escape: Pumped & Primed stars everyone’s favorite heroes, Spike and Natalie, and features an all-star character line-up from the original Ape Escape games. Ape Escape: Pumped & Primed is slated to ship in October 2004.

Namco Hometek Inc. announced today the upcoming U.S. release of Xenosaga EPISODE II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse, shipping exclusively for the PS2 in February 2005. The sequel to the million-unit selling Xenosaga EPISODE I: Der Wille zur Macht, the game is being developed by Monolith Software Inc. in Japan. Read more for some new screens...

Ubisoft today announced that Chessmaster 10th Edition is available today in North America for the PC at the manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $39.99.

The Roots combines a classic RPG with dynamic gameplay and the fast paced plot characteristic of action-adventure games. The Roots has a complex, multi-threaded storyline and a vast world, which the player discovers whilst traveling with his party, fighting various monsters and living through great adventures.

Vivendi announced today the epic film that transcends generations and appeals to contemporary and urban audiences alike, Scarface, is now coming for the first time to game consoles & PC worldwide. In a complex world filled with excess and greed, players can take the role of Tony Montana, one of the most ruthless gangsters ever depicted on film. Developed by Radical Games and published by Vivendi, this third person action shooter is expected to ship Autumn 2005.

Funcom announces that Anarchy Online: Alien Invasion has gone gold. The forthcoming Anarchy Online expansion pack is packed with fun and innovative features, bringing the finest sci-fi MMORPG on the market a huge step forward.

Electronic Arts announced today that NBA stars Carmelo Anthony, Tony Parker, and Pau Gasol will serve as global spokesmen for NBA LIVE 2005, scheduled for release this fall under the EA SPORTS brand.

Nintendo DS will rock the Western Hemisphere with an amazing lineup of games, as the video game industry's heavy hitters prepare to support Nintendo's revolutionary dual-screened hand-held innovation. Many of the industry's biggest software companies confirm that they will deliver names like Madden NFL, Viewtiful Joe, Rayman and SpongeBob SquarePants to the Nintendo DS, so players can enjoy their favorite franchises in ways never before possible.

Ubisoft, together with Stardock Entertainment, announced the release of The Political Machine, which ships today to retailers nationwide. A PC-CD strategy game based on data collected from surveys, exit polls, and the 2000 U.S. Census, The Political Machine users are challenged to spend 41 weeks on the campaign trail, serving as a campaign manager for a presidential candidate.

Slitherine has released a demo for Gates of Troy allowing you to try out 3 tutorial scenarios, and one playable campaign. The playable campaign is the pass of Thermopylae. This puts you in control of 300 Spartans, and their allies under King Leonidas and you must defend the pass for 20 turns against the Persian horde. This small campaign is recreated on a one for one scale with history, which will please history buffs immensely. The demo is limited to 30 turns or 5 battles.

Damage Studios Co-Founder Chris DiBona has updated his website with the note that Damage Studios has been shut down and that its Rekonstruction project is on hold indefinitely. "Damage is, at best, my personal hobby now. The company has been inactive for some time and I've been sending out backstory in a vain hope of pulling some rabbit out of a hat. Alas, no such luck. If you want to continue receiving the story with no promise that a game will come, stay on the mailing list, otherwise, I'd suggest unsubscribing in the next few days. Sorry it worked out this way, really. I'd like to thank so many people for their help since we started the project, especially the fan site guys, our advisors and former employees."

Utilizing the next generation of the Invictus engine which incorporates its new real-time physics module, Cross Racing Championship (CRC) will allow the player to experience the thrills of high-speed on and off road racing across vast open terrains. Check these new damage model screens...

Pick your parts for straight-line performance or add custom paint and decals. Pop the clutch and hit the accelerator. Get some grease under your fingernails as you custom build the meanest machine on the strip. Take your car for a spin from the scrap heap to the winner's circle. ValuSoft has released another one of their TryMedia games giving you a chance to play the full game for 60 minutes after which you have to register to unlock the full game. Read more for download links ...

Five years ago Carl Johnson escaped from the pressures of life in Los Santos, San Andreas...a city tearing itself apart with gang trouble, drugs and corruption. On his return to the neighborhood, a couple of corrupt cops frame him for homicide. CJ is forced on a journey that takes him across the entire state of San Andreas, to save his family and to take control of the streets.

In Evil Genius, a strategy/life simulation game, you assume the role of a wicked mastermind bent on achieving global domination through the construction of the ultimate doomsday device. A tongue-in-cheek take on the 60's spy thriller genre, Evil Genius offers the player the chance to be the villain and control a secret island fortress complete with powerful (and strangely dressed) henchmen, mindlessly loyal minions and a wide range of hilarious gizmos.

Hollow is an intense rollercoaster through four distinct worlds with a compelling story, excellent graphics, breakthrough immersion system with psychometrics, and numerous innovative gameplay features. Hollow is a first person action totally nonlinear game with playtime of about 25 hours in 23 unique episodes.

Arena Wars is a completely new kind of 3D Real Time Strategy game, combining the gameplay principles and interface from RTS games with the fast pace of action-based shooters. Ascaron has released the English SP/MP demo's for exDream Entertainment's sci-fi 3D RTS game Arena Wars. Read more for download links ...

On Wednesday, this first phase of the beta will open and the game will be playable at all cyber cafes that subscribe to the Valve Cyber Café Program. Later this month, the beta will be extended to owners of Counter-Strike: Condition Zero and ATI Fulfillment Coupon holders. This beta serves as a compatibility test of the Source engine as we near completion of development on Half-Life 2 and Counter-Strike: Source. During this limited-time beta, issues can be reported using the in-game bug-reporting tool. In addition any crashes will automatically generate a report back to Valve’s bug database.

Elevate your game on both ends of the court with NBA LIVE 2005. With EA SPORTS Freestyle Control, create awe-inspiring dribble moves, highlight-reel dunks, and tenacious defensive plays that express your individual playing style. All new 10-man Freestyle adds individual player movements and spacing, creating a realistic feel like never before. Enhanced player graphics that vividly reproduce each NBA player reach new heights, while multiple game modes including EA SPORTS Dynasty Mode put you in the middle of the action.