Celestial Heavens let us know that Christian Vanover from New World Computing announced that Winds of War, the second expansion pack for Heroes of Might & Magic IV, has gone gold.. (thanks Blues) Here is the clip:

I wanted to let everyone know that 3DO has given their stamp of approval to the Winds of War expansion, and the Gold Master is on its way to the duplicators! I'm sure we'll be sneaking some WoW info onto the boards in the next few weeks, and maybe, just maybe, I'll have some early Heroes V info as well.

UK Based Independent Games developer Positech Computing announced today the release of their arcade/strategy game Planetary Defense. Planetary Defense puts you in charge of a variety of worlds, defending them against enemy attack. You have to defend against missiles, laser equipped satellites, cloaked starships, multiple-warhead rockets and flaming meteors, by guiding defensive missiles to their targets. On some levels you have multiple orbiting moons, complete with their own bases and space colonies, ships evacuating your planet to defend, and energy shields that keep the enemy rockets at bay. Its also possible for enemy fire to disable the all-important radar... Screens, gameinfo and demo is available here!

Namco Ltd. proudly announced today the release of their long awaited sequel to one of the most revered weapons-based fighters of all time. Soul Calibur2 is scheduled to release in Japan on March 27th and in North America in August 2003 on all three video game platforms. Soul Calibur 2 will be available on the PlayStation2, GameCube, and the Xbox.

Train buffs can now explore the beautiful Allegheny mountain region from the comfort of their own homes. Publisher Strategy First and Developer Maple Leaf Tracks are pleased to announce that the latest MSTS Add-On, Sandpatch¸ has shipped to retail stores nationwide.

The software company that makes the David Beckham Soccer Game has collapsed, with the loss of 77 jobs. Receivers have been appointed by Liverpool-based computer game firm Rage Software, ending hopes that a rescue package could be put together. The Liverpool-based firm is now likely to be broken up, and any new games it is working on sold off.

Codemasters' IGI 2: Covert Strike single-player demo will be available tomorrow. An all-new movie entitled Scope will be released at the same time. Both the demo and the video promise to showcase the massive environments and new graphics engine. The playable demo calls for skilful stealth tactics - but players also need to be sharp shooters when the need arises. The demo sees David Jones investigating the theft of an advanced nano-technology device by an organized crime syndicate.

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness asks more questions of Lara's abilities and motivations as she finds herself in nightmarish situations she has not faced before. As both hunter and hunted she must rely on her ingenuity, athleticism and a new harder edge that has arisen from her inner demons. For Lara it's no longer a clear-cut case of good versus evil, this is a more complex tale in which she will have moral choices to make for the first time. Check out the 4 new screens as well as the 8 minute 'Making of' trailer ...

A few days ago ATV Quad Power Racing 2 shipped for the PS2, the Xbox/NGC fans will have to wait another week or 2 but in the meantime we tossed up another boatload of screens to make the wait bearable. ATV Quad Power Racing 2 puts you in the driving seat of powerful off-road quad bikes and then gives you that little bit extra. The fast, edge-of-your-seat arcade gameplay blends seamlessly with the outrageous tricks you can pull both in the air and on the ground. You can do it all as one of 10 real top pro riders or one of 10 new characters. Race against the AI competitors and friends to take the top prize in many game play modes. Race through the dirt in this all-action racer but be prepared to fight dirty too.

JoWooD Productions is proud to announce the first official details of the characters featured in the breathtaking first-person shoot 'em up, Chaser, the PC CD game scheduled for a UK release in Q2 2003.

Electronic Arts reveals details for NBA STREET Vol. 2, the follow-up to the hit title NBA STREET, to be released under the EA SPORTS BIG brand. NBA STREET Vol. 2 lets players bring their act to the street show and face off against the greatest basketball players of all-time on blacktop courts throughout North America. First team to "21" wins, but in NBA STREET Vol. 2, style and attitude are as important as putting the ball in the basket. Currently under development, NBA STREET Vol. 2 will be available this spring for the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system, the Nintendo GameCube and Xbox video game system from Microsoft.

Following the enormous success of the chart-topping arcade racing game, Burnout, Acclaim Entertainment Ltd is pleased to announce that a Platinum edition is due for release on February 7th 2003. The award-winning, Burnout was originally released in November 2001 to worldwide critical acclaim and immediately took its place as one of the greatest driving games for PlayStation 2...

These days, gamers have insatiable appetites - and Nintendo GameCube and Game Boy Advance fill the need. By summertime Nintendo of America Inc. will accelerate its Nintendo GameCube game library past 225 titles as it continues to broaden its appeal to video game players of all ages, interests and lifestyles. This reflects an increasing amount of support from third-party publishers, adding to a strong cavalry of first- and second-party selections... Read more for a huge 2003 release list!

MVP! MVP! MVP! EA today announced American League Most Valuable Player (MVP) Miguel Tejada and National League Cy Young winner Randy Johnson as the North American spokesmen and cover athletes of the upcoming MVP Baseball 2003 interactive video game from EA SPORTS.

Softimage Co. a subsidiary of Avid Technology, Inc. today announced that its SOFTIMAGE|XSI system, the industry's leading 3-D nonlinear production environment, was the tool of choice for all the modeling, texturing and animation work for Disney's much anticipated new game: Treasure Planet. Based on Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Treasure Island', Disney's new game for the Sony PlayStation 2 adds a futuristic twist to the classic tale and creates a new epic adventure of bloodthirsty pirates and buried treasure in which the spaceship, 'Legacy,' is overrun by mutinous pirates led by the cyborg John Silver.

A new constellation has been identified in federation space as TDK Mediactive, Inc. announced today the summer 2003 release of Star Trek Shattered Universe on the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system.

Right Hemisphere, a creator of 3D graphic production solutions for games, film and broadcast, web content, and industrial design announced today that Unreal Tournament 2003, which picked up year-end awards for Best Graphics and Best First Person Shooter, utilizies Right Hemisphere's Deep Character technology for a full-featured customization utility which ships with Unreal Tournament 2003. A huge community of hardened warriors are experiencing UPaint, a 3D painting application that lets Unreal Players paint directly on their character. UT2003 Players can even import a digital photograph of their own face and put it directly on an Unreal Tournament 2003 Warrior.

Sony Computer Entertainment and Sega Europe are pleased to announce that a distribution deal has been signed to bring the update of the classic Shinobi series to PlayStation2 owners across PAL markets from May 2003.

Acclaim Entertainment, Inc. has announced that its award-winning, top-selling arcade racing video game Burnout 2: Point of Impact will be available for Xbox and Nintendo Gamecube in the spring. Developed by Criterion Games Limited, Burnout 2: Point of Impact received worldwide praise for its release on the PlayStation 2 from both media and consumers alike.

Bits Studios, together with NDA Productions, a studio of Vivendi Universal Games today announce that New York's unluckiest cop, John McClane, returns in a new adventure on PS 2. The first-person action adventure Die Hard: Vendetta - in which McClane fights to save his kidnapped daughter - is being developed under licence from Fox Interactive, and will be released in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

On the long journey to the victory the player will stumble across the traces of humanoid alien species. But, unfortunately, aliens do not want to fight against any clan, because their planets are far away from the place where the games plot takes place - no wars for the territory here. Your encounters will be limited to scientific ships of aliens. They search for new technologies for their race and you have those technologies. This is why aliens are interested in contacting you, as long as you are a member of the clan that has a great technological potential. Check these 4 new screens ...