The entire Worthplaying staff would like to say "MERRY CHRISTMAS" to our readers all around the world. We hope everybody has a wonderful holiday, loads of good food, and a joyful time with friends & family. May Santa bring you all the games you wished for, but above all, stay safe! Our news coverage will not slow down, but the news itself might be lacking. If there is anything worthy of your attention, you can be sure to read it here ...

Atari has released a new update patch for Troika's RPG Temple of Elemental Evil. This upgrade brings your retail game to v3.0 and only corrects problems associated with upgrading to DirectX 9.0c, specifically, the inability to loot bug. Read more for details and download links ...

Enlight Software has released a new patch for its animal loving sim/strategy game Zoo Empire. This update brings your retail game to v1.22 and further refines the hunger algorithm so that animals will no longer die of hunger so long as there is food in the exhibit (thanks 3DGamers). Read more for details and download links ...

X-Isle is a singleplayer mod for Ubisoft/CryTek's FPS Far Cry. This Alpha v0.1 features 2 maps, 2 weapons, a jetski and a few other features. Read more for download links ...

The Sims 2 University is the first expansion pack for the highly-acclaimed The Sims 2, giving players of The Sims 2 the ability to watch their Sims become young adults and put childhood behind them as they settle into an all-new college town to live out their ultimate college fantasy.

Activision Value has released the first patch for Creat Studio's motorbike building game American Chopper, based on the Discovery Channel's TV series with the same name. This update brings your retail game to v1.1, although no details as to what it fixes are available. Read more for download links ...

Parkan II is a 3D space simulator combined with first person action planet side. In the game players will get an opportunity to explore a vast universe, visit different planets, their satellites, huge space stations and immense space destroyers.

Gran Turismo 4 further demonstrates its mission to provide the most authentic driving simulation available in the marketplace. New features will extend above and beyond just pure automotive racing, providing a unique destination for automotive and PS2 enthusiasts to enjoy car culture in every dimension. Sony announced the European release date is pushed back from late February to March 9, 2004. Read more for the 52 tracks which will be available in GT4.

In Battlefield 2, players will choose to fight for one of three military superpowers: the United States, China, or the newly formed Middle East Coalition. Armed with the latest modern weaponry, players can take control of any of the game's 30+ vehicles to engage in major conflicts with over 100 players. Check out the freshly launched BF2 website, which at this point only featuring previously released screens & trailers. For new goodies, check our 30+ new screens & movies from yesterday.

Square Enix announced today that its PS2 exclusive RPG FullMetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel will ship to North American retailers on January 18, 2005. FullMetal Alchemist expands the story in the anime series which airs on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming. The tale follows the adventures of brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric on their quest to make right the mistakes of their past.