HL2DB and GameSurge are holding a Half-Life 2 Release Party on IRC and GameSurge Radio, with various events scheduled for the hours leading up to the release (midnight on November the 15th), including a possible interview with members of Valve Software. From 9PM Pacific Standard Time, an interview with Sven Viking and Sniper of the Sven Co-op team -- on the subject of their upcoming co-operative mod for HL2 -- is to be held in the #HalfLife2 channel on irc.gamesurge.net.

After Strategy First losing the license last week, Matrix Games is pleased to announce that it has secured the rights to publish Black Hammer Game's new turn-based sci-fi strategy game, Supremacy: Four Paths To Power, which is scheduled for release in December, 2004.

The Kessen series melded two elements, ‘game’ and ‘drama’ together into grand epics that have won the acclaim of critics and consumers worldwide. The appeal of commanding one side of an epic clash between two great armies and the awe of watching dramatic events unfold across spectacular vistas are what the Kessen series is all about. Kessen III will be considered the game that redefined the Kessen series.

TDK Mediactive and AC Cars have concluded an agreement to feature one of the world’s most famous sports cars in the racing game World Racing 2. The famous 1960's AC Cobra will enhance the variety of car models in the game and offer the experience of an authentic piece of sports motoring history.

Over 30 new spells, along with new races, sound effects, are included in the new beta test for Dark and Light, an MMORPG scheduled for commercial release in April 2005 by developer NP Cube and publisher Farlan Entertainment.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, built using Valve's Half-Life 2 Source Technology, allows players to become a dangerous creature of the night as they assume the role of a recently embraced fledgling vampire in the service of the city's dark prince. Vampire: The Masquerade- Bloodlines is being developed by Troika Games, based on White Wolf's renowned pen-and-paper Vampire: The Masquerade RPG series.

Jowood has released yet another first patch for Wing Simulations' multiplayer shooter SÖLDNER: Secret Wars. This v30770 beta patch optimizes camera code, addresses plenty of gameplay issues, bug and game crash fixes but also adds new maps (St Rebecca / Hell Village), new vehicles, and new weapons. Read more for details and download links ...

As has been rumored the past few days, 'Half-Life 2' is indeed being sold early at various big stores in the U.S., such as BestBuy, Wal-Mart and even a few select EBGames. The lucky ones who managed to purchase a copy will get a major disappointment, as Vivendi ordered Valve to not activate the Half-Life 2 Steam authentication servers. Basically, anybody who bought HL2 can't play it yet. Valve issued a statement saying it is not their decision, but Vivendi who threatened Valve with breach of contract if they did.

Atari has released the first patch for its strategy game Chris Sawyer's Locomotion. This update brings your retail game to v1.76 and addresses about a dozen game balance issues, crash fixes, as well as interface adjustments (thanks 3DGamers). Read more for detailed fix list and download links ...

Blizzard has released yet another new Warcraft III map, this time called "Hinterland Raid"... Map info: "Deep in the woods, you'll track down the enemy encampment and prepare to launch a final, decisive strike. Assemble your forces quickly: the peril is great, and time grows short." This is a small map and the suggested no. of players is 2v2 or 3v3. It is based on the "Ashenvale Forest" tileset. Go download it here!