Atari has released a new update patch for the latest installment in Sid Meiers strategy franchise Civilizations III: Conquests. This upgrade (suitable for the English, German, Italian, Spanish, and French versions of the game) brings your retail game to v1.12 and fixes a crash with MP Random Civ selection. Read more for details and download links ...

DivoGames has released a new patch for their helicopter shooter AirStrike 3D: Operation W.A.T. This update patch brings your retail game to v1.48 and adds some memory optimization. They have also released an updated demo with the latest code. (thanks 3DGamers). Read more for download links.

Rockstar reaches out like a touchy-feely department store Santa, with a special holiday gift for all our devotees. The second in our series of complimentary full game downloads is now available - a vintage title from Rockstar North, then known as DMA Design. Wild Metal Country (1999) is a 3D strategic vehicular combat game set in a distant land, in which you command armed roving vehicles to disrupt dangerous automated military units that have overtaken the Tehric planetary system. All you need to do is sign up here, and it will email you a unique download link (170mb). Njoy!

Lagsters is an arcade racing title, where the action takes place in closed environments - tubes. The player will be able to use a vast number of different weapons and upgrades to their cars to become the winner of one of the 32 races. The tracks are compiled into 4 different championships of the single player mode. The multiplayer mode will offer three different modes of play: 'Last Man Driving', 'Fox and Hounds' and 'Divided Glory' where up to 8 players may participate in one race.

Bloody Waters: Terror from the Deep is a new third person action adventure game where you take control of a genetically altered Great White shark. You manage to break free of your captors and in a chain of islands you build up in strength to take your revenge on the scientist who was in charge of doing the experimentation on you. Along the way you discover the 'Cult of the Shark', a people who sypmathise with your cause and who will help you in a non-violent fashion. Read more for screens & a new in game footage trailer...

Yesterday Vivendi Universal Games and Massive Entertainment unveiled the third faction in Ground Control II: Operation Exodus - the Virons - an alien warrior race. The Virons, a previously-unseen element of the Ground Control universe, is the second playable faction in the game, and fight ferociously with a never-before-seen method of attack. Today we have the first screens, read more to check them out ...

Hidenori Tanaka of Japan became the first Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup videogame world tournament champion, Electronic Arts announced today. The thrilling international videogame tournament finals took place yesterday at the Tower of London in the UK, where competitors between the ages of eight and fourteen years, from twelve countries around the world, including France, Germany, Spain, Australia, Japan, Italy, USA, UK, Denmark, United Arab Emirates, Holland, and Brazil competed for the prestigious world champion title.

Sports Interactive has released a fix for their latest Championship Manager 03-04 update patch. This fix addresses the disappearing matches bug that came to light with the v4.1.3 patch from a few days ago. Note that this is a fix, so you still need to apply the patch itself first if you have not done so. Read more for download links ...

World Of Warcraft fans have surely noticed that the Q4 2003 promised beta for Blizzard's WoW has not yet appeared. In a shocking turn of events Blizzard has now announced it is being delayed. "Over the past few weeks, it has become apparent that the World of Warcraft beta will not be available within the fourth quarter of 2003. The development team is currently hard at work testing the alpha version of the game, and we look forward to bringing you an outstanding beta in early 2004."