Encore today announced that it has reached an agreement with Melbourne, Australia-based developer IR Gurus to publish Heroes of the Pacific for the PlayStation2, the Xbox and Windows PC. Read more for details & screens ...

Digital Jesters has released not one, but two patches for Cyanide Studios' Pro Rugby Manager 2004. This upgrade will brings your retail game to v1.03 and adresses some gosmetic changes, becoming manager, in game messages and a few other minor changes. Read more for details and download links ...

Eidos announces it has signed a development deal with Climax. Climax's Brighton studio is developing Crash 'n' Burn, an arcade driving game for PlayStation 2 and Xbox which will be released in autumn 2004

Noticed on RPGDOT that, while not announced yet, Strategy First has created an official forum for Jagged Alliance 3. This is either a very big mistake, or an early indication that we may soon expect news about another sequel to Sir Tech's turn based strategy game. Strategy First did buy the JA license a few months back, and with E3 around the corner, it wouldnt be too much of a stretch. More details to follow shortly...

Noticed on VPRO that Polygon Magazine has a quote from Valve's Gabe Newell that Half-Life might be delayed until 2005. "We've already spent millions into this project, and we're willing to spend as much as we need to make this the best first person experience ever. If that means delaying the game to 2005, we'll do it without any hesitation. If it means sinking another $20 million into the project, we can do it. Rest assured, if we delay the game, it'll be only to blow your socks off even more when it finally releases."

The Battle for Middle-earth utilizes the Generals game engine, and in the game players can select from the different "good" or "evil" campaigns, where they will be given the freedom to command a variety of major armies from the films, each with their own distinct strengths and weaknesses. Check these 2 new screens ...

Codemasters has released a demo for K-D Lab's Perimeter, a real-time strategy game built on the concept of territory seizure using detailed terraforming and on the subsequent encircling of these zones with a special protective perimeter. This demo features a tutorial, a campaign mission "Isoland" and 2 instant battle maps (Fish & Tini). Read more for download links ...

Getting under the hood and into the very heart of street racing, Acclaim and Juice Games bring you their next-generation racing game, Juiced due this Autumn. Combining the best elements of simulation and arcade-style play, Juiced will feature more than 50 licensed vehicles; real-time modding with hundreds of authentic aftermarket parts; realistic car physics and damage; and online head-to-head play, including for the first time ever, "crew based" team racing.

The Adventure Company has released a demo for Detalion's adventure game Mysterious Journey II (known in Europe as Schizm II: Chameleon).This demo lets you to try out the 'The Three' and 'Ansala Sea Gate' levels, including a walkthrough (thanks 3DGamers). Read more for download links ...

Pirates is broadband only, with high-end hardware specifications for graphics -- a GeForce 3 or better is required in at least a 1GHz machine, and the game is optimized for the latest DirectX 9.0-class cards. Pirates is being published on-line directly to gamers using Valve's new Steam technology, the same delivery system used by Half-Life 2 and Counterstrike 2. Check out the new seaworthy screens ...