Vivendi Universal Games announced today an online multiplayer tournament for their newly released PC real-time strategy game, The Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring. The War for Middle-earth, Co-sponsored by ATI Technologies Inc., BAWLS Guarana, and Tolkien online fan-sites TheOneRing.net, TolkienOnline.com, WarCry.com, and WaroftheRing.net, will culminate in a final match on March 20th, 2004 and carries a grand prize of $40,000 in cash. Read more for details ..

Sierra has released the first patch for Relic Ent.'s sci-fi 3D RTS title Homeworld 2. This upgrade brings your retail game to v1.1 and addresses game crashes, gameplay & balance tweaks as well as various multiplayer imporvements etc (thanks Bluesnews). Read more for detailed fix list and download links ...

Wargaming.net releases the first additional map (planet) for its turn-based strategy game Massive Assault. This planet called 'Emerald' can be used both for World Wars against the A.I. and for the online games. It was crafted according to the preferences of our players - Massive Assault's players tend to prefer smaller planets providing more dynamic gameplay and quicker games in the Internet play mode. Read more for download links ...

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 ...