Purge is an online-only, hybrid FPS/RPG using highly modified Lithtech Talon Engine technology. Purge allows players to build custom characters: choosing from 7 player attributes, 8 science-fiction and fantasy classes, 32 weapons, and 24 skills. Purge has fully realized non-combat roles where players can succeed without ever directly fighting. New patches have been released for the Purge retail and demo versions. The patch fixes minor bugs, improves netcode, and adds UI tweaks and features to simplify Purge for new players. The lighting in the Riley's Gap map has been completely reworked to remove the dingy, muddy yellow hue. Purge 1.4.4d Demo is available in both a patch and full installation flavour. The Purge 1.4.4 Retail Patch includes all the above fixes and an additional bonus map: Pumpstation. Read more for details & download links ...

Publisher Big City Games and developer Techland announced today that their new adventure game, Indiana Jack, has shipped to retail stores nationwide. "Indiana Jack is a terrific children's game," says Steve Milburn, Director of Marketing for Big City Games. "The graphics are great, the plot is addictive and how can you not love Jack?" Read more for details & features ...

Shadowbane is the first MMO to incorporate the Dynamic World Model, in which players' actions and decisions permanently change the history, politics and landscape of the game. Each player impacts this dynamic world whether they choose to be a simple adventurer, shopkeeper or heroic leader. Bugs causing crashes when changing the interface or using a specific combination of keys have been fixed. Users of 56k modems or Windows 98 will experience less stalls and disconnects. Players should also take a look at the service announcement regarding stability and lag issues that was posted today (thanks GameSpyDaily).

U.S. based Netamin, developer of the first Massively Multiplayer Online Sports Game – Ultimate Baseball Online (UBO), has increased its international reach with the opening of an office in Taiwan. The new facility, called Netamin Asia, allows the company to strengthen its presence in Asia and establish itself with the growing online gaming community in the region.

Our buddies at VE3D send over the following MicroSoft announcement. Historic hockey rivals will face-off this week as the quest for the coveted Stanley Cup begins. With intense NHL Playoff battles opening throughout the league, Microsoft Game Studios announced today its first hockey title for the Xbox, "NHL Rivals 2004." The game is scheduled to “go top shelf” in stores this fall. “NHL Rivals 2004” will have all the modes of play that hockey fans want including single game, playoff mode, season mode and online play. Read more for details and the first batch of screens ...

Codemasters is to increase the number of individual team-specific football action games in its Club Football series to a total of 17 titles, each officially licensed and headlined by a major European football club. Now Real Madrid Club Football and Celtic Club Football will join the already impressive roster of football clubs Codemasters is working with to produce individual PlayStation 2 and Xbox football action games for. Read more for additional details and screens ...

Publisher Big City Games and developer Techland are very happy to announce that the first game on the Big City Games label, Pet Soccer, has shipped to retail stores nationwide. "We are very excited about the Big City Games launch," says Don McFatridge, President of Big City Games. "Our lineup is packed with great games and Pet Soccer is a great way to kick things off." "Pet Soccer is quite simply, an amazing game," says Steve Milburn, Director of Marketing for Big City Games. "It's fun, it's addictive and the graphics are great. We are very proud to be bringing the first Pet title to the market with Big City Games, and we know that consumers are going to love this franchise."

Another day, another batch of game trailers were released. Instead of giving them all their own post, we grouped them and so far there are trailers for :

• Tube Slider (NEC)
• The Hulk (Vivendi)
• Splinter Cell (GBA/NGC, UbiSoft)
• Korea: Forgotten Conflict (Cenega)
• Paradise Cracked (Buka)
• Heaven & Hell (CDV)
• Chaser (JoWooD)
• Sphinx Shadow Of Set (THQ)
• 
  
  Read more for download links ...

Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. today announced that Tropico 2: Pirate Cove for the PC has shipped. Published by Take-Two's Gathering label and developed by San Francisco based Frog City Software, Inc. in association with Take-Two's Pop Top Software studio, Tropico 2: Pirate Cove is now available in stores nationwide and will be available in Europe on April 25th.