Issuing an early goodbye, Ensemble Studios Bruce Shelley reveals that the Microsoft owned studio was as surprised as the rest of the industry when confirmation came that the Age of Empires powerhouse was getting shut down. Once its current Halo Wars project wraps up later this year, doors will be closed, and while several key figures will move forward with another studio, Shelley will most likely not be part of it. In a related story, it was uncovered that at some point Ensemble was working on a Halo MMO, which eventually got canceled before ever officially being announced.

Ever since Valve released The Orange Box, the PC edition has received numerous updates, especially the Team Fortress 2 portion, and a cumulative update is planned for the X360 version. In a recent interview, Valve's Gabe Newell revealed that it has no plans to issue these updates for the PS3 version since it was not done internally, and EA is not working on anything. Newell also reiterated that there is no PS3 version of its zombie shooter L4D in the works simply because "We don't have the bandwidth," which means they do not have the manpower for it.

Raidou Kuzunoha is a private detective in Japan's Taishou Period of the 1910s and 1920s, but he's much more than just a well-dressed crime scene investigator; he also has the power to capture and conjure demons to do his bidding, now with the ability to control two demons and an improved combat system.

Set between the largely unexplored era between Ep III and Ep IV, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed casts players as Darth Vader's "Secret Apprentice" and promises to unveil new revelations about the Star Wars galaxy. LucasArts announced that The Force Unleashed has sold more than 1.5 million copies, making it both the fastest-selling Star Wars game and LucasArts game ever.

Based on the animated TV series, Afro Samurai is the cutting edge game that delivers a new kind of cinematic game experience, a living episode that offers addictive, immersive and compelling gameplay that's dripping in style.

Trion World Network, launched by former EA VP Lars Buttler and Might & Magic creator Jon Van Caneghem, has secured a $70 million funding to further finance its two MMO projects currently in development.

Resistance 2 will feature 8-player, story-driven online co-op separate from the regular single-player campaign, 60-player online PvP (Heavy, Special Ops, Medic classes) and more vehicles, including The Chameleon, a Stalker with full cloak.

Iron Grip: Warlord, using the Q3 engine, blends RTS and FPS gameplay, where you must employ urban guerrilla tactics to fight off the hordes. Protect your city at all costs, by building defense structures, setting traps, and taking the enemy on yourself. Fans interested in participating can sign up for the closed beta test.

Advances in gameplay and the addition of new elements will make Disciples III richer and more interesting, while the visual design follows the original ominous and gloomy style of the Disciples world, but now with all units and environments in full 3D.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky is a survival FPS game based on a 'what-if' scenario of the second Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant accident. The game is created as a warning to mankind against mindless play with technologies. The map, called 'Industrial', is a compact location, designed for a team play of ideally 4x4, though technically allowing the usual up to 32 players online or over LAN.