Heart of Empire: Rome leads the player through 14 huge missions as they actually build & control ancient Rome in glorious real-time 3D. From simple beginnings, they must quickly build housing for their growing population; start to meet their increasing desires for food, goods and entertainment.

Guild Wars: Factions offers players an incredible gameplay experience with many new choices, including new regions, professions, skills, missions, and monsters, along with expanded options for both Coop and PvP play, and enhanced features for guilds. Guild Wars Factions will be available in stores worldwide 28th April 2006.

An update on the official Battle for Middle-earth II Web site reveals that EA is working on two new patches. One imminent patch in the next few days will address some synch issues, multiplayer crashes and a few other glitches, while another is scheduled in the next 3-4 weeks and will include balance changes, fixes for a few exploits, a change to the way game results and stats are reported for the ladders, some improvements to the game, and other goodies. We will, of course, have those patches available on our file server network when they are released.

Stoked Rider featuring Tommy Brunner' is an unique action-freesports game for PC, the first freeride snowboarding game inspired by Alaska's impressive peaks, presented in a unique 3D cel-shaded graphical style.

VoodooPC today announced it has expanded its notebook line with the introduction of the Voodoo ENVY Heavyweight u:909 Notebook. Measuring 17.5” x 12.5” x 1.75” and weighing in at 16 pounds, the Voodoo ENVY Heavyweight u:909 Notebook is powered by the AMD Turion 64 processor.

Square Enix is working on a new expansion pack for its MMORPG Final Fantasy XI, which will introduce new maps, monsters, and several new classes such as the much-anticipated Blue Mage. Read more for some new screens ...

According to CNET, Democrats Joseph Lieberman, Hillary Clinton, and Dick Durbin persuaded a Senate committee to approve a sweeping study of the "impact of electronic media use" to be organized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC. The bill, called CAMRA, would provide funding to investigate the cognitive, physical and socio-behavioral impact of electronic media on child and adolescent development.

Act of War: High Treason is an expansion pack for the near-future, geopolitical techno-thriller RTS, Act of War: Direct Action, loaded with new features, including modern-day naval combat and mercenaries. As promised, Atari has released a demo featuring 3 single-player missions, one multiplayer-enabled map, as well as 3 skirmish maps, vs. AI.

At the CeBit in Germany Microsoft finally lifted the veil off its latest secret project dubbed 'Origami.' Initially rumors were that the device was going to compete with other handheld gaming devices, eventually pegged as a mini xbox, but in the end it turns out to be an ultracompact computer (UMPC) running WinXP with a touchscreen and wireless connectivity.

Turbine announced that it has signed a distribution agreement with SAKURA Internet Inc. to localize Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach for the Japanese market. SAKURA also will market, distribute, and operate the game in that territory, which is scheduled for somewhere in 2006.

In Battlefield 2: Euro Force, the European Army joins the Battlefield with seven new weapons and four new vehicles, the European Army will be sent into battle against MEC and Chinese forces on three brand new maps. The BF 2 Euro Force Booster Pack will be available for download on Wednesday March 15th.

NCsoft announced today its latest partnership with a new company in Austin. Spacetime Studios, composed of a core team with previous roles on successful franchises such as Privateer, Wing Commander and Star Wars Galaxies, will publish its next, yet unannounced, game under the NCsoft brand.

A new nefarious threat emerges as Capcom today announced the release of Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams, a new epic action game for the PS2, focusing on the destiny of a new hero whose courage and fortitude must withstand the adversaries that wait.

Daxter, the wily ottsel from Naughty Dog's Jak and Daxter franchise, has convinced Sony to ship his first solo project, Daxter for the PSP a week early, moving the release date to March 14, 2006. Excited to show fans his heroic side, Daxter is eager to prove he is no longer just a sidekick.

Earlier today, Take 2 released its quarterly financial results, and in a nutshell, it ain't good. Net sales dropped almost 50% from $502M to 265M, while results went from a $55M income to a $29M loss. There were no changes in release dates, but the conference call revealed that due to "consolidation," Take 2's internal dev studio PopTop (Rollercoaster Tycoon, Tropico) has merged into the recently acquired Firaxis. Whether this means PopTop shut down, or both studios are working under the same umbrella wasn't explained. We tried to reach 2K's PR reps, but none were available for comment. Also noteworthy is that there won't be another GTA title until 2007, and 2K Sports is gearing up for its NHL, MLB, and NBA 2K7 lineup, including a new boxing title.

Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45, the WWII online action game from Tripwire Interactive, will be available via Steam on March 14, 2006 at 11 am PST. The game is currently available for pre-purchase and pre-load via Steam, and those who pre-purchase the game will receive a 10% instant discount off the $24.95 price.

Shadow Hearts: From The New World takes place in the US during the Great Depression. Featuring a gripping and inspirational storyline, players can expect to run into a unique set of characters at famous, real-world locations. The Judgment Ring System has been improved, adding even more excitement and strategy to the overall gameplay.

Square Enix today announces the UK release date for Dragon Quest: The Journey of the Cursed King. The epic PS2 exclusive adventure begins on 13th April 2006.

JoWooD and developer Piranha Bytes have narrowed down the Gothic III launch dates, scheduled for release in Germany, Austria and Switzerland in September, while UK, and the rest of Europe, has a more ambiguous Q3 2006 launch date. Previously listed as Q1 2006 by US publisher Aspyr, it looks like Gothic III has been pushed back.

In Drill Dozer players must pilot their Dozer robot around six large multi-directional levels, each with multiple stages. Players use their drills to cut through rocks and defeat enemies, which stand in their way. Dig, grind and drill your way to victory when it launches on 26th May 2006 across Europe.

In Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 3 you command the Ghosts and Special Forces allies equipped with the IWS in the quest to save the president of the United States, recover stolen nuclear codes and eliminate a vicious band of renegade soldiers hell-bent on unleashing catastrophe. Ubisoft GRAW producer Mathieu Girard tells us why the reason behind delaying the PC edition.

Far Cry Instincts Evolution will introduce players to an entirely new story, characters and game features that reflect and improve upon the critically acclaimed elements of the first title. FCI Evolution has 5 multiplayer modes + 1 Map Editor.

Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams is situated in 1598 and will have several new features and additions over previous titles, such as a new camera system, updated graphics and optimized gameplay mechanics.

Bethesda Softworks announced today that the its survival horror game, Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth for the PC will ship to North American stores the week of March 27th, while Ubisoft will release it in Europe starting March 24th 2006.

CDV and developer Digital Reality have today announced the formation of a new studio with the express goal of creating top-tier strategy titles for next-generation consoles and handhelds. The new company will operate under the name WHIZ Software Kft. The studio's first title is expected to ship in Q4 2007, more details coming soon ...