THQ and Relic Entertainment today announced their latest RTS game Company of Heroes. A real-time strategy game set in World War II, Company of Heroes brings to life, in full cinematic detail, the greatest war mankind has ever known. Scheduled to release worldwide in 2006, the game will make its public debut at the E3 in May. Read more for details and the first screens ...

Midway announced today that Area 51, the story-driven, first-person action thriller, has shipped to retail outlets nationwide for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Area 51 will also be available for PC and is scheduled to ship on May 23, 2005.

The official date for the open beta testing of World of Warcraft in China will be April 26, 2005, earlier than the originally planned April 29, 2005. WoW's open beta testing date has been brought forward by three days to accommodate tremendous requests and strong expectations from players.

Having just released Pirates of the Caribbean and Kill Bill Vol. 1, Disney revealed it plans to release an additional 10 movies over the next 3 months. First up are National Treasure, Reign Of Fire and Hero, followed by titles such as Tron, King Arthur, Hostage and Cursed. end of the summer you can expect Kill Bill Vol. 2, Gone in 60 Seconds: The Director's Cut, From Dusk Till Dawn and Armageddon. Disney is currently the only other company besdies Sony to release movies on UMD, but talks with Fox and Lions Gate are underway. Read more details over at Variety.

JCEntertainment, known for the interesting looking, but cancelled, action/horror Wild West themed MMO Priest, is working on bringing one of its other MMO titles to North America, and will be on display at E3. FreeStyle Street Baseketball is 3 on 3 street basketball game mixing youth and freedom with HipHoop style, different from another basketball games. Read more for details and screens ...

A French magazine cover reveals that Activision is not only working on a Call of Duty sequel for the PC, but is also working on a sequel to last years Call of Duty: Finest Hour. Playmag's cover shows that Call of Duty 2: The Big Red One will be set during World War 2, has a tentative holiday season release date (thanks NoFrag). Previously Activision mentioned it would be showing "two" new Call of Duty products, so besides the CoD2 for PC, this may be the second one.

Metal Gear Acid is a turn-based, tactical espionage game that requires players to collect cards and strategically construct their own decks to complete various missions and objectives. Boasting a compelling storyline filled with new characters and incredible cut scenes, Metal Gear Acid will draw players into an all-new adventure packed with intrigue – designed specifically for the portable gaming enthusiast.

Valve released some information about future Steam updates for HL2 and CS Source. On Monday Valve will release a new Half-Life 2: Deathmatch map, dm_runoff, inspired by a Half-Life 1 favorite, Crossfire. They are also working on an all-new Counter-Strike map, de_port, and to make people familiar with the design intentions Valve has put up a page that outlines six different strategies to try once the map is available. The release of the new CSS map isnt for another few weeks, but will be accompagined by a redone de_inferno map.

SNK announced today that they will be releasing KOF: MAXIMUM IMPACT - MANIAX, the first original THE KING OF FIGHTERS title for the Xbox, in June 2005. KOF: MAXIMUM IMPACT - MANIAX will have a host of new, innovative features created exclusively for Xbox users.

Expected spring 2006 in Japan, 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. While no specific info, or announcement, is available yet, here are the first screens ...

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is a third-person action/adventure game, delivering the ultimate Jedi action experience as Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi join forces in fierce battles and heroic lightsaber duels until one's lust for power and the other's devotion to duty leads to a final confrontation between good and evil. Scheduled for release on on May 5, 2005 on PS2 and Xbox. LucasArts has finally released additional info on the storyline and features we can expect in the imminent game.

In 'MX vs. ATV Unleashed,' players will power through all-new environments and event types, choosing from a variety of new vehicles. A redesigned monster truck, powerful sand-rail and raised 4x4 golf karts will meet ATVs, dirt bikes and bi-planes to compete in massive free-world environments featuring hill climbs, machine challenges and short track races. The game's career mode will allow gamers to choose from the top professional ATV and Motocross riders.

Vivendi has released an updated single/multiplayer demo for MadDoc's imminent RTS Empire Earth II. The demo offers 3 of the game's 15 epochs (Renaissance, Imperial, and Enlightenment), and 3 of the game's nine multiplayer modes (Conquest, King of the Hill, and Territory Control), playable for up to 10 players. This updated demo fixes a multiplayer lag issue and adds text string to the firewall warning dialog telling user to map port 26000 (thanks FilePlanet). Read more for download links ...

EARTH 2160 is an RTS game based on the popular and successful EARTH series. Including single and multiplayer modes. The game uses the latest Earth III engine. Storing objects in a format based on the mathematical model of Bezier-curves instead of polygons. Giving an as yet unseen level of detail, only limited by the hardware used.

Shanda Interactive Entertainment and Turbine announced today that they will be signing a deal to bring Dungeons & Dragons Online to China. The game is expected to launch in China in the second half of 2005.

Five years ago Carl Johnson escaped from the pressures of life in Los Santos, San Andreas...a city tearing itself apart with gang trouble, drugs and corruption. On his return to the neighborhood, a couple of corrupt cops frame him for homicide. CJ is forced on a journey that takes him across the entire state of San Andreas, to save his family and to take control of the streets. We had a chance for some hands-on time over at Rockstar, so read on for the juice ...

EA has released a new patch for its 3D RTS Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle Earth. This update brings your retail game (English & German) to v1.02 and a slew of game balance fixes, and the usual bug/crash fixes (thanks Patches Scrolls). Read more for detailed fix list and download links ...

Variety is reporting that Al Pacino will have to "nod" hello to his little friends, as he is allowing his likeness, but not his voice, to be used in Vivendi's upcoming Scarface video game. Pacino's voicework will be done by an "unnamed low-profile actor." Fellow Scarface actors Steven Bauer and Robert Loggia, on the other hand, are lending likeness and voice to their respective characters.

Dutch Streamline Studios announce today that it is currently servicing several next-generation developments at its studio. "We've spent time refining our systems and field testing our pipeline to ensure a one-stop solution for next-generation development hurdles and the results have been superb" stated Harpp Seble, SLS CFO. Titles currently being serviced include two platform launch titles as well as developments that utilize Unreal 3 technology. Streamline Studios will be attending E3 this year and will be holding meetings with developers and publishers regarding their next-generation creative and engineering needs.

Hip Games today announced that Stolen has shipped and is now available in stores across North America. Stolen is an ultra realistic, third person, stealth-based, action game based around a high-tech female thief. Along with innovative high-tech stealth/robbery game actions and events, Stolen also boasts some truly amazing technical and presentational features to give it a spectacular look that will captivate gamers.

The June issue of PC Gamer has information about a new RTS title in the works over at THQ's Relic Studios. Company of Heroes will be set during WWII, be high on realism, have destructable terrain, and include ragdoll effect (thanks RelicNews). If more information becomes available, or the new PC Gamer arrives, we will update ...

Namco today announced that United Media has awarded Namco the interactive entertainment publishing rights to "Peanuts," the renowned comic strip created by Charles M. Schulz. The partnership allows Namco to create and publish games featuring "Peanuts" characters and properties, including Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Peppermint Patty, Linus and Pigpen for all current and upcoming game platforms through 2009.

The latest Famitsu issue has the first details for Capcom's newest title in the Onimusha series. Expected spring 2006 in Japan, 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. Last week Capcom put a countdown clock on its Japanese website, indicating an announcement was coming Saturday. Whether this was meant for Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams is not clear at the moment. More info to follow....

Paradox has released the first patch for its strategy game Hearts of Iron 2. This update brings your retail game to v1.2 and adds a new campaign, new battle scenario, AI enhancements, and a long list of bug fixes and balance adjustments. Read more for download links ...