The mass exodus apparently continues over at EA. Dustin Browder and Adam Isgreen all left to join Petroglyph, while Skaggs took a leave for personal reasons. Today, a fourth former C&C designer has decided to resign. Chris Rubyor, who previously worked on Zero Hour and Lotr:BME, packed his bags and bought himself a ticket to Vegas, not to play the slot machines, but also to join the ranks of Petroglyph. Command and Conquer DEN has the word from Chris himself: "Well, I just wanted to let you know that I have resigned from my position as a Game Designer (Red Alert 3) at EALA. It was a tough decision, but one that had to be made. What's in store for the future? I'll be heading back to Las Vegas to join the ranks of some extremely talented game developers and ex-westwoodian friends at Petroglyph. They have some amazing stuff planned and I can't wait to be a part of it."

EA today announced that Tiger Woods PGA TOUR, Need for Speed Underground Rivals, and NFL Street 2: Unleashed are available in stores today for the PSP. Shortly following the launch of these games are three more EA staples: NBA STREET Showdown, MVP Baseball and FIFA Soccer, which will ship in April 2005.

Tecmo and Xbox Live announced today that they have added two more online fighting sessions to the first round of the DOAU Tournament. DOA fans that have not had the chance to compete will get two more opportunities to fight and possibly beat the DOAU Mystery Gamer during these last two sessions. Read more for details ...

Hunters beware! Woodland animals, such as the common fox, are armed and ready to fight back-and you'll need to bring more than a few hounds to this hunt! Star Fox Assault puts players in the middle of a fierce intergalactic battle, fought over land, air and space. Star Fox Assault launches across Europe for the GameCube on 29th April 2005.

Valve's SteamPowered website has been updated with details regarding yet another update for Counter-Strike Source, and the the Source Engine. This update implements various fixes and gameplay adjustments for CS: S and corrects some engine issue, a sound pak file problem, and fixes a registry issue. Restart Steam for the changes to take effect. Read more for details ...

Area 51 is set in the U.S. government's most top-secret and secure facility located in the Nevada desert. Players take on the role of Lt. Nick Cross, a hazardous biological waste specialist sent to investigate. Read more for details, and a few screens..

In a very odd turn of events, Vivendi's Guy Welch posted in the community forum that the often delayed and long overdue patch for Irrational's Tribes Vengeance has been cancelled and there will be "no" further updates. "Development on the previously announced Tribes: Vengeance 1.1 update has been cancelled. No further updates to Tribes: Vengeance are planned." ... wow ...

Postal 2: Apocalypse Weekend is a single-player expansion pack offering over 20 new areas of Paradise to decimate, 10 new missions to execute with extreme prejudice and an array of "cutting edge" weaponry that would make Lorena Bobbitt salivate. Postal 2: Apocalypse Weekend is scheduled to ship on April 15.

NCsoft today announces the latest chapter to its massively multiplayer game, Lineage. Dark Conquest, Episode 3: Life and Death launches today on North American servers. This episode continues the story of the Lastabad Dark Elf army, introducing the group’s headquarters in the Diad Fortress. The fortress is located in the underground region of Lineage’s fictional world of Aden.

Chaos League: Sudden Death, developed by Paris-based Cyanide Studios, takes up where the original Chaos League left off, bringing with it a host of improvements and enhancements which make take the real-time, role-playing strategy sports title into a whole new bloody battleground. Until we have some actual in game screens, here is some more spiffy looking artwork.

SEGA of America today announced the availability of its latest RPG Shining Tears on the PS2. Shining Tears is rated ‘T' for ‘Teen' and is available at retailers nationwide for an MSRP of $49.95.

Electronic Arts today revealed that acclaimed Hollywood writer/director John Milius, known for movies like Jaws, Dirty Harry and Apocolypse Now, to be the screenwriting talent behind the WWII storyline of Medal of Honor European Assault, the latest from the widely successful Medal of Honor franchise.

Akella announces the agreement with Ubisoft on publishing full localized version of Cold Fear by Darkworks in Russia and CIS. Cold Fear is the first action-horror title from Ubisoft. While the game shipped internationally earlier this month, no specific release date for the localized version has been set yet.

Konami Digital Entertainment America today shipped Metal Gear Acid to retail stores nationwide, in preparation for the upcoming launch of the PSP on March 24, 2005. The newest addition to the heavily-lauded Metal Gear franchise combines the renowned stealth action with new emphasis on tactical turn-based strategy.

Electronic Arts today announced revised estimates for the Company's fiscal year ending March 31, 2005. The changes are primarily the result of lower than expected sales in both North America and in Europe. "These results are clearly disappointing," said Larry Probst, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "While our new releases are performing reasonably well, they have not been able to offset a significant falloff in catalog sales."

Dave Jaffe, creator of the 'Twisted Metal' franchise and the upcoming PS2 action adventure title 'God of War,' will meet with fans at EB Games' Universal Citywalk Store on Tuesday, March 22nd from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.'God of War' puts players into the role of Kratos, an ex-Spartan warrior, as a story unfolds in ancient times with various plot twists that take them through explosive aggressive gameplay, fused with traps, stunts, and story-driven puzzles.

According to French fansite XboxMag the upcoming issue of GameInformer magazine will have the announcement that Oddworld Inhabitants is alreayd working on a new title in the Oddworld franchise. A few changes are certainly worth mentioning. For staters, the new title will apparently be rated "M" (Mature) and not be published by EA, but by Majesco instead. Unlike the Far West theme in Oddworld Stranger, the new game will take place in Fangustan, and that is also where the new title comes from "Oddworld: Fangus." Fangus is a shepperd who's quiet life is being interrupted by invaders (Fangustan = Afghanistan ?) and thus he will be called on to save the world. Gameplay will remain the same, switching between first and third person view. Oddworld: Fangus is scheduled for somewhere in 2006, Xbox or Xbox 2, more details will surely be released in a few months at E3.

After much deliberation, Valve has announced the winners of its Half-Life 2: Deathmatch mapping contest. Contest Winner is Scott M Jordan, USA with his dm_Underpass map. Congratulations! First Runner-Up Jonathan Linker, Germany (dm_resistance), second Runner-Up Michael Schulz, Germany (dm_powerhouse) and Honorable Mention Michael Visser, Netherlands (dm_avalon). Read more to check out some screens...

Twisted Metal: Head-On, developed Incognito Entertainment, hits the road this spring, allowing gamers to take destruction anywhere, anytime. Featuring new gameplay designs, multiplayer modes via wireless connectivity and Mini-Game bonus levels, Twisted Metal: Head-On provides a wide variety of gameplay options for gamers on the go.

Vivisector: Beast Inside developed by Action Forms (creators of Chasm and Carnivores series) is a unique mixture of 3D Action/Horror. The game blends a thrilling interactive story with intense, high-adrenaline action and immerses players in a rich and fascinating storyline.

After Dustin Browder left EA for Blizzard and Skaggs stepped away for personal reasons, a third former Westwood employee has left Electronic Arts. Adam Isgreen, lead designer on Red Alert, Tiberian Sun and Firestorm, and most recently Multiplayer Design Director for Goldeneye Rogue Agent, has announced he will be leaving EALA and is moving over to Petroglyph, a studio comprised of several other ex-Westwood employees, who is currently working on Star Wars Empire at War for LucasArts. "After spending 2 years out at EA after Westwood was consolidated, with several abortive attempts to get a new C&C off the ground, EA and I have parted ways." Read more details over at PlanetCNC.

Bandai Games announced today that Digimon World 4 will ship on May 31, 2005. Available for the PS2, GameCube and the Xbox, Digimon World 4 is the latest installment in the hit Digimon World series. As a special bonus, an exclusive limited-edition trading card from the Digimon Collectible Card Game that features Dorumon, a prototype Digimon who makes his North American debut in the game, will be inserted into specially marked packages.

Midway Games today announced that its highly acclaimed, NBA lifestyle basketball title, NBA Ballers, has been added to Sony Computer Entertainment America's (SCEA) "Greatest Hits" collection, just eleven months after its release. NBA Ballers, developed by Midway studios in Chicago, is now available for the suggested retail price of $19.99 at U.S. retail outlets nationwide.

Step into the shadows of Gotham City's perilous criminal underworld as DC Comics' legendary Dark Knight in the Batman Begins video game. Slated for release day and date with the Warner Bros. Pictures film, Batman Begins challenges players to use fear as their ultimate weapon. Read more for details and features ...