In response to Gov. Blagojevich proposing legislation to ban the sale of violent and sexually explicit video games to youths under age 18, the Illinois State Crime Commission and state Rep. Paul Froehlich checked to see if such games really were being sold to minors in and around Froehlich's legislative district. The Crime Commission enlisted 15-year-old Dan Shemwell to go to 15 stores Thursday. He attempted to buy "M-rated" (mature) games, including "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas." Despite most retailers voluntarily adopting policies banning the sale of such M-rated games to youths under 17, Dan Shemwell was able to buy games at 11 of the places he stopped. Read the full article over at the Chicago Sun-Times.

East Front is a high-tech first-person 3D-shooter. The action takes place in the alternate universe where fascist Germany won in the Second World War. A soldier of the German Resistance, Karl Stolz, turns out to be involved in the deadly play of mysterious powers, and at stake is control over the whole world. Read more for the first screens...

Retribution is a new FPS currently in production by U-235 Studios, with the prototype set to hit publishers doorsteps in November 2005. U-235 Studios have secured a licensing agreement for the state of the art engine "Reality" developed by Artificial Studios. Read more for details & screens..

TheForce.net managed to get some info from the Feb. 2005 PCZone UK issue about LucasArts/Petroglyph's (ex-Westwood) newest Star Wars RTS, which was revealed early Nov. 2004. "This new PC game is set two years before ANH with a certain amount of cross over from Episode 3. Screen shots look superb. It appears to include ground battles set in dessert and greenland areas with attacking AT-AT's and a new Imperial ground based vehicle called "TIE Crawlers" which I've not seen before (cross between a tank and a TIE Fighter). The action also takes place in space with rebel fleets taking on Star Destroyers (think of the game Homeworld)." No timeframe regarding the release date yet though (thanks VE3D).

The entire Worthplaying team wishes everybody a Happy New Year! We hope everybody had a safe transition from old into new and may 2005 be even better than last year. We here at Worthplaying have tons of exciting new stuff lined up to better serve you all. Behind the scenes, we are working very hard to expand the website in various ways which will start showing in the months ahead. Until then, party on!

Whereas its prequels offered first-person role-playing and strategy role-playing experiences (respectively), Shining Tears is an action role-playing game, featuring real-time battles and cooperative multiplayer game options.

The latest PC Gamer issue has revealed the name of Ensemble Studios latest AoE product, as well as the first details. 'Age of Empires III: Age of Discovery' is set in 1500 A.D. and chronicles the Age of Discovery that started around the time that Columbus "discovered" the new world. The single player campaign then follows American history up through 1850. One of the biggest changes is where it will no longer be necesary to drop off gathered resources at specific buildings. In multiplayer mode, you'll be able to choose from among eight different civilizations (so far only the French, Spanish, and British have been confirmed) and there will be, amongst others, free-for-all and team-vs-team matches supporting up to eight players over a LAN or the internet. Age of Empires III: Age of Discovery will have a heavily modified AI system, as well as the latest Havok physics engine (thanks PlanetAoM). We will have more info soon ...

Scratches is a gripping first-person mystery adventure game that will keep the players glued to their monitors, with its story full of breathtaking twists and surprises, until the final shocking revelation. Nucleosys has released 2 small teaser demos giving you the chance to wander around in some of the environments featured in the game (thanks 3DGamers). Read more for download links ...

Ubi Soft could receive government support in its fight against the threat of a takeover by US video games giant Electronic Arts, La Tribune newspaper reported without naming its sources (thanks VE3D). Read more for details ...

East Front is a high-tech 1st/ person 3d-shooter. The action takes place in the alternative universe where the fascist Germany won in the Second World War. A soldier of the German Resistance Karl Stolz turns out to be involved in the deadly play of mysterious powers and the stake is the control over the whole world. Read more for the first screens...

The AP has a story about five middle-school boys in Greensburg, Pennsylvania who have been arrested, charged in a graffiti blitz they blame on a video game. The boys range in age from 12 to 14 and are charged with institutional vandalism, criminal conspiracy, criminal mischief and desecration of venerated objects. Police said the boys claim they were inspired by the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (thanks ve3d).

Everown is a multiplayer-only game, focused on contesting against your friends over Local Area Network (LAN) or players from all around the world through built-in Internet Matchmaking System. It will be free to try, giving those of you not yet adjusted to online gaming an unique chance to find out that nothing can beat the immersion of battling against a sentient human being instead of a mindless computer drone (thanks Tiscali). Read more for details and screens ...

Keepsake, Wicked Studios' upcoming adventure game, will immerse you into a journey beyond compare. Assisted by a dragon afraid of heights, Lydia takes on to explore the Dragonvale Academy's empty structures in search for her best friend Celeste. But her curiosity turns to worry when she stumbles on something she has not seen in a very long time: an old doll, a keepsake she gave her best friend some 8 years ago. As she grabs it, strange images of Celeste's life begin to fill her mind...

In proximity of New Year's Eve Legend of Mir 3 is getting a new update that will enhance and add new features to the game. The update will contain among many things a whole new snowy mountain world area for players to explore. The new area will open up a whole new world of storylines and quests to immerse you in the icy plains of Mir 3. The new snowy field mountaintop area will play a large role in upcoming branches of the game's storyline.

Developed by Mad Doc Software and due for release in the first half of 2005, Empire Earth 2 will build upon the award-winning formula of its predecessor by adding features requested both by casual game players interested in a brief spin through history and by more hard core gamers who demand a real-time strategy game that will challenge them for dozens, if not hundreds, of hours.

UEFA Champions League will offer followers of the game the opportunity to guide their chosen club from qualification anxiety through big night glory. It will add an element of the unexpected, allowing lower league teams into the glamorous world of European football. EA has launched the official 'UEFA Champions League 2004-2005' website.

In the third part of the zombie blasting series, PC gamers can expect an exciting new adventure plus an all-new shotgun weapon! Players will be able to mow down multiple enemies in a single blast as they plough their way through the most exhilarating House of the Dead yet.

Square Enix has revealed a new MMORPG called Fantasy Earth: Ring of Domination which will try to combine RTS, RPG and Action, allowing you to forge alliances, build fortresses and citadels and duke it out with your allies against huge armies. It's still a ways off, as it is only vaguely scheduled for 2005, but in the meantime, read more for 48 new screens...

Gran Turismo 4 further demonstrates its mission to provide the most authentic driving simulation available in the marketplace. New features will extend above and beyond just pure automotive racing, providing a unique destination for automotive and PS2 enthusiasts to enjoy car culture in every dimension. Sony announced the European release date is pushed back from late February to March 9, 2004. Read more for the 52 tracks which will be available in GT4.

In Battlefield 2, players will choose to fight for one of three military superpowers: the United States, China, or the newly formed Middle East Coalition. Armed with the latest modern weaponry, players can take control of any of the game's 30+ vehicles to engage in major conflicts with over 100 players. Check out the freshly launched BF2 website, which at this point only featuring previously released screens & trailers. For new goodies, check our 30+ new screens & movies from yesterday.

Square Enix announced today that its PS2 exclusive RPG FullMetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel will ship to North American retailers on January 18, 2005. FullMetal Alchemist expands the story in the anime series which airs on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming. The tale follows the adventures of brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric on their quest to make right the mistakes of their past.

Busy evening for the people over at Valve as today it disabled more than 30,000 Steam accounts (a few weeks ago Valve already banned 20,000) which had been used to try to illegally gain access to Valve games without a valid purchase. A new Steam update has been released fixing some some stuttering issues with Half-Life 2 and also addressing missing models when running the Counterstrike Source Video Stress Test.

Dreamfall continues the story of one of the most critically acclaimed adventure games ever made, and will bring adventure gaming into a new era. Focusing on story and characters, Dreamfall features unparalleled 3D visuals, advanced character animations, stunning audio, and innovative gameplay - wrapped in a unique and magical ambience.

Publisher Strategy First and developer Mayhem Studios are happy to announce that Shadow Vault has shipped to retailers nationwide.

Cold Fear is the first action-horror title to be published under the Ubisoft brand and combines the popular elements of both action and horror releases, delivering an action-packed, tension-filled gaming experience.