Aspyr today announced it has signed an exclusive worldwide publishing agreement with Wideload Games, to publish its premiere title. Wideload is the new game development studio founded by Alexander Seropian, industry veteran and founder of Bungie Studios of Halo, Myth and Marathon fame. This upcoming action game, based on an original intellectual property and powered by the Halo game engine, will be published worldwide in 2005.

Developer Paradox Entertainment announced today that the upcoming Hearts of Iron – Platinum Edition has gone gold and will ship to retail stores nationwide on September 21, 2004. The game has been rated E for Everyone and has a SRP of $19.99.

Valve's Gabe Newell has been known to trickle out little information about Half-Life 2's progress now and then on the HL2Fallout.com forums, and it seems he did again just that Friday night. After a long night of partying or not, Gabe has posted a short blurb simply stating "We're going gold monday..." Various online retailers have been changing the HL2 release date in their db's to early September over the past week, and it seems, for once, they may be right.

Update: Seems this was a fake/hacked forum post... bummer!

Atari today announced that Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone, an action adventure game set in the popular Dungeons & Dragons world created by Wizards of the Coast, has gone gold. Demon Stone for the PlayStation2 is scheduled to ship to retailers on September 14 for an estimated retail price of $49.95. Demon Stone will be available for the Xbox and PC in November.

Guilty Gear X2Reload, now with Xbox Live support, revives the fighting tournament designed to find humans skilled enough to thwart the Gear threat. Take over 20 playable fighters, with 6 outrageous new characters. Use electrifying new moves and features, like Psych Burst, Faultless Defense, the all-new Burst Gauge system and more. Devastate your opponent with an arsenal of eye-popping, jaw-dropping moves and combos, including trademarks like Overdrive Attack, Gatling Combo, Roman Cancel and signature Instant Kills for each character! check out the freshly launched website.

Electronic Arts and A&M Records released details today on plans to have world renowned, multi-platinum selling musical group The Black Eyed Peas provide and produce the soundtrack to the videogame and their likenesses as characters for the highly anticipated The Urbz: Sims in the City.

The retail version of EA's Burnout 3: Takedown for the PS2 will feature a demo version of Need for Speed Underground 2. Retail versions of Need for Speed Underground 2 for the PS2 and Xbox will, in turn, feature a demo of Burnout 3: Takedown. Burnout 3: Takedown is slated to ship on September 8 for the PS2 and Xbox. Need for Speed Underground 2 is slated to ship in November for the PS2, Xbox, GameCube, PC, and GBA.

Fire Captain ignites the 3D Real-Time Strategy genre with the fire and rescue scene. Players are challenged to keep their cool as they manage a squad of elite firefighters in a variety of fast-paced, unpredictable, and explosive emergency scenarios. Set in and around a metropolitan city along the U.S. west coast, fire chiefs command fire squads and vehicles to extinguish flames and save victims in five single player campaigns with increasingly complex missions based on real-life events and three multiplayer modes.

Midway today announced that it has gathered a blockbuster Hollywood cast to lend their award-winning talents to its new action-thriller, AREA 51. Featuring the voice talent of David Duchovny, Powers Boothe, and Marilyn Manson, AREA 51 is scheduled to be available in the first half 2005 for the PS2 and Xbox.

Konami of Europe has announced that Thierry Henry is to be one of the faces of Pro Evolution Soccer 4, the latest installment in Konami Tokyo's highly regarded football simulation for PlayStation 2, PC and the Xbox.

Namco announced today its official song list for TAIKO: Drum Master, the highly anticipated game challenging rhythmic skills through fun and addictive drumming game play. Developed by Namco Limited in Japan, TAIKO: Drum Master ships exclusively for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system during the holiday 2004 season.

Ubisoft has released a demo for Hydravision 3rd person survival horror game Obscure: Learn about Fear. This demo features starts you off in the basketball gym, but no specifics are available at this point (thanks Gamershell). Read more for download links...

Join paper-thin Mario on his two dimensional journey in a three dimensional world in Paper Mario 2: The Thousand Year Door, which launches across Europe on November 12, 2004.

The musical soundtrack for EA’s highly-anticipated Burnout 3: Takedown will feature more than 40 songs from bands including Jimmy Eat World, Yellowcard, New Found Glory, and many more. Delivering an authentic radio experience complete with commentary from DJ Stryker from alternative radio station KROQ-FM in Los Angeles, the in-game soundtrack will get adrenaline junkies’ hearts pumping as they take to the streets in Burnout 3: Takedown.

Set in the 60s and using the Cold War as its inspiration, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater forces the player to adopt a number of new skills to survive in Snake's new jungle environment. Danger lurks everywhere as Snake explores the beautifully-realised forests, encampments and rivers, with guards patrolling key routes, dangerous animals to contend with, and the uneven terrain and noisy foliage making the silent approaches the Metal Gear hero is famed for virtually impossible.

Known for his role as the loyal hobbit Sam Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, actor lends his voice to upcoming epic Vietnam videogame saga Men of Valor.

EA today announced that award-winning composer Mark Mothersbaugh is the composer of the theme music for the highly-anticipated simulation game, The Sims 2.

Creature Conflict: The Clan Wars boasts an extensive single player campaign, where gamers get to chose which clan they are going to control and start the process of total domination – engaging in battles with the other clans and their leaders. Creature Conflict: The Clan Wars also supports a multiplayer mode: team up with friends on a single PC or across a LAN or internet connection and take on all rivals in a last animal standing competition!

In Tribes: Vengeance's single-player campaign, gamers become immersed in a roiling galactic thriller. Throughout the game, the player catches glimpses of other, interrelated stories that are unfolding behind-the-scenes. In addition, gamers are given the opportunity to experience the full scope of the single-player story through multiple viewpoints and characters.

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. Check these 30+ new screens or the brand new hi-res GTA: San Andreas trailer ..

Staying true to the classic series of the 80's, this 3rd person action shooter focuses on Sonny Crocket and Ricardo Tubbs, two cops within Miami's Metro-Dade police "Vice" department, and their continuing battle against the illicit drugs underworld. Players embark on dangerous raids and fast-moving gunfights, in a bid to destroy the narcotics empire of Miami. Licensed by Universal Studios; Miami Vice: The Game incorporates all of the original characters and locations from the iconic 80's cop drama.

International software publisher DEEP SILVER and renowned UK games developer DEEP RED are delighted to announce at the Leipzig Games Convention, their collaboration on a ground-breaking new PC title, set for launch May 2005. Masters of 'world building' Tycoon games, DEEP RED are using their combined experience and creative talents to create one of the greatest ancient cities of all time, in 'Heart Of Empire: Rome'.

In Tribes: Vengeance's single-player campaign, gamers become immersed in a roiling galactic thriller. Throughout the game, the player catches glimpses of other, interrelated stories that are unfolding behind-the-scenes. In addition, gamers are given the opportunity to experience the full scope of the single-player story through multiple viewpoints and characters.