As promised, Atari has released the full version of their Unreal 2: The Awakening XMP addon for free. The Unreal 2 XMP includes 8 maps, 3 vehicles, and 3 character classes. To install, you need the Unreal 2 CDs, but it does not have to be physically installed. Read more for download links ...

Electronic Arts is very excited to announce the final soundtrack list for its upcoming NFL STREET video game. The music will be a mix of hip hop and rock from some of today's hottest artists, including an all original score by the X-ecutioners. A few of the tracks will be heard in the game prior to their album's release as noted below. Read more for detailed list ...

Climax today confirmed that work is well underway on its premiere next generation game. Developed under the codename Avalon, this impressive new game is to be produced at the company's celebrated Brighton Studio and will debut on the eagerly-awaited PlayStation 3 and Xbox 2.

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. Powered by an enhanced version of the Unreal Engine, the world is brought to life with characters that have facial expressions and fully-realized personalities, vehicles that kick up dust as they pass by, and weapons that display spectacular effects. Check out these new screens ...

Eastside Hockey Manager: Franchise Edition will be Sports Interactive's first non-football game, and is due to be released in late Q1 2004. The game will feature a detailed and realistic game engine with in-depth ice hockey content including numerous leagues, players with detailed statistics and personalities and full management features for trading, drafts and transactions. Read more for some screens ...

"Unreal Tournament 2004 is the next evolution of the greatest competitive computer game ever created," said Jean-Philippe Agati, senior vice president and general manager of Atari's Los Angeles studio. "The addition of new modes, mods and maps as well as the controllable land-, air- and space-based vehicles, means Unreal fans are getting an entirely new experience featuring devastating vehicular combat and wide scale warfare." Check out some new screens ...

WorthPlaying is trying to spread the holiday joy by giving away bunches of goodies in two contests, sponsored by Electric Artists and Strategy First! Good luck to everyone ... both contests end December 19th! Read more for details, or click on the banners above.

Right after the Unreal II SE announcement, Atari now also revealed that a demo version of Unreal 2 Expanded Multiplayer a.k.a. XMP, will be released tomorrow. The demo will not require a copy of Unreal 2 to try out and will feature one map entitled XMP-Garden. The full version of XMP, which is included with Unreal 2: Special Edition, will be a free download for existing owners of Unreal 2, and is absolutely brilliant (thanks Andy). Stay tuned for we WILL have it on our fileservers of course ..

Atari is expanding the gameplay of Unreal II: The Awakening this December with Unreal II: The Awakening ­ Special Edition for the personal computer. The Special Edition package will include the original single-player campaign, first released in February 2003, as well as an all-new multiplayer experience called XMP, or “Expanded Multiplayer.” Developed by Legend Entertainment (an Atari studio) in conjunction with Epic Games, Unreal II: The Awakening is the follow-up to Epic Games’ 1998 smash hit Unreal and incorporates the same story-driven gameplay, cunningly ferocious enemies and nail-biting tension that made the original title a best seller.

ESPN Videogames has announced its newest sports title set to debut in Spring 2004 - ESPN Major League Baseball. Formerly known as the "World Series Baseball 2K" series, ESPN Major League Baseball will deliver the exhilarating drama and heart-pounding action of the "Major Leagues." ESPN Videogames is proud to announce that New York Yankees slugger Jason Giambi will be the official spokesperson and cover athlete for ESPN Major League Baseball. Providing players with the complete ESPN experience, ESPN Major League Baseball will feature two stalwart ESPN baseball veterans: Jon Miller and Karl Ravech. Miller, who is set to begin his 15th season on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball, will handle the play-by-play duties on the virtual diamond, while Ravech, the host of ESPN's Baseball Tonight, will provide the in-studio analysis. Read more for details & screens ...

Matrix Games and Adanac Command Studies are pleased to announce that a publishing agreement has been reached for the entire line of Adanac games, including Campaigns of La Grande Armee Series and the upcoming World War I, Imperial Ambition and The Road from Sumter to Appomattox IV. Adanac Command Studies is a one man shop, showcasing the dedication and attention to detail of renowned designer Frank Hunter, known for his past work on The Road from Sumter to Appomattox and American Civil War. The Campaigns of La Grande Armee series has received excellent reviews and a great deal of excitement has been building about new titles in development.

Horizons is the next generation online epic adventure. It is based in the massively multiplayer fantasy world, Istaria. A world of legend and lore filled with humans, fiends, dragons and many other traditional fantasy roles, Horizons allows thousands of players to adventure together in the civilized and untamed regions of the world. Atari and Artifact Entertainment today made a number of announcements associated with the upcoming release of Horizons: Empire of Istaria on December 9th. Read more for the details on what to expect, available worlds, guidelines to create/name your characters and plenty more ...

In a distant realm of sword and sorcery, a great evil had swept across the land. Demons from the underworld and their evil minions poured across the kingdoms of man, until the great cities lay in ruin, and there were naught but a handful of cowering souls remaining. The people were in need of a King. Someone of great strength and courage who could rid the land of the evil plague, and rebuild the cities. You are that King... You alone must travel to the end of the world, build a mighty castle, slay the undead hordes, and convert the people of the land to loyal subjects of your domain... in the Age of Castles!

The official Medal of Honor Allied Assault Website has put up a new community update about an upcoming patch for EA's WW2 shooter MoH: Breakthrough. This patch will include two new maps, new weapons and address a few technical issues with the game (thanks Blues). Read more for a detailed list of what the patch will cover ...

The action in Forgotten Battles is moving to the West. While the war rages in the East the Allies are attacking Germany's heartland. Round-the-clock bombing and the D-Day invasion means that the second front is now in action. The Luftwaffe is defending Germany with everything they've got, and now you can take part in twelve campaigns (six USAAF, six Luftwaffe) that chart the progress of this bitter battle form June 1944 to May 1945. Read more for details & screens ...

Vidis and Enlight Software Ltd continue their successful partnership by announcing the signing of an exclusive distribution agreement for the new PC game title Warlords BattleCry III for Germany, Austria, Switzerland and South Africa. This is the third project of the successful Enlight/Vidis cooperation.

Set for a Spring 2004 release, MLB 2005 promises to be the most authentic baseball simulation for the PlayStation 2. MLB 2005 is the game baseball enthusiasts have always wanted. Eleven extensive gameplay options including Historical All-Time Greats, an all-new Franchise Mode that allows you to control every aspect of running a baseball franchise, an all-new Career Mode that takes you from Class A ball to the Fall Classic, all-new Simulation Mode where you can watch games unfold as you call the shots or jump in and close out a tight one, and Online playability through 989SportsOnline.com with 32-man tournaments make this the deepest baseball videogame ever produced.

Sigil Games Online, Inc. today announced the addition of four well-known and award-winning artists to the team already working on the first truly third generation massively multiplayer game. Den Beauvais will join Sigil as Senior Artist, while Brom and Don Maitz create concept art for the game, with industry veteran Tom King handling the User Interface.

Codemasters has strengthened its relationship with 1C Company, the leading Russian game publishing company already working on Wartime Command, by securing the global* publishing rights to Perimeter – the much anticipated science fiction PC title, which is set to break new ground in RTS gaming. Read more for details & screens ....

Atari has signed a blockbuster Hollywood cast to lend voices to its greatly anticipated video game, DRIV3R, scheduled for release in Spring 2004. Michael Madsen, Ving Rhames, Mickey Rourke and Michelle Rodriguez will play the lead roles in the third installment of the gritty, crime-fighting Driver video game series, one of the most successful video game franchises of all time. DRIV3R is being developed by Atari's Reflections Interactive for the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system and the Xbox video game system from Microsoft.

Goblin Commander: Unleash the Horde calls upon your skill and courage to destroy the enemy, pillage the enclaves and scorch the earth. Wage war with a horde of specialized goblin warriors at your command. Design a custom army from over 25 different goblins or take direct control of giant titans and battle-ready vehicles to cause reckless mayhem across the lands. Read more for the full review ...

Gamespot has the rumour mill going with a follow up on a report from fan site Theforce.net, as they seem to have confirmation from LucasArts that a Battlefield 1942 type multiplayer game set in the Star Wars universe is under development. Star Wars: Battlefront, a Battlefield: 1942 style is said to be in the works for PS2, Xbox as well as the PC, more details (and an official confirmation are expected early next year).

In response to the #1 request from the community, DICE & EA are proud to announce the inclusion of anti-cheat measures in the next patch for Battlefield 1942. The Battlefield team is committed to providing an exploit-free gaming environment for members of our community. Our goal is to have measures in place which address both current and future cheats. As such, after researching existing anti-cheat programs, we've determined that Punkbuster suits our purposes perfectly. We'll keep everyone updated as to our progress. For now, we have successfully integrated Punkbuster into the upcoming 1.6 patch and we're in the process of testing it (thanks Blues).

A new Game Research Lab is now open at The Art Institute of California - San Francisco to support students studying in its Game Art & Design and Visual & Game Programming degree programs. The lab is available for use by students to examine the latest 3-D animation, computer graphics, game level design and other elements of successful video games.

Enlight announced today the highly anticipated space simulation game X²: The Threat has shipped to retail stores across North America for the holidays. Under development for two years, X²: The Threat has received numerous praise for its stunning in game graphics and open-ended gameplay.