In the ongoing stream of Xbox name speculations and system specifications, a new document has hit the streets (or the internet for that matter) giving us another look at "what might be." The document is supposedly by Pete Isensee, Development Lead, Xbox Advanced Technology Group and gives us details on CPU, GPU, USB and other technical specs (thanks Spong), all to be taken with a bag of salt of course. Read more for the full blurb ...

French software company Micro Application today announced it will publish 'Dreamfall: The Longest Journey' in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the French speaking region of Canada. Funcom will act as publisher in North and South America, the Nordic region, and Asia.

'Road 666: Deathlands', under development at Psycho Craft Studio, is an arcade car shooter. The gamer is one of the new world explorers where you get the opportunity to earn money on the armed car. But danger and lots of enemies are waiting for him in the new world. The gameplay is divided into sequence of missions. During the missions the gamer gets credits for enemy kills and bonus catching. Between missions the car can be upgraded in the shop. Read more for details, screens & trailer...

Guilty Gear Isuka introduces revolutionary upgrades such as 4-player simultaneous fighting, allowing for 2-on-2, 3-on-1 and 2-player co-op battles. The title also adds new characters to a full roster of returning fighters, all-new fight arenas and multiple new modes of play, including an exciting side-scrolling action game called Boost Mode. Check the freshly launched offcial website, or read more for new screens....

Matrix Games is pleased to announce that it has secured the rights to publish Koios Works' innovative new wargame, Tin Soldiers: Alexander the Great. Tin Soldiers: Alexander the Great is a turn-based, simultaneous-play wargame with a classic feel and a reaction system to allow mid-turn adjustments to strategy. Aside from covering the most famous conqueror in all of history, Tin Soldiers: Alexander the Great also presents the wargamer with a unique miniatures-oriented feel with graphics of hand-drawn, individually adorned soldiers.

Inevitably, as we all roll out of our beds in 2004 the games industry instinctively begins to speculate on the year ahead. Sony’s PSP and the Nintendo DS guarantee a fierce handheld battle in the run up to Christmas, but on the established formats there is one battle that is really going to let rip this year – the war of the padless game.

Sammy Studios today unveiled two new characters and a weapon from its upcoming Xbox Live Kung-Fu brawler, "Iron Phoenix." The first ever 16-player online fighting game, “Iron Phoenix” brings a new experience to Xbox Live with team combat in massive arenas and a fight system where moves and combos are dictated by weapons.

Lineage II offers a dynamic 3-D world drawn in exquisite detail. Set 150 years before Lineage, just as the kingdom of Aden becomes a unified state, Lineage II: The Chaotic Chronicle shows the struggles that take place during a time when several medieval provinces come under one rule. The soon to be released Lineage II, Chronicle 1 update includes many new player adventures, NCSoft has sent us some new screens..

Eidos has released the first patch for ION Storm's stealth/action game Thief: Deadly Shadows. This update patch brings your retail game to v1.1 and addresses the previously reported savegame/AI bug. Read more for download links ...

"Spoils of War" skillfully combines the successes of real-time strategy and first-person shooter to create intense warfare and player depth that is unparalleled. As Battlefield Commander, switch between RTS and FPS modes to manage your team's economy and technology while leading your fellow human players to victory. As one of three first-person characters you will commandeer vehicles, become skillful with weaponry, and use unique powers in a high velocity war (thanks Blues).

Vivendi Universal Games, in cooperation with Internet community site Tribalwar.com, announced today a contest to create alternative “skins” for use within Tribes: Vengeance. The competition, which starts immediately, will end on July 9th when a panel of judges from Vivendi Universal Games, Irrational Games, and Tribalwar.com will select the best skin and award its creator a high-end graphics card from ATI Technologies and an in-game credit.

Electronic Arts announced today that it has signed a agreement with Oddworld Inhabitants for the worldwide publishing rights to the next Oddworld game, the latest in the internationally acclaimed character-based action series. Slated for release in 2005, the new title will bring a unique action gaming experience to owners of the PlayStation2 and Xbox.

As a special military operative, you are sent to investigate a deadly genetic outbreak in a small West Coast town. Operating alone and with minimal information, you quickly realize that your mission will ultimately become a battle for survival. Hunted by unspeakable horrors and haunted by your past, you soon discover that in order to overcome evil, you must become more than evil.

EA SPORTS now is taking on all fantasy football comers with the announcement of EA SPORTS Fantasy Football. Available starting July 21st at www.easports.com/fantasy. Electronic Arts, in conjunction with STATS, Inc. will offer a variety of fantasy football experiences for the 2004-2005 football season.

This summer is going to be a scorcher with the addition of three new features and highly anticipated hits from distinguished third party publishers. With this unrivaled line-up, we plan to deliver on our promise of taking the online gaming experience to an unprecedented level. Read more for new features and 20 upcoming titles supporting Xbox Live!

Fly one of the many spacecraft and battle huge cruisers - or break through hull, grab your rocket launcher and explore the enemy's vessel in your superior battle suit! Fight morphing aliens and fierce time warriors in a dark future that will become your worst nightmare!

1C Company and Pointsoft Interactive have signed a Pan-European distribution deal for Vivisector: Beast Inside. 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. Read more for some new screens ...

Lionhead Studios is delighted to announce the appointment of brothers Ron and Chris Millar who both formerly worked for Jaleco Entertainment and Blizzard Entertainment. Ron Millar is to continue his work as designer at Lionhead Studios and his experience on games such as Warcraft, Starcraft and Diablo will undoubtedly bring a new perspective to Lionhead's design process.

A couple years ago, the GarageGames position on shader support was that it was not needed. Now, however, a new generation of video cards supporting shaders and DirectX 9 have been on the market for several years and are becoming ubiqutious in new computers. Shaders are becoming a technology that cannot be ignored by game makers, but that cannot easily be addressed by old techniques.

Three makers of video games (EA, Vivendi & Atari) sued a Missouri company marketing software that enables consumers to make backup copies of computer games. The federal lawsuit, filed Tuesday in New York, alleges that Games X Copy software by 321 Studios Inc. of suburban St. Louis violates copyright laws by illegally cracking copy-protection systems used by game makers.

Featuring all 30 NHL teams, plus teams from all the other major hockey leagues of North America and Europe, NHL Eastside Hockey manager provides ice hockey fans complete franchise control of their favourite ice hockey team. Read more to check out some new screens ...

Take control of Nick Delios, an ex-scientist fallen from grace living on the edge as a detective with a penchant for gambling and booze. Specialized in solving cases of industrial espionage, by using his medical studies and also his acquaintances of the underworld Nick finds himself in a world of trouble... GMX Media today announced that Conspiracies will be launched across the UK exclusively on PC on June 25th 2004.

Launching for PC on July 2nd, Soldiers allows you to handpick your troops from your real-life mates and team up with three buddies as a crack squad and play through any of the tactical action missions in the campaign. Complementing the strong single-player game, co-operative multiplayer affords all-new gameplay possibilities, vastly increasing the tactical options available to the players. Read more for details & screens...

Once again, Garrett finds himself without allies, standing alone between the City and the forces that would crush it. Will his skills be enough to save the dying City? Can he survive betrayal, assassins, and war in the labyrinthine city streets? Will he destroy or be destroyed by the evil he awoke? And finally, what must he do to get what he wants most of all: to be left alone plying his trade as the City’s greatest… Thief?

Epic has released the final patch for their recently released FPS Unreal Tournament 2004. The patch brings your retail game to v3236 and features a TON of tweaks, bug fixes, multiplayer & performance enhancements. Read more for detailed fix list and download links ...