Flying Lab Software just announced Pirates of the Burning Sea, a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game set in the Caribbean islands of the 18th Century. You play a bold sea captain, master of your own ship and crew, as you seek glory and adventure across the trackless deep.. Flying Lab let us know that the game will let thousands of players take on the role of a pirate and sail the seas. Read more for features and a few new screens ...

The newest installation in the acclaimed stealth ninja series, Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven delivers the most realistic, stealth-based, ninja-action/adventure game ever. Coming to the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven features impressive new stealth attacks, an enhanced fighting engine, new weapons and tools, larger levels, improved character animations and new multiplayer options... Chu on this updated fact sheet.

Thrustmaster, well known for designing and developing the ultimate in flight simulation accessories, is thrilled to announce a three-year renewal of its close collaboration agreement with the U.S. Air Force. Under the agreement, the U.S. Air Force provides Thrustmaster with support in the development of high-end flight controllers. Thrustmaster will thus keep offering the most realistic flight simulation devices, life like in design, life like in performance as the actual controllers found in the American USAF or US Navy. USAF and Thrustmaster join forces to transport gamers to the further reaches of FlightSim technology.

GarageGames announced the demo version of Chain Reaction today, developed by Monster Studios. The demo features eight playable puzzles and access to 13 of the fully interactive parts. The full version of Chain Reaction, available at www.garagegames.com for $14.95, includes over 50 levels, fifty-nine parts and a full Level Builder with tools for users to create their own puzzles, which they can email to their friends. Read more for download links ...

A while back the rumors was flooding around about a expansion to Warcraft 3, and today blizzard confirms this upcoming expansion pack.. Here you have the announcement!

Following in the tradition of previous Blizzard expansion sets, Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne provides gamers with a vast new chapter in the epic Warcraft saga. In the single-player campaign, players revisit the war-torn world of Azeroth. Several months have passed since Archimonde and the Burning Legion were defeated at the battle of Mount Hyjal, yet a new threat has arisen throughout the land. The evil Lich King Ner'zhul has been imprisoned inside the Icecrown glacier, deep within the arctic continent of Northrend. Although the former Orc Shaman lacks physical form, his soul lives on, forever seeking a means to escape his icy prison. As the saga continues, it is revealed that both the Night Elf renegade, llidan, and the traitorous Death Knight, Arthas, seek he Icecrown glacier and the mysterious powers found inside. While it is uncertain as to what is being sought inside the icy tomb, players must traverse uncharted lands and battle treacherous new enemies to uncover the schemes of these nefarious beings, and save all of Azeroth from the forces of darkness... Read more for features!

Warner Bros. Consumer Products announced today an exclusive co-publishing agreement with Electronic Arts to produce, market and distribute Looney Tunes: Back In Action, a video game to be released on multiple platforms with the upcoming live action feature film starring the Looney Tunes characters. The partnership marks the first time Warner Bros. Consumer Products has partnered to co-publish a video game title. UK-based Warthog is developing the game based on the film, which will debut worldwide in November 2003 excluding the UK(debut February 2004)

Once an astral pilgrims presented to Wintrix a beautiful crystal flower that was found in one outmost world. It seemed that the artifact possessed enormous hidden power and unknown abilities. One evening after invisible wave of tremendous power broke out from the Wintrix's cabinet the students found out that their teacher disappeared. The crystal flower buzzed like a cracked bell and radiated gradually fading light. And one of its petal vanished. What really happened? Who can survive in that hostile world? Who can resist insane agony of those miserable more-dead-than-alive?

NASCAR Racing 2003 Season will immerse you in the most captivating NASCAR racing experience available on the PC. Tracks come to life as dirt, debris, and oil buildup on the windshield, clouds cast shadows and flags wave in the breeze, giving players the most engaging driving experience available for the PC. This playable demo offers the Michigan International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway tracks in testing session and single-race modes (thanks 3DGamers). Update Papyurus just informed us that this is a leaked press build that does not fully relfect a true demo (a REAL public demo will be available SOON). Since the cat is out of the bag, they allowed us to keep it online.

Freelancer Sneak Preview Contest... Microsoft posted following information today on the official site for their upcoming epic space adventure game, Freelancer. Here is the clip:

On Friday, January 24, you will be able to enter both here and at Lancers Reactor to win a Sneak Preview copy of Freelancer. We will be selecting 15 winners from our site, and 15 winners from Lancers Reactor for a grand total of 30 lucky fans. Winners will be selected via a random drawing from all eligible entries received. Contest is open to fans around the world and you will be able to enter between Friday, January 24 to 11 AM PST, Monday, January 27.

In anticipation of the ninth Annual EA SPORTS Madden Bowl, one of the most exciting events leading up to the Super Bowl, America Online and Electronic Arts today announced that AOL Games and EA SPORTS are presenting the EA SPORTS Madden Bowl Online exclusively to AOL members. By accessing a special password, they will challenge friends, foes and the pros who will participate in the EA SPORTS Madden Bowl tournament on January 23 at 6:30 p.m. PST.

Konami of America, Inc. today revealed Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, the latest in a series of Castlevania titles for Nintendo Game Boy Advance. Aria of Sorrow is Konami's third Castlevania game for Game Boy Advance, following the successful Castlevania: Circle of the Moon and Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance - both of which ruled the top spot of Game Boy Advance software chart at their respective launches. An entirely new adventure from Koji Igarashi and the creative team behind the critically acclaimed cult classic Castlevania Symphony of the Night (Sony PlayStation), Aria of Sorrow is scheduled to ship in North America in May 2003.

The Official Shadowbane Web site just released details about their new Siege Warfare system currently being tested inside the beta. The new city sieging system has been dramatically streamlined to be more inline with a number of developer Wolfpack Studios original design goals. These goals were to enhance the ability of attacking armies to cripple neighboring states through the use of economic pressure, extending the time of a siege to minimize late night raids, and making the overall system more intuitive and easier to manage.

GarageGames announced today the release of the Mac OS X version of their highly acclaimed title, Marble Blast. The Mac demo features five playable levels and access to several of the game's power up items. The full version of Marble Blast, available at www.garagegames.com for $14.95, includes 72 levels, a variety of power up bonuses and additional hazards.

Steam Beta 2.0 begins today at 3 pm Pacific. The beta is open to the public, anyone can join by downloading and running the 4MB install applet. For the first few days, this beta will include the coming versions of Counter-Strike (v1.6) and Team Fortress Classic. Further updates to these games, as well as additional content, will be made available to participants throughout the beta. Read more for links where to download... UPDATE : Seems the demand was/is overwhelming and they have temp. suspended the streaming...

Electronic Arts today announced that The Sims for the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system has shipped. Players will be able to create and control their Sims like never before with all new level-based game play, two-player modes, and dynamic 3D graphics.

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc, the Tokyo based parent of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) today announced that cumulative world-wide factory shipments of the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system had reached 50 million units.

Year 1878. Soreo Isle, a small, uninhabited, volcanic island in the Pacific. The Man, a masterful physiologist, well-known in scientific circles for his extraordinary imagination, howled out of England for his ambitious and rather disgusting experiments on animals. His name is Dr. Morhead. On this detached island he stepped aside from the world, to continue his twisted experiments. Violating the very foundations of nature, his work was aimed at the creation of a new form of living being. Dr. Morhead's work in his "Temple of Rebirth" sought to alter animals to look, feel and behave more like humans. Today we serve up a new batch of Vivisector: Beast Within (previously known as Creatures of Dr. Moreau) screens, njoy!

Total Immersion Racing is a driving game with an emphasis on the highest quality driving technology linked to compelling and immersive gameplay. The player can choose a career path that leads from being the lowest ranked driver of a GT sports car all the way to becoming a world champion driving a massively powerful 8-litre prototype. On the way team engineers and managers will give advice and input to guide the player. Empire and Razorworks have just released another patch for the European version of their racing game fixing a few DirectX related issues. Read more for details and download links...

UK Based Independent Games developer Positech Computing announced today the release of their arcade/strategy game Planetary Defense. Planetary Defense puts you in charge of a variety of worlds, defending them against enemy attack. You have to defend against missiles, laser equipped satellites, cloaked starships, multiple-warhead rockets and flaming meteors, by guiding defensive missiles to their targets. On some levels you have multiple orbiting moons, complete with their own bases and space colonies, ships evacuating your planet to defend, and energy shields that keep the enemy rockets at bay. Its also possible for enemy fire to disable the all-important radar... Screens, gameinfo and demo is available here!

Train buffs can now explore the beautiful Allegheny mountain region from the comfort of their own homes. Publisher Strategy First and Developer Maple Leaf Tracks are pleased to announce that the latest MSTS Add-On, Sandpatch¸ has shipped to retail stores nationwide.

Electronic Arts reveals details for NBA STREET Vol. 2, the follow-up to the hit title NBA STREET, to be released under the EA SPORTS BIG brand. NBA STREET Vol. 2 lets players bring their act to the street show and face off against the greatest basketball players of all-time on blacktop courts throughout North America. First team to "21" wins, but in NBA STREET Vol. 2, style and attitude are as important as putting the ball in the basket. Currently under development, NBA STREET Vol. 2 will be available this spring for the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system, the Nintendo GameCube and Xbox video game system from Microsoft.

Softimage Co. a subsidiary of Avid Technology, Inc. today announced that its SOFTIMAGE|XSI system, the industry's leading 3-D nonlinear production environment, was the tool of choice for all the modeling, texturing and animation work for Disney's much anticipated new game: Treasure Planet. Based on Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Treasure Island', Disney's new game for the Sony PlayStation 2 adds a futuristic twist to the classic tale and creates a new epic adventure of bloodthirsty pirates and buried treasure in which the spaceship, 'Legacy,' is overrun by mutinous pirates led by the cyborg John Silver.

A new constellation has been identified in federation space as TDK Mediactive, Inc. announced today the summer 2003 release of Star Trek Shattered Universe on the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system.

Right Hemisphere, a creator of 3D graphic production solutions for games, film and broadcast, web content, and industrial design announced today that Unreal Tournament 2003, which picked up year-end awards for Best Graphics and Best First Person Shooter, utilizies Right Hemisphere's Deep Character technology for a full-featured customization utility which ships with Unreal Tournament 2003. A huge community of hardened warriors are experiencing UPaint, a 3D painting application that lets Unreal Players paint directly on their character. UT2003 Players can even import a digital photograph of their own face and put it directly on an Unreal Tournament 2003 Warrior.

Sony Computer Entertainment and Sega Europe are pleased to announce that a distribution deal has been signed to bring the update of the classic Shinobi series to PlayStation2 owners across PAL markets from May 2003.