DreamCatcher Games is today requesting that Painkiller fans steer clear of the latest multi-player builds that have appeared on various fan and download sites, as the releases are NOT official demo releases and are intended for press evaluation purposes only. The company is encouraging fans of the game to wait until early February for the official single-player demo release. This leaked build contains just a glimpse of the multi-player maps planned and lacks the depth, weapons, levels and A.I. sophistication that will be present in the official demo.

GarageGames announced today the launch of its partner site Gamebeavers.org and the demo version of the content now available for independent game developers who want to contribute to gain membership in the nonprofit organization.

The entire Worthplaying team wishes everybody a Happy New Year! We hope everybody had a safe transition from old into new and may 2004 be even better than last year. We here at Worthplaying have tons of exciting new stuff lined to even 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!

As the US army’s elite special operations soldiers you are the most potent ‘smart weapon’ known to man. You are the ‘tip of the spear’ for covert operations around the world - you are the first line of attack. Nothing stands in your way. From the war torn streets of Somalia you have been re-deployed to take out targets in Colombia and Iran. As the US military’s preemptive strike force you must work with your team to get the job done. Novalogic has released a few small trailers (thanks Tiscali) and some new screens, read more to check them out ...

Join a secret squad of pilots dedicated to thwarting the most heinous plans of the Third Reich. Fly over twenty authentic aircraft across thirty daring missions in this new WWII action-flyer. Lawrence Holland, the legendary creator of Star Wars: X-Wing, Star Wars: Tie Fighter and Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe returns with an exhilarating new game of action and intrigue. Can you be trusted with the most dangerous secrets of the war?

Sid Meier’s Pirates! is among the most popular and loved titles in gaming history. Originally released in 1987, Pirates! received unprecedented critical acclaim for crossing multiple game genres to offer unique, unrivaled gameplay options. Pirates! set the industry standard for innovative game design with its unique blend of open-ended role-playing, real-time adventures and thrilling action sequences. Read more for details ...

Rockstar reaches out like a touchy-feely department store Santa, with a special holiday gift for all our devotees. The second in our series of complimentary full game downloads is now available - a vintage title from Rockstar North, then known as DMA Design. Wild Metal Country (1999) is a 3D strategic vehicular combat game set in a distant land, in which you command armed roving vehicles to disrupt dangerous automated military units that have overtaken the Tehric planetary system. All you need to do is sign up here, and it will email you a unique download link (170mb). Njoy!

A Warrior Slave…Chosen by the Gods…to Re-store the Glory of an Empire In the Year 106AD the Roman Empire is in terrible decline. After the untimely death of the much-liked Emperor Trajan, the despotic Emperor Arruntius has bled the once powerful Rome to its knees. Badly fought wars, famine and plague are rife in all corners of the Empire, whilst the Emperor and his elite enjoy every excess and vice that the emptying coffers can afford. As herald to this age of degradation, Arruntius has destroyed large portions of the city of Rome to create the battleground for the bloodiest gladiator event ever staged.

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. Check out these new screens ...

As a holiday gift to EverQuest fans, Sony Online Entertainment today released a puzzle that will reveal the highly anticipated class tree for EverQuest II, on the company's EverQuest II game site. EverQuest II features 48 classes available through a tree branch progression, allowing you to choose your class as you advance in the game. The answer to the puzzle will be announced after the holiday break, but fans are sure to solve it much sooner.

Vivendi Universal Games and Massive Entertainment today unveiled the third faction in Ground Control II: Operation Exodus - the Virons - an alien warrior race.

Acclaim Entertainment today announced that it has entered into an exclusive global publishing agreement with Reno-based developer BattleBorne Entertainment, Inc. for their soon-to-be announced video game for the next-generation gaming systems. Comprised of former members of the celebrated Fallout 2, Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon teams, BattleBorne is currently utilizing the critically acclaimed Snowblind Studios technology and their own proprietary tools to develop the game.

BiosFear will enter its Open Beta phase today, December 22, around noon. After a successful Closed Beta with many enthusiastic players, Tiscali Games decided to let everybody in before Christmas. Read more for details ...

Sonalysts Inc. disclosed the initial details of the inaugural title to their Sonalysts' Combat Simulations brand, dubbed "Dangerous Waters" (S.C.S - "Dangerous Waters"). S.C.S. - "Dangerous Waters" will be the first title of its kind, allowing the player total control over multiple air, surface and subsurface platforms in a modern-day naval environment. Read more for details and screens, or check the freshly launched official website.

Akella and Step Creative Group announce that a new 3D tactical strategy/action game DEactivation was released. Players will control one of the antiterrorist units of droids to neutralize acts of terrorism. Destroy the hostile robots-kamikazes and set the hostages free! For every mission there's a set number of droids. Terminate the shot firing system, destroy the hostile robots and set the hostages free! The missions are held in distinct types of building that differ one from another in the number of floors and rooms. Read more for details ...

Deep Silver is pleased to announce that X²: The Threat, by German development team EGOSOFT has gone GOLD in anticipation for its 6th February 2004 UK release date. Sequel to the classic space trading / combat PC game X Beyond The Frontier, X² has been in development for over two years. X²: The Threat from EGOSOFT is launched on Windows PC at £34.99 SRP (UK) on 6th February 2004.

Imagine one guild dominating the land. Imagine another one getting ready to challenge them. Your guild? Eternal fame may just be one battle away - a battle where hundreds of armed players fight a siege to dominate the Castle of Shilon! The forthcoming action-MMORPG BiosFear features what must be amongst the most massive and bloody battles ever seen in any online game. Thanks to its fast graphics engine, which allows for smooth gameplay, in BiosFear's battles the screen is crammed with players and packed with action. Are you ready to join the battle?

LucasArts is proud to unveil the fantastic, deadly world of Wrath Unleashed on its new official website! Wrath Unleashed is an exhilarating action-strategy game that mixes the best elements of classic strategy games with fast-paced and fierce creature combat. The game introduces players to a unique and spectacular fantasy universe where players engage in both single and multiplayer battles with more than 30 fierce, mythological creatures from four realms. Each character has special attributes, powers and attacks...but all characters have the power to unleash their wrath to defeat opponents and dominate the universe!

Interplay Entertainment Corp. and Vivendi Universal Games announced today that Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel will ship to retail on January 13, 2004. The action-adventure game will be available for the PlayStation2 and the Xbox.

Slitherine Strategies are pleased to announce that Spartan has been nominated as a finalist in the 2003 Game of the Year competition hosted by the Independent Games Festival. The winner will be announced at the show in March 2004. Spartan has just about everything that you would expect from a Grand Campaign TBS strategy game and with the added spice of the interactive battles we're sure it will be a winner with the gamers and the judges alike. Worthplaying.com has described Spartan as: "Civilisation with a 3D battle engine.", and one of our aims as a company is to grow our audience to draw in some of those gamers who can't get enough of Civ, or who are just looking for something a little different.

Rockstar Games is pleased to announce Red Dead Revolver for the PlayStation2 and Xbox. Developed by Rockstar San Diego, this stylish, western gun-fighting extravaganza is expected to hit retail shelves in Spring 2004. Read more for details ...

Enlight has sent out notice that there is a new patch for X2: The Threat Update 1.1 is available for download exclusively at Egosoft’s website. Since there are several different versions of the patch out already and many will follow once the European territories have released, Enlight is directing everyone to download the patch from www.egosoft.com. This way, EgoSoft can monitor that customers are receiving the correct version of the patch through their registration key. Read more to check a detailed fix list...

From the far corners of Middle-earth, new adventures come forth to face the growing evil in the East. The forces of Mordor are mobilizing as the Nazgül hunt for the One Ring. The land itself is in peril and its fate lies in the hands of those who possess it. Adventuring alone or in groups, join thousands of players online in the massive world that is Middle-earth. Support the forces of good in an epic struggle to drive back the forces of Sauron. This is Middle-Earth Online, your home in the world of Tolkien. Read more to check some screens ...

Spread holiday cheer in Electronic Arts/Maxis' SimCity 4 for the PC this December. Just in time for this season’s festivities, players can download a replica of New York’s magnificent Rockefeller Center and the famous Christmas tree that adorns its plaza. The download is available now for product-registered users at www.simcity.com.

Pirates is broadband only, with high-end hardware specifications for graphics -- a GeForce 3 or better is required in at least a 1GHz machine, and the game is optimized for the latest DirectX 9.0-class cards. Pirates is being published on-line directly to gamers using Valve's new Steam technology, the same delivery system used by Half-Life 2 and Counterstrike 2. Check out the new seaworthy screens ...