Test Drive Unlimited challenges players online to experience the most exotic and fastest vehicles on more than 1000 miles of diverse Hawaiian roads. Gamers win races, challenges, missions and tournaments to earn credits and purchase new cars, bikes, rare performance parts, clothes, apparel, homes and garages. Head of development at Melbourne House Kevin 'Zaph' Burfitt tells us about the PS2 vs. X360 differences...

Bringing fast and furious bite-size gaming, Atari's PSP-exclusive Hot PXL is comprised of 200 deviously crafted micro-games based on a quirky and original story premise, drawing inspiration from street culture and the digital lifestyle. Jonathan "DJON" Choquel tells us how he started production on his first game...

For Liberty! is a turn based computer strategy game for the PC, covering two wars of independence - the American Revolution (1775-1783) and the Rakoczi War of Independence in Europe 1703-1711. This updated demo features the same hypothetical southern campaign from April - Oct. 1780, but adds a minimap, more varied battle terrain, and other general improvements & fixes.

Soldak Entertainment announced Depths of Peril, a single player action RPG with strong strategy elements. You play as a faction leader protecting the barbarian city, Jorvik, by destroying threatening monsters and completing quests. At the same time, you compete with rival factions to see who will rule the city. Barbarians choose their leaders by fighting to the death!

Heroes of Annihilated Empires offers an extraordinary blend of RTS and RPG gameplay, challenging gamers to create a powerful leader and a dominant military force through battle, diplomacy and treachery in a rich fantasy world. This new patch fixes critical errors, adds 2 new skirmish maps, and game balance tweaks.

Another day, another batch of game trailers was released. Instead of giving them all their own posts, we grouped them, and so far there are trailers for :

• Aion - G-Star Trailer
• Stoked Rider: Alaska Alien - Dev. Diary Trailer #2
• Diabolik: Original Sin - Trailer
• IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946 - Trailer #4
• Battlestations: Midway [X360/PC] - Flythrough Trailer
• 
  
  We will update this throughout the day when new trailers become available. Read more for download links ...

Xbox Live user REDRUM6622 claimed on the official Xbox forums that he has filed a class-action lawsuit against Microsoft because of the problems he and other users have experienced after performing the Fall System Update. He is demanding a jury trial, citing breach of contract, violation of consumer protection act (RCW 19.86), and negligence.

Microsoft today announced that it expects to ship more than 10 million Xbox 360 units to retailers by the end of the current calendar year. That number refers to units "sold into retail," which refers to units in transit, units sitting in store inventories and machines sold to consumers.

While SkyRiver Studios has previously released 2 scifi first-person action/RPG titles (A.I.M. & A.I.M. 2) based on the same universe, its latest title puts you in the drivers seat, F-Zero style.

SOE has launched a new free trial for EverQuest II: Echoes of Faydwer, allowing you to play the new playable Fae race for a seven-day live trial, no credit card or subscription required, just download and play.

While SEGA's Yakuza featured various Hollywood celebrities doing voiceovers, it seems a full blown movie feature is also in the works. According to sources the Yakuza movie is filmed in South Korea by Artport and CJ Entertainment, directed by Takashi Miike. Currently scheduled for release in Japan March 2007, it will debut in North America somewhere during the summer, and be 1hr50min long.

Zen Studios' Flipper Critters is a fully 3 dimensional, original new gameplay experience based on classic pinball. Unlike most games, which take place on small, closed tables, Flipper Critters pinball takes place on a much bigger scale. Originally scheduled for July, then delayed until Sept. 2006, Conspiracy now moved it back until Feb. 2007.

Not only has Left Behind Games announced a Left Behind: Eternal Forces sequel, it's also getting an add-on. The expansion will pick up the storyline where Eternal Forces left off. The Tribulation Force has been successful in recruiting neutrals and the antichrist, Nicolae Carpathia, is out to take over the world with greater vengeance.

EA announced today that SSX Blur, developed exclusively for Nintendo Wii, is the newest version of the critically acclaimed snowboarding franchise. The huge air, blurring speed and insane tricks that SSX is known for return and the fun-factor is amplified by the unique capability of the Nintendo Wii controller.

Another day, another batch of games shipped to stores. Instead of giving them all their own posts, we grouped them, and so far there are announcements for:

• Star Wars Lethal Alliance (PSP)
• Zatch Bell! Mamodo Fury (NGC)
• 
  
  We will update this throughout the day when new announcements become available. Read more for details ...

In Superman Returns: The Video Game, you explore and protect the truly living city of Metropolis, one that is not only expansive (with 80 sq miles and over 9,000 buildings), but also changes dynamically with you as you affect gameplay.

Another day, another batch of game trailers was released. Instead of giving them all their own posts, we grouped them, and so far there are trailers for :

• The Chronicles of Spellborn - The Howling Music Trailer
• Sam & Max Episode 2 - Situation: Comedy - Trailer
• 
  
  We will update this throughout the day when new trailers become available. Read more for download links ...

Bold Games announced the results of the “Blitzkrieg” phase of its Custom Map Competition for Tripwire Interactive's WWII Eastern Front FPS Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45. The top prize is brand new, high-end gaming rig, with additional prizes of top graphics cards and gaming keyboards/mice.

If you need a break from the multiplayer mayhem, Ubisoft has now also released the Splinter Cell Double Agent singleplayer demo, while Take Two has issued a demo (only for North America) for its recently released basketball game College Hoops 2K7 (North Carolina V.S. Florida). Both demos are now available on Xbox Live, but for the time being only Gold members will have access to download them, silver membership holders will have to wait until next week, to shoot some hoops.

SOE and Sigil Games announced the Vanguard: Saga of Heroes pre-order program, available through select retailers. If you preorder, you get three days of early access prior to launch; a special account key that will grant you a unique exclusive in-game scroll, allowing your character to sprint for longer periods of time due to an endurance buff (one per account); a beta invitation; Guild Mail, a fun recruitment tool to help you build your guild before launch; and a king’s ransom of assets, including videos, wallpapers and screenshots.

American Civil War: Our Hearts were touched with Fire, from the creators of Birth of America, is a historically accurate, realistic and fun turn-based grand operational strategy game of the American Civil War (1861-1865).

Another day, another batch of games shipped to stores. Instead of giving them all their own posts, we grouped them, and so far there are announcements for:

• Star Trek: Legacy (PC)
• Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (NDS)
• Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (PSP)
• Fight Night Round 3 (PS3)
• Pimp My Ride (PS2/X360)
• Ice Age 2: The Meltdown (Wii)
• 
  
  We will update this throughout the day when new announcements become available. Read more for details ...

KOEI announced that its PS2 exclusive strategy game Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI is coming to North America, on February 6, 2007.

The non-linear plot of Officers preserves the established facts of the origins of WWII and allows gamers to lead either one of 3 sides (USSR, Germany and Allies) to victory, recreating the real structures of all armies, using the real arsenal, equipment and military techniques. This demo features the first mission of the Allied campaign, Omaha Beach.

THQ has signed a worldwide publishing agreement with Gas Powered Games for its RTS game Supreme Commander. Chris Taylor is known for his work with Total Annihilation under Cave Dog, and Supreme Commander will mark his return to a genre that he helped popularize.