For the first time in many years the Northern Hemisphere Rugby nations are now on equal billing with their Southern Hemisphere counterparts and the competition for the top position has never been so close with even the minnows of the International scene coming up with shock results. Rugby Union has never been so competitive or so popular, even at club level.

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates hinted Thursday that his company might license the software underlying its Xbox gaming machine to a variety of outside companies in a bid to expand the market share for the Xbox machine

Build your own movie studio and make films to capture the world’s imagination. Start filming in the break-neck 1920s and rewrite history as you pioneer the great cinematic advances. Be the first to introduce talkies, colour, animation or computer-generated special effects. Pick the scripts you want to shoot, design and construct the sets and hire the director, the crew and the stars.

Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows is the fusion of fantasy fighting action with the strategy of user-friendly RPG elements , providing gamers a deep, engaging gameplay experience complete with solo play, co-op and an online community. Lead by industry veterans John Romero (Doom, Quake) and Josh Sawyer (Icewind Dale), developed by Midway's San Diego studio, Seven Sorrows is scheduled for release on the PS2, Xbox and PC this November.

In Pirates! you take the leading role of a Pirate Captain in the 17th century Caribbean trying to become the most revered and feared pirate in history - exploring high seas and exotic ports, overtaking enemies in fierce naval battles, engaging in duels and attempting to seize valuable booty. 2KGames has released the second part of three Pirates of Sid Meier’s Pirates! features containing details on three of the real-life pirates in Pirates!

Developed by Kuju and using the team behind "Prisoner of War", Pilot Down is Oxygen's key release for 2005. Pilot Down captures the atmosphere, danger and heroism of Bill Foster, an American co-pilot shot down over occupied territory in 1944. Pilot Down: Behind Enemy Lines is to hit the streets on 19th August 2005 on PlayStation 2, Xbox & PC.

In Snow, you become a drug kingpin who earns fame and fortune selling illegal goods across the United States. As an up and coming drug lord you can order various characters to procure, smuggle and ultimately distribute "the goods" for you. You build structures like corrupt law firms and money-laundering nightclubs to compete for greater market share against your rivals. You also will need to "take out" certain key enemies in order to protect your interests and further expand your growing drug empire.

Panzer Elite Action is a fast-paced WW2 action game that lets the player feel the power of 30 tons of steel armor around them and gives them the ability to command increasingly powerful tanks in a series of intense and dramatic battles. Zootfly sent out a pre-canned Q&A with Panzer Elite Action producer Michael Hengst.

Batman Begins explores the origins of the Batman legend and the Dark Knight's emergence as a force for good in Gotham. Gamers will play as both Bruce Wayne and his alter-ego, Batman, hunting evil-doers from the shadows, using strength, intellect and an array of high tech gadgets to fight the sinister forces that threaten the city.

For the first time in 10 years, the Madden NFL Football franchise has revolutionized its passing game-giving Madden NFL 06 the most groundbreaking and innovative offensive arsenal ever created. The new QB Vision Control lets you scan the field, look off defenders, and make perfect throws within your quarterback's unique field of vision. QB Precision Placement lets you put the ball exactly where you want it. Madden NFL 06 brings authentic NFL passing to video games like never before.

Beginning with the attack on Pearl Harbor, this flight combat game puts players in the middle of some of the most intense naval conflict in WWII’s Pacific Theater. Check out the new screens...

Darkwatch is an original FPS combining the Western and Horror genres to create a cinematic experience with unparalleled depth and game play variety. As half-vampire Jericho Cross, players must hunt down a powerful vampire lord whose undead minions have overrun the Wild West. The result is a stylistic premise blending western and vampire-horror milieus, and one injected with innovative concepts.

Panzer Elite Action is a fast-paced WW2 action game that lets the player feel the power of 30 tons of steel armor around them and gives them the ability to command increasingly powerful tanks in a series of intense and dramatic battles.

Pro Evolution Soccer 5, aka Winning Eleven 9, furthers the realism, on and off-the-ball movement and intuitive control of the best-selling football series with Producer Shingo 'Seabass' Takaska and his team at KCE Tyo Inc. implementing a host of new gameplay features and aesthetic touches as he continues his quest to deliver the most realistic football title on any format.

Ghost Recon 2 Summit Strike will expand the gameplay with more maps, missions, and weapons. With a SRP of $29.99, this will bring an exciting new eleven mission single player campaign and expanded Xbox LIVE multiplayer content. Ghost Recon 2 Summit Strike is expected in August 2005.

Far Cry Instincts is a technically advanced gaming experience built from the ground up using the kind of cutting-edge technology that Far Cry fans will recognize from the PC title. Yesterday Ubisoft announced Far Cry Instincts will ship exclusively for Xbox in September 2005, and today we catch up with scriptwriter and game designer for camera and scripted events Patrick Redding talking about the "Predator" aspect of the game.

Maxis-EA is redefining this highly-acclaimed franchise and will deliver classic open-ended gameplay along with exclusive new features. Aspirational gameplay and fully customizable content will give players the most authentic Sims experience to date on console, and will allow players to make their dreams come true while avoiding their innermost fears. And, for the first time, players will be able to take direct control of their Sim without having to use their cursor.

Today Ubisoft announced that Far Cry Instincts will be available exclusively for the Microsoft Xbox. Far Cry Instincts takes the PC version's signature locations, Full-Action Response A.I. (F.A.R. concept), and unprecedented view-distance, and combines them with improved gameplay scenarios that will challenge players to utilize an even broader range of strategies and survival tactics to uncover the many secrets within the beautiful, but deadly islands. The game is scheduled to ship September 2005.

SNK Playmore announced today that they have shipped KOF: Maximum Impact - Maniax, the first original the King of Fighters 3D title for the Xbox. KOF: Maximum Impact - Maniax will have a host of new, innovative features created exclusively for Xbox users, including a 128 player tournament mode on Xbox Live where KOF fans can play and challenge the rest of the world.

Activision announced today that Fantastic 4 is currently available in retail stores nationwide. Based on Twentieth Century Fox's Fantastic 4 feature film, the team-based action adventure game lets players take on the role of Marvel's first family of Super Heroes to overcome the evil Doctor Doom.

WEBZEN announced today that its highly anticipated massively multiplayer freeform combat and driving-based game, All Points Bulletin (APB), is in development for the X360. APB is being developed by Real Time Worlds under the leadership of David Jones, creator of the original Grand Theft Auto franchise. APB will be the first real-world based, massively multiplayer online game for Xbox 360.

The series famous for relentless intensity is returning bigger, better looking and more frantic than ever before. Sam Stone is back to rescue the universe one bullet at a time against overwhelming hordes of time traveling enemies in Serious Sam 2. Built from the ground up with a completely new engine, Serious Sam 2 will be a shot of adrenaline to the hearts of first-person shooter fans across the world. This is serious!

Teaming up once again with the original Desert Storm Delta Force - Bradley, Foley, Connors and Jones - your four men now form part of an elite anti-terrorist unit tasked with minimising the worldwide threat from active global terrorist groups. The game takes place across the world, in a number of different and hostile locations and against a merciless and corrupt enemy; this is your squad's greatest challenge to date.

Enter an all-new Evil Dead experience, as Ash finds himself arrested, convicted of murder, and sentenced to Sunny Meadows, an institute for the criminally insane. Though better than the madness he escaped hidden within the woods, he quickly learns the evil has only become more malevolent.

Set in the seedy underbelly of Las Sombras, players are immersed in an urban setting ruled by a criminal underworld of power, greed and corruption. This intense, urban action game features a twisting storyline filled with betrayal, warring cartels and hard-hitting battles.