Having recently split with Piranha Bytes over the bug-ridden quality of the previous Gothic titles, Jowood has teamed with Spellbound to work on Gothic 4. While details are slim, screens have surfaced of a multiplatform fantasy RPG, heavily resembling the Gothic art style and dark atmosphere. Early shots, or maybe part of a demo Spellbound used to seal the development deal...

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:

• MX vs ATV Untamed (NDS/PSP/PS2/PS3/X360)
• Rock Band (PS2)
• 
  We will update this throughout the day when new announcements become available. Read more for details ...

The BBFC is applying for a judicial review of last week's decision by the Video Appeals Committee to overturn the Board's rejection of Manhunt 2, because in its view, it is based on an incorrect interpretation of the Video Recordings Act. The BBFC's challenge also seeks suspension of the Committee's decision that the game should be classified, which would have fundamental implications with regard to all of its decisions, including questions of unacceptable levels of violence.

Rocketmen: Axis of Evil is an arcade shooter putting you in a white-knuckled, frenzied struggle to free the Solar System from the tyrannical grip of the Legion of Terra. Up to four players will be able to cooperatively shoot their way through multiple levels, powering up their weapons, picking up bonuses and laying waste to anything that moves.

World in Conflict is an RTS that delivers action and coordinated team play amidst a showdown between the Soviet Union and the US. This v1.005 patch adds new features and bug fixes, most notable additions are a new rank-based team balance feature, XML feeds for in game statistics, improved clan features and enhancements to the replay function.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl is Nintendo's latest incarnation in the popular Super Smash Bros. series of titles, featuring all-new characters ranging from Kirby and Wario to Samus and even Metal Gear Solid's Snake.

The Witcher is an action RPG, combining features of such games as Dungeon Siege, Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance, Gothic and Neverwinter Nights, incorporating a simple-yet-interesting game system, along with a complex plot and attractive 3D graphics. While CD Project has currently no official projects in the works, it seems the polish developer is looking for an Xbox 360 programmer, maybe to port its recently released action RPG to X360.

FF IV DS is a complete remake of the original 1991 SNES title (after which it appeared on the PSOne/GBA), featuring 3D graphics, redesigned characters, monsters, and cut scenes, as well as new elements, such as an "evolved" version of its active battle system.

Capturing all of the humor from previous PS2 installments with engaging cinematics, Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters will allow up to four players to compete in action-packed wireless multiplayer gaming. According to a product listing on GameStop, SCEA's R&C: Size Matters might be getting ported to the PS2, scheduled for Feb. 2008.

In UT3, you assume the role of a futuristic warrior engaged in contests of intense shooting battles against skilled opponents, controlled by human contestants online or by AI, fought with the most powerful sci-fi weapons and vehicles.

NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams is the long awaited sequel to the NiGHTS franchise that gave gamers the freedom to fly in a world of dreams and imagination.

In Dungeons & Dragons: Tactics you take on the role of a mortal child caught in a conflict of two competing dragons striving for godhood. Alignment is critical, as it affects the end of the story and allows players to change from good to evil, or the other way around, depending on which quests they choose.

The January '08 issue of PlayStation: The Official Magazine reveals that Metal Gear Solid 4 and Metal Gear Online will be sold as a bundle. MGO will support up to 16 players in multiplayer (deathmatch, king of the hill, team deathmatch and team sneak) on five starter maps, so to get the full experience you'll most likely need to pay extra. Similar to CoD4, you will be able to upgrade your character through three special skills/perks as you play online.

Precursors, developed by Boiling Point's Deep Shadow, is a sci-fi action game that leads you into unexplored regions of space, where he can fly with huge battle ships from planet to planet.

Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway, the third entry in the series, has you reprise the heroic role of Sergeant Matt Baker, a soldier of the 101st Airborne Division, during Operation Market Garden in the late stages of World War II.

Silent Hill Origins reveals many of the series' most hallowed secrets. Assuming the role of a lone truck driver trapped in Silent Hill while making a routine delivery, players must escape the city's horrific inhabitants and confront the strange hallucinations that have haunted him since childhood.

Lost Odyssey is the story of Kaim, an immortal character who has lived more than 1,000 years and doesn’t remember his past and doesn’t know where his future lies. Throughout Kaim’s journey, a handful of characters will join him on an odyssey to discover their intricate past and destiny, leading players through a dramatic story of massive scale.

Earlier speculations on a registered trademark have been confirmed in the latest issue of PLAY magazine, Eidos is working on the next installment in the Tomb Raider franchise. Set a few years after the last game, Crystal Dynamic has made Tomb Raider Underworld more realistic (fluid movements due to motion capturing) and interactive (persistent destruction, Lara gets muddy but with the weather system, ran will wash it away), and lush (you'll be traveling, jungles, Mexico) all over the world. Currently scheduled for 2008 on PS3, X360 and PC.

MX vs. ATV Untamed features bigger, more populated outdoor open-world environments, an X-cross career mode showcasing all eight vehicles and the all-new EnduroCross mode pitting gamers against logs, rocks, mud-pits and more, and illustrating the full potential of the game's Rhythm Racing physics engine.

In Top Spin 3, players compete online and offline to rise in the ranks against current top ranked professional players. Adding a unique user-generated component, players can also use new player creator features that include free-form body sculpting, makeup and tattoos.

In an interview with Jiji Press, Japanese Xbox head honcho Takashi Sensui stated that Microsoft's strategic goal is to double the amount of X360 titles to 500 in 2008, spearheaded by a sequel to Mistwalker's RPG title Blue Dragon. "We're in talks with Microsoft about development of a sequel. Specifics aren't finalized, but there's a possibility that it will be produced as an online title," said Mistwalker president Hironobu Sakaguchi.

Orcs & Elves is a first-person fantasy role playing game offering a breathtaking dungeon-crawling experience, and a storyline spanning twelve sprawling levels within an ancient Dwarven kingdom.

Puchi Puchi Virus does not resemble the ordinary puzzle game, the usual object drop style was replaced with a more intuitive system of object linkage. Its simple design and in‐depth game play can addict even the most demanding puzzle game enthusiasts. The title was originally scheduled for Feb. 2008, but NIS has delayed Puchi until late spring.

Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures is an Online Action RPG, mixing a deep, story-driven single-player experience and a massive and brutal multiplayer end-game brings forth the ultimate representation of the Age of Conan.