BFME 2 takes part in the North where a battle is raging between Sauron's forces vs. elves and dwarves. It will be possible to create/customize your own hero, apart from known figures such as Arwin, and become more powerful as you progress in the game. While BFME was all land based, the sequel will also take the action on the sea, naval battles included, courtesy of an updated engine.

Aspyr Media today announced it has acquired the rights from JoWood to publish and distribute SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars in North America. In this seamless blend of RTS and RPG genres, SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars provides an environment full of surprises and challenges as the player takes on the role of the Avatar, (ev. together with his party of heroes) solving quests and overcoming obstacles in carefully crafted worlds.

Agetec has announced the availability of its PS2 exclusive Wild Arms Alter code: F at retail locations nationwide. Wild Arms Alter code: F is a traditional role-playing game (RPG) offering fresh new characters, enhanced graphics, intricate puzzles and an innovative new battle system.

Need for Speed Most Wanted delivers a unique, fast-paced and gripping ride in the racing genre as players build up their Rap Sheet and street cred to move their way up the Black List to become the most wanted racer on the streets.

Delta Force: Xtreme brings Delta Force game back to life to face the enemy in over 60 levels of single and multiplayer FPS action, graphically enhanced, new maps, improved features, STATS and much more. Novalogic has released a new patch bringing your retail game to v1.6.9.3 and adds NovaWorld & multiplayer enhancements, balance tweaks, adresses several bugs, and other fixes (thanks 3DGamers). Read more for details and download links ...

AhnLab today introduced its powerful HackShield technology to U.S. developers and publishers of massively multiplayer server-based computer games. The competition for monthly fees from online gamers is fierce and gamers will not spend a penny in an insecure virtual world, no matter how good the game is. MMOG publishers risk their entire investment from a single lapse in security.

A few months back EA's Mark Skaggs took an extended leave of absence after completing Battle for Middle Earth, and now it seems he won't be coming back, at least not to EA. Together with EALA Vice President Rick Giolito (Medal of Honor) and VUGames' Michael Pole, Mark Skaggs has licensed the Unreal Engine 3 technology and got indie funding for its new Santa Monica, Calif. based development team Trilogy Studios.

EA announced today that Need for Speed Most Wanted has shipped to retail outlets nationwide, challenging players to become the most notorious street racer by going up against the top racers on the Blacklist as well as numerous police that patrol the city of Rockport.

Need for Speed Most Wanted delivers a unique, fast-paced and gripping ride in the racing genre as players build up their Rap Sheet and street cred to move their way up the Black List to become the most wanted racer on the streets.

Prepare for bigger battles and even more dangerous enemies. DBGT: Transformation is the first of two new thrilling DBGT games. Take control of up to three characters in your self-created team, switching to each member on the fly, and face off against General Rilldo, Luud, Baby and other intergalactic villains.

Earlier this month LucasArts & SOE announced new game enhancements for Star Wars Galaxies hoping to significantly improve the gameplay experience. However, if your Star Wars Galaxies account was in good standing as of November 3, 2005, you purchased the latest expansion pack, Trials of Obi- Wan prior to that date, and you find that these new enhancements are not to your liking, you may request a refund of the purchase price of the Trials of Obi-Wan expansion pack.

A new game studio, called 2XL Games, has been formed in Phoenix, Arizona by former Rainbow Studios Chairman Earl Jarred, Vice Chairman Jeff Padden and fellow Rainbow employees Rick Baltman and Robb Rinard.

Need for Speed Most Wanted delivers a unique, fast-paced and gripping ride in the racing genre as players build up their Rap Sheet and street cred to move their way up the Black List to become the most wanted racer on the streets. As promised, EA has released the Most Wanted demo, allowing you to try out 2 Quick Race Tracks, 3 cars, and 3 challenge tracks.

Global Star Software today announced the release of Ford Vs. Chevy for PS2 and Xbox. On back streets and dirt roads across America these factions of motorists have been competing to see which car truly rules the road. Now, the player will decide which brand will emerge victorious in America’s oldest motorist rivalry!

EA today announced that Hugo Weaving will expand his involvement with The Lord of the Rings franchise as he assumes the role of lead voiceover talent in The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II. Additionally, concept artist John Howe of The Lord of the Rings film trilogy is on board to design entirely new creatures and locations of Middle-earth.

Aspyr Media today announced it shipped to North American retail outlets four PC compilation titles : SpellForce Platinum, Gothic II Gold, Silent Storm Gold, and The Guild Gold. All of the compilations include the original title and their corresponding expansion packs, for only $19.99.

Dimension Films has closed a North American distribution deal on "Castlevania," a thriller based on the Konami videogame franchise that Paul W.S. Anderson will adapt and direct. Dimension Films closed a deal Monday morning at 2:30 with Crystal Sky Pictures' Steven Paul and Benedict Carver, who'd just bought rights from Konami.

Battlefield 2: Special Forces brings the intensity and excitement of its predecessors into the realm of covert ops with the latest, most technologically advanced vehicles and weapons systems available to man.

EA today announced people can sign up for the Best of the Battlefield tournament with a grand prize of $250,000 for the winning team. The online tournament will challenge gamers to rule the battlefield in Battlefield 2: Modern Combat available now for the PS2 and Xbox. Gamers can now register for the online tournament which starts on November 21st.

Private equity firm Elevation Partners (remember the Eidos/Bono story?) has announced the formation of a creative and management partnership with Pandemic Studios, LLC and BioWare Corp. The combined investment, including future capital needs, will be more than $300 million, creating one of the world's largest independent game development houses.

Joint Task Force is a story of modern war where players match superior tactics and military technology against dangerous unconventional forces around the globe. The game’s exacting attention to detail – from buildings that dynamically collapse to military vehicles modeled down to the last rivet – will create a new benchmark for modern-day RTS games.

Fans of the Left Behind Series books will soon be able to join the Tribulation Forces and participate actively in the battle of good versus evil with the launch of the real-time-strategy (RTS) title, Left Behind: Eternal Forces, the first PC game based on the blockbuster apocalyptic series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins.

Mythic Entertainment today announced that its third Dark Age of Camelot expansion Trials of Atlantis is available to all current and retired players as a free download. All accounts have been activated to allow access to the expansion content.

Fantasy-based MMORPG Irth Online has been released by developer Magic Hat Software, and is now available for purchase. Irth Online is a virtual world in which players join Irth’s history at a period when a fragile truce exists among determine the course of history for each civilization.

The latest BFME community update reveals that EA is working on a new v1.03 patch, a release date will be announced soon. The new patch prmises to have a significant impact on the game due to the large amount of balance changes. there will be generic balance tweaks, but also to the Isengard side, although most of the changes seem to have been made to Rohan. Read more for a detailed fix list ...