In the 30 years of video game development, the art of making console games has been reserved for those with big projects, big budgets and the backing of big game labels. Now Microsoft Corp. is bringing this art to the masses with a revolutionary new set of tools, called XNA Game Studio Express, based on the XNA platform.

You are a DevastationZone Trooper, one of the Blue Star Alliance’s toughest, hardened in combat and trained for action. During a space border patrol in the vicinity of planet Ardanis, you receive a code red distress call. The Rakkai Empire is invading the planet. This v1.34 fixes a crash issue and sets the sound device to Generic Software by default.

Earlier this week Atari not only released its quarterly results but also held its annual gamers day in Las Vegas where it presented an updated look at the lineup for this coming holiday season, and beyond. While preview coverage is scheduled for later next week, the event opened with a rather candid speech ...

Set in the most turbulent and bloody era in European history, Medieval 2: Total War will allow gamers to lead their armies across the battlefields of Europe and the Holy Land before discovering the Americas and doing battle with the fearsome Aztecs.

Project Offset is a game like no other first person shooter to date, set in a epic fantasy world. A game where you can choose one of many character classes, where clans can combat over mission based objectives and be ranked accordingly, where you can play alone, co-op, team based objective or deathmatch. Offset Software revealed they have been signed by a "major publisher" and a listing on their jobs page indicates Project Offset is now also coming to Xbox 360.

Big Huge Game has released the first patch for its 3D RTS Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends, bringing your retail game to v2.0. Only available through the in-game auto-updater, the patch addresses multiplayer issues, fixes bugs and crashes, adjusts game balancing, adds new features, and a new 4-player map Inferno.

Oblivion is a single-player game that takes place in Tamriel's capital province, Cyrodiil. You are given the task of finding the hidden heir to a throne that sits empty, the previous emperor having been killed by an unknown assassin. Bethesda has released the final v1.1 German patch which addresses various bugs, crashes, quests and plugin issues.

Joint Task Force is a story of modern war where players match superior tactics and military technology against dangerous unconventional forces around the globe.

UK's hardrock band Iron Maiden has signed on to contribute a "Different World," song from their upcoming album A Matter of Life and Death, to be on the Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam soundtrack. Focused on head-to-head racing, Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam allows you to feel the breakneck speed of downhill competition and tear up the world's steepest terrains while performing tricks and outmaneuvering opponents.

Valve revealed that it is working on several a few updates, the first coming in about 2 weeks, to move the core Counter-Strike gameplay forward. First off, the classic Train map is getting a HDR makeover, some minor layout changes, and a number of small bugfixes. The radar is getting reworked which will result in gameplay adjustments such as when you look at an enemy for a certain amount of time his name will become visible to you, and the rest of your team.

Attention soldiers… Activision is looking for the best Call of Duty players nationwide to enlist for an opportunity to be the first consumers to play the eagerly-awaited Call of Duty 3 before its fall release.

As promised EA has released some minor information about the upcoming BF 2 v1.4 patch. After rigorous beta testing and community input, EA announced that the new patch will be released on Tuesday August 15, and will include the Road to Jalalabad, as well as the new Infantry Only server option. As part of its MODLight initiative, DICE/EA will test every mod, and host them on various servers in order to support the community.

The apes are back once again, but this time they are shifting gears, no platformer, but rather, as the name indicates, a Mario Kart clone with a twist. Our little friends make laps around various courses, but are actually part of the ride. Of course there will be the usual powers ups, boosts tied to their backs, and of course weapons to blow away the competition. You will also be able to customize your kart with various upgrades and addons.

Ascaron has released a German demo for its latest iteration in the ANSTOSS soccer management franchise. This demo has all the features enabled, except no multiplayer or save possbility.

Europa Universalis III delves deeply into the areas of exploration, trade, warfare and diplomacy and is an epic strategy game where players take control of a nation and guide it through the ages to become a great global empire.

Penny Arcade today announced the grand prize for its three-day gaming Omegathon III tournament, a brand new 2006 Scion xB in Black Sand Pearl, featuring a game geek's dream package of a flipdown 15" widescreen monitor, X360 Premium System, 6-speaker sound system with CD/MP3 player, custom taillights and wheels with low-profile tires.

Sonic Rivals is a head-to-head competition between Sonic and his top rivals. Rip through tracks in some high-spirited single player and wireless multiplayer action against friends as Sonic returns in a whole new racing-platformer with classic 2D gameplay in true 3D environments for gamers on the go.

The game itself is a mini-golf game with a twist, Toy Golf gives all the thrills of birdies and bogeys in the comfort of a house! Putt your way through the kitchen, study, living room and a number of other indoor locations in this golf game of a different perspective.

42 All-Time Classics does away with cumbersome boards and packs of cards. Instead it combines the Nintendo DS’s innovative touch-screen control mechanism with 42 of the most popular games ever invented ranging from card classics like Poker and Texas Hold ‘Em, board games such as Chess and Backgammon to bar games like Darts and Snooker.

While we already revealed a patch and downloadable content a little while ago, Human Head provided some details. Both versions are getting a patch addressing various bug and crash fixes, but mainly multiplayer exploits, lag and server issues. Regarding downloadable content, both platforms will receive 4 new maps aimed at 2-4 players, and six new player characters (4 female and 2 Hunter characters.) Of course no release date was given, except for "hopefully" very, very soon. Read more for details ...

Atlus U.S.A. today announced the acquisition of the North American publishing rights to Bomberman Land Touch!, an action-adventure game for the NDS, developed by Hudson Soft.

EA's Battlefield 2142 pre-order program has gone live with Gamestop and EB Games! If you pre-order Battlefield 2142, you will receive a free rank unlock, a coupon from Logitech good for $40 off select products like the G15 keyboard, and a USB 2.0 64mb dog tag-shaped flash drive, as well as content from two upcoming EA games, Command and Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars and Crysis.

Lost Planet is a sci-fi action shooter set within the merciless frozen tundra of a hostile planet, humans struggle for survival as conflicts arise between man, the surrounding indigenous creatures and the monstrous beings that have invaded.

The Consumer Electronics Association, organizers of the consumer technology tradeshow, announced today that it is forming an advisory committee to solicit gaming industry feedback and explore the viability of a West Coast event in late spring 2007 focused on the gaming and entertainment marketplace.

Fight an all-out war for survival in the year 2142. EA and Digital Illusions are developing the next installment in the Battlefield franchise, Battlefield 2142, scheduled to ship worldwide this winter for the PC.