Ubisoft releases a new patch for its submarine sim Silent Hunter 3. This update brings your retail game to v1.3 and addresses the usual bugs fixes and gameplay tweaks. Read more for details and download links ...

Rise of Legends is in so many ways the spiritual successor to Rise of Nations, but the long and the short of it is we got excited about doing a fantasy game. Now clearly your traditional "orcs, elves, dwarves" sort of fantasy has been—shall we say—thoroughly covered in other games, and so the story which got us excited is one where the magic of fantasy meets a world of technology. So magic and technology collide, with cataclysmic results!

EA today announced that Need for Speed Underground 2 for the Nintendo DS has shipped to retail stores nationwide. Need for Speed Underground 2 gives gamers a new way to take on the underground tuner racing scene with exclusive features and gameplay only available on the Nintendo DS.

Matrix Games and X1 Software announced today that Banzai!, their newest IL-2 Sturmovik series expansion (for Pacific Fighters), has gone gold and will soon be available for sale from the Matrix Games website. Banzai will require the previously installed software of Pacific Fighters. Read more for details ...

Got Game Entertainment today announced a July 14, 2005 release date for the North American release of "RHEM 2", an intricate pure-puzzle first person adventure game, and the sequel to the popular "RHEM". Made for PC and Mac, "RHEM 2" rejoins Zetais and Kales as they now explore a hidden city in underground caves far beneath the earth's surface. Set as a direct sequel in story and gameplay to its predecessor, "RHEM 2" features non-linear gameplay, non-violent story, and mind-bending puzzles.

In2Games today announces the forthcoming revolution in golf gaming – Real World Golf. Following an exceptionally successful public debut at April's London Golf Show, In2Games is delighted to announce that Real World Golf will be launched for PS2 and PC on August 26 2005.

London Taxi, developed by Data Design Interactive, is a driving game based on the Official FX4 London Black Cab. London Taxi will be set in London England, complete with landmarks such as: Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, and Hyde Park.

Ubisoft, AMD and Crytek have released a massive (500mb) update Crytek's Far Cry, as well as an "exclusive" content pack, which includes new MP maps and a new SP level. This upgrade optimizes the game for the AMD 64-bit processors under Windows XP Pro x64. Read more for download links ...

Russian Game Factory Interactive presents its projects for the second time running at the trade show E3 in Los Angeles Convention center. With the first presentation a success GFI signed a contract with Strategy First who have published such games as ALFA:Antiterror and Power of Law in the US and Canada. GFI will be showing Rat Hunter, Neuro, Officers, Jagged Alliance 3D, Warfare and the previously unannounced African Alliance. Read more for details..

The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction is a new action/adventure game, developed by Simpsons: Hit & Run's Radical Games, and will feature the ultimate in destructible environments, an awesome Hulk-powered ability to weaponize any object and a massive free-roaming, fully interactive world.

Aurora Watching is a third person perspective stealth game taking place in the Arctic. During the mission, Sullivan faces many opponents, not all of whom are human and each of which can be defeated in many ways, Mini-games, puzzles, and hi-tech gadgets keep players excited from the very beginning to the end.

SEGA today served up an ace by announcing that they will publish Virtua Tennis World Tour for the PSP. SEGA has chosen SUMO Digital, UK developers behind OutRun 2 for Xbox, to develop Virtua Tennis World Tour. The arcade and home console hit, widely regarded for its fast-paced, accessible gameplay has been redesigned specifically for the PSP and is confirmed for release in Autumn 2005.

The first-ever Battlefield console installment will drop players into the heat of battle on the high tech frontlines, entering a new modern era of combat with more firepower and new expansive environments. Armed with the latest modern weaponry, players can take control of over 30 vehicles, including tanks, helicopters and fast attack vehicles, to engage in major conflicts in some of the largest online battles.

The WWE experience has never been more lifelike with Superstar voice-over and commentary, an all-new pro-reversal system and motion capture technology making this the most realistic looking grappler to date. Create the ultimate Superstar and watch him evolve as you earn new move-sets, costumes and abilities in your quest for the WWE Heavyweight Championship.

Phantasy Star Online: Blue Burst introduces server-based storage of player data thereby freeing the players from being confined to playing from any single PC/location. New team system, enhanced character graphics, and better game controls are some of the other improvements introduced in the continuing evolution of PSO universe. SEGA has released the open beta client for Phantasy Star Online: Blue Burst allowing you to participate in the public beta test, although a registration is required.

GarageGames today announced that Marble Blast is available for download on Xbox Live Arcade. XBLA brings popular retro classics and broad appeal games directly to your Xbox over the Xbox Live service.

According to a Japanese newspaper, Sony and Toshiba are close to finalizing a plan to develop a common standard for next-generation DVDs to resolve a three-year-long battle over formats that threatened the industry's growth. Formal announcement and details are due next week, May 16.

Enjoy all the fun of dungeon-crawling combined with all the fun of being a robot with a gun in your head in Konami’s Rengoku: The Tower of Purgatory. Climb through the countless floors of the Tower of Purgatory, defeating enemies and seizing their body parts for your own use. The surreal and disturbing designs from Jun Suemi make Rengoku one of the most distinctive PSP games yet on the market

Last week Xenus HQ revealed Boiling Point went gold in Russia, and today fansite Boiling-Point.net has received confirmnation from Atari that Deep Shadows FPS has effectively gone gold and is expected in stores May 20th. Boiling Point: Road to Hell, previously known as Xenus, will combine intense armed combat with exploration and interaction with a vast and seamless open-ended gaming world.

S.L.A.I. (Steel Lancer Arena International) is a fast paced mech action is the sport of the future, where players pilot their customized mechs to win cash and worldwide dominance. Over 1 million possible mech configurations and phantom stealth abilities make this one mech party you'll have to crash. Konami has launched the official S.L.A.I. website, check it out for all the latest details, trailers, screens and wallpapers.

Digital Illusions signs contracts for more versions of two of their games that are under production. One of the contracts is for a PC version of the untitled game being launched 2006/2007. The other contract is for a PC version of the action game being launched 2007 (thanks FZ).

In development for several years, Tales of Legendia will offer fantastic 3D graphics, dynamic battle scenes and an emotionally-charged storyline. Additionally, Tales of Legendia features a unique cast of characters designed by Kazuto Nakazawa, the internationally renowned Japanese artist acclaimed for his amazing animation sequences in Kill Bill: Vol. 1.

Majesco has released the first patch for Double Fine's action/adventure Psychonauts. This update brings your retail game to v1.01 and addresses an auto save issue and fixes a crash on non SSE conform CPUs. There is also a patch available for the demo, as well as a fully updated version. Read more for download links ...

SEGA of America today announced Shining Force Neo, the next chapter in the popular Shining Force series, developed exclusively for the PS2. Shining Force Neo is a fast-paced action-adventure featuring a dramatic, character-driven story and a high-gloss anime aesthetic.

Extensive details of Microsoft's newest video game console leaked out on the Internet on Monday, three days ahead ofthe console's formal worldwide unveiling on MTV. Read more for details on hardware specs, Xbox Live tiers, and more ...