Mirage Interactive has released a new patch for their WW2 based FPS Mortyr 2: For Ever. This update brings your retail game to v1.352 and addresses a 'flying up' issue when the game starts issue in Windowns XP SP2, and a few other small problems. This patch works for the English, French and Polish editions of the game. Read more for download links ...

'Stronghold 2 will bring the the castle-sim and siege-warfare RTS series to life in glorious 3D. Stronghold 2 will also offer players a "castle-life" campaign, enhanced multiplayer capability and a new, innovative and exciting single player campaign that will be revealed in the months ahead. Due to be released for PC in early 2005, until then, check these new screens and ingame footage trailers...

O~3 Entertainment today announced that D-Day, the real-time tactical strategy game for PC, has shipped to retail stores throughout North America.

Ubisoft has released a new patch for 1C Maddox's World War II combat flight simulation Pacific Fighters. This update brings your retail game to v3.02 and adds model enhancements, gameplay tweaks, and the usual crash & bug fixes. You first need to update both standalone and merged installations with the "common" patch and then utilize the appropriate patch for either IL2FB or IL2FB+Ace expansion. Read more for download links.

The Matrix Online fanzine is a first edition collector's item celebrating the evolution of The Matrix into a revolutionary new massively multiplayer online game. Created by DC Comics and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, The Matrix Online fanzine contains 24 pages of exclusive stories and articles regarding the evolution of the game - from character creation to beta testing. The fanzine also showcases special features, including Paul Chadwick's Writing the Matrix and an in-depth look at The Matrix Mega city with special edition maps of the game world. 4.

Act of War: Direct Action, developed by Eugen Systems, is Atari new action game with a storyline and game universe created in cooperation with Dale Brown, 15-time New York Times best-selling author and expert on US military, global conflict and future military technology.

Pirate's Revenge is a game which focuses on true pirate determination and action, with a strong and rewarding story line. Trade elements feature as a way of restocking your ship with cannons and ammunition, or for offloading booty from your recent plundering activities. Read more for the first few screens ...

Just saw over on Reuters that Soccer Manager 2005 has been banned in China because it lists Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and Tibet as independent countries or as China's equals, thereby threatening the country's "sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Zuxxez announced today they have signed a publishing agreement with I-Deal Games strategy game Jagged Alliance 2: Wildfire. I-Deal Games has optimized the original engine for an improved graphics resolution and has integrated innumerous new features. Read more for details & screens.

THQ today announced that Ping Pals for the Nintendo DS has shipped to retailers throughout North America. Ping Pals takes advantage of all of the major features of the NDS, including wireless communication and game sharing, as well as the touch screen utilizing the stylus.

EA announced today that Bernard Hopkins, the Middleweight Champion of the World, will serve as the official spokesman and cover athlete for EA Sports Fight Night Round 2. The sequel to this year's hit boxing video game will be released in March 2005 under the EA Sports brand for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube.

Strategy games publisher Paradox Interactive today announced, that the much-awaited sequel to the multiple award-winning Hearts of Iron, has gone gold. The game will be released in North America, Scandinavia, Russia, France, the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, Australia, Poland, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Portugal and Mexico. It will be available in stores in the beginning of 2005.

Sony and NVIDIA today announced that the companies have been collaborating on bringing advanced graphics technology and computer entertainment technology to SCEI's highly anticipated next-generation computer entertainment system. Both companies are jointly developing a custom graphics processing unit incorporating NVIDIA's next-generation GeForce and SCEI's system solutions for next-generation computer entertainment systems featuring the Cell processor.

World of Warcraft is an online role-playing experience set in the award-winning Warcraft universe. Players assume the roles of Warcraft heroes as they explore, adventure, and quest across a vast world. Whether adventuring together or fighting against each other in epic battles, players will form friendships, forge alliances, and compete with enemies for power and glory.

NRA Varmint Hunter v1.01 upgrades your game by fixing some minor animal artificial intelligence bugs, and adds some performance upgrades to allow the game to run better on slower computers and those with less memory. Read more for download links ...

Captured, conveniently forgotten, tortured, and left for dead, MI6 agent Andrew Sterling awaits execution in a Chinese prison. The story begins when a mysterious friend from his past rescues him, setting off a chain of events that could rock the very foundations of global security and wreak chaos on a worldwide level.

EA's Mark Skaggs has sent out a note to long time Command & Conquer fans quietly announcing that the team behind C&C: Red Alert 2, Yuri's Revenge and C&C Generals is working on an all-new Command & Conquer product. Not many details are revealed but read on for the full note ..

Good parties may run late, but great parties run all night - and all day with Mario Party 6, which launches today exclusively for Nintendo GameCube. Players can keep the party going indefinitely with this rowdy new party game.

Another day, another batch of game trailers were released. Instead of giving them all their own posts, we grouped them, and so far there are trailers for :

• LotR: Battle For Middle Earth - Trailer (2)
• Nexus: The Jupiter Incident - Trailer #3

Midway announced today that two of its titles, NBA Ballers and Midway Arcade Treasures, have shipped more than one million units worldwide since their respective releases. NBA Ballers shipped to retail outlets in North America on April 5, 2004 and in Europe on October 14, 2004. Midway Arcade Treasures shipped in North America on November 24, 2003 and on February 6, 2004 in Europe. The compilation of classic Midway arcade titles retails for $19.99.

It has been six years since the destruction of Raccoon City and in that time, the U.S. government has been able to destroy the evil Umbrella Corporation. Fast forward to 2004 and players rejoin Leon, who is now a U.S. agent with a top-secret mission. He has been tasked to look into the abduction of the President’s daughter and his investigation has led him to a mysterious location in Europe.

Jowood has updated the official SÖLDNER: Secret Wars website with word that you can now sign up to participate in the closed beta test for Wings Simulations' upcoming SÖLDNER: Secret Wars multiplayer shooter addon. You need to meet the following requirements : Age of 18, Broadband Internet Connection, 2 GHz Processor, 512 MB RAM and a GeForce 3 equivalent video card.

While it was already revealed in an interview over on Gamespy, Midway announced today that it has named Harvey Smith the creative director for Midway Studios-Austin. An industry veteran with more than 10 years of experience in game design and development, Smith will report directly to Denise Fulton, head of Midway Studios-Austin.

LucasArts is pleased to announce today the release of the highly anticipated Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords for the Xbox. The PC version will release in February 2005.