The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS), the professional organization dedicated to the advancement and recognition of interactive arts, announced today that Trip Hawkins will be awarded the AIAS Hall of Fame Award, joining an elite group of interactive entertainment industry legends. Hawkins will be given the award at the 8th Annual Interactive Achievements Awards ceremony, being held at the Green Valley Ranch Resort in Las Vegas on February 1, the second evening of the 2005 D.I.C.E. Summit.

Nobilis today announced they have signed a distribution agreement with publisher Kando Games for its latest aerial combat arcade game Rebel Raiders : Operation Nighthawk. Featuring 16 missions, and multiple unlockable bonus missions, Rebel Raiders : Operation Nighthawk is under development for PS2 and PC and expected to hit retail in April. No details as to when, and by who, it will come to the rest of Europe, or North America. Read more to check out some screens...

Microsoft Game Studios today announced the release date for BioWare’s upcoming martial arts masterpiece, Jade Empire. The Xbox-exclusive, epic action-RPG game is set in a world inspired by the myths and legends of ancient China and will leap into stores across North America starting on April 14, with worldwide distribution occurring shortly thereafter.

Freedom Force vs. the Third Reich is a comic book-inspired tactical role-playing game features a brand new league of heroes and villains, overhauled combat system, and spectacular graphic enhancements. Read more for new screens...

Magic Hat Software has announced its new MMORPG Irth Online is scheduled for commercial release in the second quarter of 2005, and that Beta test applications are now being accepted on the Irth Online web site.

Ubisoft has released a new patch for Crytek's Far Cry. This update patch brings your retail version to v1.31, and addresses a multiplayer exploit. Read more for download links ...

Ubisoft has released a second demo for its action/adventure Prince of Persia Warrior Within. Details are a bit limited but apparently, this new demo features two levels different than those in the first demo - mixing intensive action and platforming - with CG cinematics and a trailer at the end. Read more for download links ...

Further indications that Climax's RPG Sudeki might be coming to the PC have emerged today as Yiyas.de has noticed the German Ratings Board, similar to the UK's ELSPA and ESRB in the US, has given Sudeki PC a USK 12 rating. Publisher ZOO Digital has been accredited as distributor the PC version (thanks Blues). With more and more hints being revealed, isn't it time for an official statement?

Take2 announced today long-term, third-party exclusive licensing relationships with Major League Baseball Properties (MLBP), the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) and Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM) which provide Take-Two with sweeping video game rights. Under these exclusives, Take-Two will develop, publish and distribute a broad portfolio of interactive, officially licensed video games that are expected to drive the MLB video game business to new heights.

Teaming up once again with the original Desert Storm Delta Force - Bradley, Foley, Connors and Jones - your four men now form part of an elite anti-terrorist unit tasked with minimising the worldwide threat from active global terrorist groups. The game takes place across the world, in a number of different and hostile locations and against a merciless and corrupt enemy; this is your squad's greatest challenge to date.

After four years in the making, the game that creator Kazunori Yamauchi called, "More than a sequel but, in fact, a redefinition of what a video game can be," is complete. Polyphony Digital and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe today announced that Gran Turismo 4 will blast onto the shelves across PAL territories on March 9.

In Inago Rage, players leap into the air to take on and destroy swarms of mechanical enemies. The demo includes nine levels, challenging players to fight within city streets, on the rooftops of skyscrapers, and above platforms in deep space. A storyline illustrated in graphic novel format introduces players to new challenges as they come. Read more for download links ...

Castlevania for DS will continue the storyline that first emerged in the critically acclaimed Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow. Taking place a year after Aria of Sorrow ended, Castlevania for DS will take players on a harrowing and challenging journey of selflessness.

The stars of the hit Cartoon Network series Full Metal Alchemist finally make their North American video game debut in Square-Enix’s Full Metal Alchemist and the Broken Angel. Use alchemy to make the whole world into your weapon, and guide Edward and Alphonse Elric through swarms of deadly chimeras. Will they come one step closer to finding the legendary Philosopher’s Stone, or will this be their last adventure?

Metal Slug Advance will feature five, all-new, action-packed missions plus diverse areas and rugged terrain including subterranean dungeons such as mysterious ruins, limestone caverns, and lava zones. As an added bonus, Metal Slug Advance will feature 100 different METAL SLUG E-cards to enhance player's abilities and assist them in the completion of their missions.

In this new episode, you lead Team Rainbow, the world's most elite counter-terrorist unit, as they are called into action and unfamiliar territory to battle a bioterrorist threat. Stakes escalate as they are personally targeted by an evil terrorist organization. Used to protecting the lives of others, Team Rainbow must now embark on a mission to fight and save some of their own.

In Battlefield 2, players will choose to fight for one of three military superpowers: the United States, China, or the newly formed Middle East Coalition. Armed with the latest modern weaponry, players can take control of any of the game's 30+ vehicles to engage in major conflicts with over 100 players in some of the largest online battles on the PC. Check these 20+ new screens...

Restricted Area is an action-based roleplaying game with realtime combat, which combines a gameplay similar to Diablo 2 with technology, tactic-shooter elements and a dark future scenario.

Zoo Keeper is a puzzler making use of the touch screen, you tap the NDS stylus to swap the positions of animals on the screen to create lines of three or more of the same type. These animals are then "captured," allowing other animals to fall into their place. Zoo Keeper includes a variety of play modes to ensure that gamers have depth of gameplay.

While GameSpot is reporting that Bad Brain Ent. might have secured the rights to continue work on Sam & Max Freelance Police, and will have an announcement on Monday, the German developer's website paints a rather different picture with the message that negotiations have been suspended. "We tried everything to bring you the game you all wanted. But it seems all hope has gone. They broke of[f] negotiations. But you truly have to believe that it wasn't our fault and it sure wasn't the money. We just don't know and they don't tell. But we don't give up that easy. There is still a glimpse of hope and Steve Purcell is the one who is in charge now. We are talking ... and we are hoping ... again" (thanks VE3D.com).

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 :

• Worms 4: Mayhem - Trailer
• Battlefield 2 - Trailer & Video Interview
• Pro Rugby Manager 2 - Trailer
• Splinter Cell Chaos Theory - Mega64 Trailer
• GTR: The Ultimate Racing Game - Trailer #5

Blitzkrieg II is created with a new focus on fast-paced gameplay, a strategic layer and new tactical opportunities. A completely new engine takes WWII into full 3D where players can command famous aces and units, strategically plan battles in multiple theatres, choose their reinforcements and use a wide range of new unit types such as aircraft and ships.

Valusoft has released the first patch for SCS Software's latest hunting game Hunting Unlimited 3. This update brings you retail game to v1.1 and fixes a few bugs, enlarges the trophy collection, and elephants no longer take a fixed number of shots to kill (thanks 3DGamers). Read more for details and download links ...

Freedom Force vs. the Third Reich is a comic book-inspired tactical role-playing game features a brand new league of heroes and villains, overhauled combat system, and spectacular graphic enhancements. Read more for new screens...