Atari and Firaxis have announced a beta test for the upcoming Sid Meier's Pirates! PC game. Open only to subscribers of AVAST, the official Pirates! newsletter, the beta test allows fans to join the crew to become one of the first to discover the legend and legacy of the classic Sid Meier adventure. Fans can go to the official Pirates! website, www.atari.com/pirates, to sign-up for AVAST.

Activision is targeting virtual sportsmen with the newest release, "Cabela's Deer Hunt 2005 Season," for the Xbox, PS2 and PC, available in stores now.

Sly 2: Band of Thieves is a comic crime caper, action-adventure game designed exclusively for the PlayStation2. Created by Seattle-based developer, Sucker Punch Productions, Sly 2: Band of Thieves incorporates many of Sucker Punch's signature talents including award winning toon-shaded animation and art direction, visual style, immersive storylines, strong characters, and highly interactive worlds. Read more to check out some new screens ...

TOCA Race Driver 2 will roar in with new and exclusive features for the PS2 edition including an additional circuit, Spain's Catalunya, and an enhanced Championship structure that allows for 99 additional car and track combinations. TOCA Race Driver 2 on PS2 will launch this October, complete with online racing.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has awarded Global Star Software the exclusive worldwide license to develop, publish and distribute videogames based on the upcoming Warner Bros. Pictures film, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," directed by Tim Burton, and based on the classic Roald Dahl book.

THQ Inc. today announced it is working closely with AMD to create an optimised version of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl for the impressive AMD Athlon 64 processor architecture.

Head over to our dedicated EGN section to check out the following new screens from Vivendi's 2004 EGN lineup:

Crash Twinsanity (PS2/Xbox) - Evil Genius (PC) - Fight Club (PS2/Xbox) - Men of Valor (PS2/Xbox/PC) - Predator: Concrete Jungle (PS2/Xbox) - Red Ninja (PS2/Xbox) - Spyro: A Hero's Tale (NGC/PS2/Xbox) - World of Warcraft (PC)

Rookie Detroit cop Lazarus Jones is thrust into the role of Ghosthunter after a routine patrol at a derelict high school goes awry. Lazarus and partner Anna Steele stumble upon the supernatural research center of Professor Peter Richmond where they unintentionally liberate a legion of poltergeists. A deadly spirit abducts Anna, while another ghost fuses with Lazarus, giving him the ability to see into the realm of the dead.

'Silent Hunter III' will add new dimensions to the simulation experience. The player will engage in a compelling ocean environment, featuring dynamic weather, and experience the intensity of historical naval warfare. Taking the role of the U-boat commander, players will seek their enemy with sonar and periscope, attack the enemy with torpedoes, destroy them with the deck gun, or command their crew to do the job.

In Evil Genius, a strategy/life simulation game, you assume the role of a wicked mastermind bent on achieving global domination through the construction of the ultimate doomsday device. A tongue-in-cheek take on the 60's spy thriller genre, Evil Genius offers the player the chance to be the villain and control a secret island fortress complete with powerful (and strangely dressed) henchmen, mindlessly loyal minions and a wide range of hilarious gizmos.

Head over to our dedicated EGN section to check out the following new screens from SCi's 2004 EGN lineup:

• Battlestations: Midway (PS2/Xbox/PC)
• Constantine (PS2/Xbox)
• Rogue Trooper (PS2/Xbox)
• Roll Call (PS2/Xbox)

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 :

• Anarchy Online: Alien Invasion - Trailer #2
• Psychotoxic - GC 2004 Trailer
• Wings of War - Trailer
• Prince Of Persia 2 - Trailers (2)
• Ghost Recon 2 - Trailer #2
• Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault - Trailer #5

SEGA of America today announced that it will publish Sports Interactive's Worldwide Soccer Manager and NHL Eastside Hockey Manager for PC and Mac in North America. Read more for details ..

While we had previously mentioned it, Ubisoft today announced that Prince of Persia 2 (working title) is now officially titled 'Prince of Persia: Warrior Within'. Prince of Persia: Warrior Within features a deep, mysterious storyline starring a darker, edgier Prince who is vigilant in his quest to unseal his mortal destiny. Read more for further details and some screens ...

Octagon Entertainment announced today an agreement of representation with Australian developer KaWoW! to secure publishing for The Unseelie, a first-person shooter with adventure and horror elements. The Unseelie is expected to go gold for the PC in late 2005.

In The Sims 2 you control your Sims over an entire lifetime for the first time. With the ground-breaking addition of genetics, your Sims now pass their DNA down through generations, giving you a more vivid and in-depth Sims experience. Every life choice you make has a relevant and dramatic effect on the lifetime of your Sim. It’s up to you to take your Sims from the cradle to the grave, fulfill their dreams, and push them to extremes in The Sims 2.

Technic Beat is an innovative and addictive music game for the PlayStation 2 that allows players to actually create, alter and dance on screen to their own music. Developed by Arika and featuring tunes from some of Namco's most popular games, Technic Beat is expected to release in late summer 2004. Read more for new screens ...

KumaWar has launched its first mission in the new Freedom’s Heroes series to pay tribute to Army Ranger Corporal Patrick Tillman, who was awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart, and all of the U.S. Army Rangers who continue to fight to protect our nation’s freedoms.

Sammy Studios today announced that "Spy Fiction" has shipped and is available in retail stores across North America. Exclusively for the PlayStation2 , "Spy Fiction" is a stealth-action video game that introduces a number of new features designed to keep game play in high gear and bring unprecedented action and variety to the genre.

Activision announced today that Call of Duty: United Offensive - the expansion pack to Infinity Ward's highly acclaimed Call of Duty, which has received over 80 Game of the Year and 50 Editors' Choice Awards worldwide - has gone gold and will ship to retail outlets nationwide on Sept. 14.

EA announced today that the GBA version of The Urbz Sims in the City has gone gold and is expected to appear on store shelves as early as November 16th.

The Adventure Company today announced that it will publish WANTED: A Wild Western Adventure for PC in North America (known in Europe as The Westerner). Combining the best of classic graphic adventures with the freedom and playability of an RPG, WANTED: A Wild Western Adventure is riddled with humor, action and suspense. Read more for details and screens...

Global Star Software and TimeGate Studios are pleased to announce that Kohan II: Kings of War has gone gold and is currently in manufacturing for retail distribution. Read more for details and golden screens...

Activision is reeling in sportsmen and gamers alike with the release of Rapala Pro Fishing for the PlayStation2, Xbox, GBA and PC platforms. Players will embark on angling adventures in 12 of the world's most desirable freshwater fishing locales, utilizing authentic gear from Rapala.