Bet On Soldier is a first-person shooter with a corporation-takes-over-the-world-style plot, where you bet on the outcome of encounters with specific enemies. This demo will allow players to play on a LAN or on the Internet with one of the games multiplayer maps, try out 6 different classes, and finally be able to pilot the death-dealing exoskeletons. Read more for download links ...

German publisher Frogster Interactive announced that next week it will be releasing a multiplayer demo for Kylotonn's gambling-themed first-person shooter. The demo will include two gameplay modes, with and without exo-skeletons, playable on the Cargo Bay map which was also included in the single-player Bet on Soldier demo. Digital Jesters confirmed an English demo will be released on the same day.

Vietcong 2 is a FPS set against the background of the 1968 Tet Offensive, in and around the ancient city of Hue, during the Vietnam War. Brought to life through a gritty story compiled from first hand accounts and memories of Special Forces and Infantry servicemen stationed in Hue during the assault. This multiplayer demo features 2 maps, 3 game modes (CTF, DM and TDM),playable with up to 64 people.

Take 2 just let us know that the 'Vietcong 2' multiplayer demo will be released tomorrow and it will contains the Capture the Flag, Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch modes, and like the full game, servers can support up to 64 players simultaneously, with full RPG-style experience for all players (which unlocks new classes on both sides as you earn experience). Of course we will have it available on our fileserver network as soon as it's released.

The Halo 2 multiplayer map pack which was previously a premium download only, is now free for Xbox Live members as of today. The download is available today, August 30th at 5pm ET/2pm PT. Some members may have access to the download before this time, but everyone will have it by 5pm ET/2pm PT. If you see the maps are still premium, wait until after 5pm ET/2pm PT to download them,t he system will show them as free at this time (thanks VE3D).

Metroid Prime Hunters will launch Q1 of 2006, complete with access to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, Nintendo's upcoming online gaming service, which will debut before the end of the year. The new single-player mission of Metroid Prime Hunters will be playable this weekend at the Penny Arcade Expo in Bellevue, Wash, where people can see three previously unreleased bounty hunter characters in the game.

Ritual Entertainment let us know that they have updated the Sin Rituals website with some new concept art, and a dev. blog, but more importantly, a multiplayer survey, which will allow the community to help shape the SiN Episodes multiplayer experience. SiN Episodes features the highly anticipated return of Elexis Sinclaire, the world's most dangerous and seductive biochemist, and the only man who stands in her way, John R. Blade. The sworn enemies face off in Freeport City, a near-future mixture of San Francisco, Tokyo and New York, all set inside the unrestricted SiN universe. Ritual Entertainment let us know that they have updated the Sin Rituals website with some new concept art, and a dev. blog, but more importantly, a multiplayer survey, which will allow the community to help shape the SiN Episodes multiplayer experience.

Digital Jesters and AMD are offering gamers moonlighting as level designers the chance to see their efforts realized as a downloadable multiplayer map for the first-person shooter, Bet On Soldier: Blood Sport. Prizes? $3,000 cash, an AMD AthlonTM 64 FX-57 processor-based system worth $3,000, as well as a full range of Digital Jesters games and exclusive merchandise.

id Software and Activision announced today that QUAKE 4 multiplayer will be unveiled at the 10th Annual QuakeCon, held at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas from August 11-14. In addition, QuakeCon 2005 will also play host to the first showing of DOOM 3: Resurrection of Evil for the Xbox.

Sam Stone is back to rescue the universe one bullet at a time against overwhelming hordes of time traveling enemies in Serious Sam 2. Built from the ground up with a completely new engine, Serious Sam 2 will be a shot of adrenaline to the hearts of first-person shooter fans across the world. 2K Games today announced the exciting multiplayer features of Serious Sam II.

The Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack adds nine all-new multiplayer maps, additional bonus content showcases previously unreleased footage including an animated feature highlighting an unseen battle in Old Mombasa and a mini documentary showcasing the creative process behind the new multiplayer maps. The map pack disc also contains the Halo 2 Auto Update, providing non-Live gamers with the ability to enjoy recent gameplay enhancements and improvements.

Worms 4: Mayhem is a return to the series' trademark gameplay and sees Team 17's core Worms design and development team regrouping for a game of explosive annelid annihilation. Codemasters has released a multiplayer demo with new content (including maps and weapons), and also updated code correcting some issues of the first demo. Read more for download links ...

Codename: Panzers, Phase Two will bring armchair generals to the war-torn battlefields of Africa, Southern Europe and the Balkans where they will fight as the Anglo-American Allies, the German-Italian Axis or the Yugoslavian resistance. This multiplayer demo features two maps ("Road to Perdition" and "Factions) in Mission and Domination modes. The demo supports up to six players in Internet and LAN play and features units from early in the WWII timeline.

The Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack, now avaiualble for $19.99 (U.S.), adds nine all-new multiplayer maps, previously unreleased footage including an animated feature highlighting an unseen battle in Old Mombasa and a mini documentary showcasing the creative process behind the new multiplayer maps. The map pack disc also contains the Halo 2 Auto Update, providing non-Live gamers with the ability to enjoy recent gameplay enhancements and improvements, as well as all previous Xbox Live updates.

The Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack adds nine all-new multiplayer maps, additional bonus content showcases previously unreleased footage including an animated feature highlighting an unseen battle in Old Mombasa and a mini documentary showcasing the creative process behind the new multiplayer maps. The map pack disc also contains the Halo 2 Auto Update, providing non-Live gamers with the ability to enjoy recent gameplay enhancements and improvements.

AT&T today announced it will will host Turbine's multiplayer games, including Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach, The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar, and the critically acclaimed franchise titles Asheron's Call and Asheron's Call 2, from its local Internet Data Center.

Recently, there have been increasingly disturbing reports of violent crimes in relation to online gaming. A shooting at a Counter-Strike tournament, killing over an online sword incident, and gaming addiction leading to child neglect or heart failure are getting all too common these days. Today, we take a closer look at the phenomenon...

THQ's MotoGP: Ultimate Racing Technology 3 is steering towards success thanks to a unique innovation that will revolutionise multiplayer gaming. Described as 'embedded gameplay', this powerful feature blurs the line between offline and online action, making it quicker and easier than ever for speed demons to challenge each other.

StarCraft: Ghost, Blizzard Entertainment’s upcoming stealth-action console game, refines the experience of StarCraft to the level of the individual soldier. Starcraft: Ghost now also features revolutionary multiplayer that combines fast and furious action with unique StarCraft elements. Apart from the usual modes, such as DM, TDM, CTF and KotH, SC:Ghost will also have a unique mode, Capture the Base. Read more for details ...

ACONY announced that it has licensed Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3 to develop an original multiplayer FPS title for PC and next generation consoles. ACONY chose the Unreal Engine 3 because it is singularly capable of delivering the next generation in graphics and physics necessary to advance online multiplayer entertainment.

Act of War: Direct Action is Eugen Systems' recently released RTS game with a storyline and game universe created in cooperation with Dale Brown. Atari has released a multiplayer demo featuring two maps (Fistful of Sand and The Last Battlefield), playable as the US Army over LAN/online, and in skirmish mode (thanks 3DGamers). Read more for download links ...

Myelin Media today revealed details about the online gameplay in STACKED with Daniel Negreanu. The game will feature its own sanctioned multi-table tournament system called “STACKED Masters” and will also include involvement from the seven professional players associated with the game, providing the most in-depth online play and community experience for any console poker game.

SpecForce is Techland's latest futuristic tactical shooter with a plot connected to already known Chrome. Game development has been underway for some time now, and will use an optimized Chrome Engine. Techland today revealed first details of the game's multiplayer mode, along with fresh game play footage.

Tomorrow Halo 2 fans with Xbox Live access will be able to get a sneak peek at the Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack. The multiplayer expansion pack contains nine new multiplayer maps to push gamers' skills to their limits. Xbox Live subscribers will be able to preview the four maps, and by late summer, all maps will be available for free. Read more for some screens ...

Vivendi has released an updated single/multiplayer demo for MadDoc's imminent RTS Empire Earth II. The demo offers 3 of the game's 15 epochs (Renaissance, Imperial, and Enlightenment), and 3 of the game's nine multiplayer modes (Conquest, King of the Hill, and Territory Control), playable for up to 10 players. This updated demo fixes a multiplayer lag issue and adds text string to the firewall warning dialog telling user to map port 26000 (thanks FilePlanet). Read more for download links ...