Diversions Entertainment has issued the first patch for their 3D fighting/action game One Must Fall: Battlegrounds. This upgrade brings your retail game to v2101, no details as to what it fixes are available (thanks 3DGamers). Read more for download links ...

From the far corners of Middle-earth, new adventures come forth to face the growing evil in the East. The forces of Mordor are mobilizing as the Nazgül hunt for the One Ring. The land itself is in peril and its fate lies in the hands of those who possess it. Adventuring alone or in groups, join thousands of players online in the massive world that is Middle-earth. Support the forces of good in an epic struggle to drive back the forces of Sauron. This is Middle-Earth Online, your home in the world of Tolkien. Read more to check some screens ...

Face of Mankind is a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG) in a persistent world. Thousands of players throughout the world can compete in a realistic and futuristic world of the 24th century. It combines an epic story-driven mission system over years with a complex economic system which can also affect the story deeply. Face of Mankind tells the epic story of good and evil, justice and intrigues where we have to find our destiny.

Encore today announced that it has signed an exclusive agreement with Paris-based developer and publisher Monte Cristo to publish Desert Rats vs. Afrika Korps, a tactical real-time strategy game inspired by campaigns waged in North Africa during World War II. Under the agreement, Encore is managing sales, distribution and marketing for the game in the U.S. and Canada, while Monte Cristo is producing the game. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Midway Games Inc. announced today the appointments of Robert N. Waxman, CPA, 67, and Jay N. Whipple III, 47, as two new independent Board directors, effective December 31, 2003. Mr. Waxman also joins the Board's Audit Committee. The addition of Messrs. Waxman and Whipple brings the total number of directors on the Company's Board to eleven, nine of whom are independent.

Geleos development has been running for the whole 2003 trying to catch one of the escaped ostriches from their game. To set up a good track trying to use it as a decoy, funky developers of a funky Ostrich Runner game have decided to build a new home for their game making a new design for the place where ostriches live. After seeing the new home of his, the ostrich has returned - and it was right on time - the game is in beta-test stage and it's essential to check everything. Read more for some new screens & download links for the news demo...

Developed internally by Empire's award-winning Strangelite Studio, the game will be released on PC, and all current and next generation consoles. The length of the agreement will allow Empire to produce multiple titles. The game will be based on the movie of the same name and animated series franchise. Read more to check out the first screens ...

SEGA of America, Inc. today announced the launch of "Sonic Heroes" for Nintendo GameCube – the first original Sonic The Hedgehog console game in three years. SEGA's most anticipated game launch of the year is expected to ship on Xbox and PlayStation2 January 27.

Noticed on The Fall official website that Silver Style's message boards seem to have an interesting announcement about one of the Black Isle developers teaming up with Silver Style to work on The Fall: Last Days of Gaia . "We're glad to welcome Game Designer Damien Foletto in our team! Formerly he worked at Black Isle on Hits like Baldur's Gate 2 or Fallout 3. He will support Lead Designer Carsten Strehse on the development of The Fall: Last Days of Gaia." No further details are available (as to whether he would move from the US to Germany and such), but we will keep you posted!

Can you save the world from the ICEWorm microchip? You are special agent Ethan Hunt — back to battle international espionage as the fate of the free world hangs in the balance! A microchip nicknamed ICEWorm is disabling the security systems of the world’s largest organizations, and providing free access to the highest bidder. Your mission – should you choose to accept it – is to destroy the chip and prevent its creators from bringing the free world to its knees.

When Max Payne debuted in July 2001 as an award-winning, best-selling PC game, it revolutionized the action genre with its cinematic combat sequences fueled by the groundbreaking use of slow motion and compulsive narrative-driven gameplay. Now, Remedy is working closely with Rockstar Games on the highly anticipated sequel to the blockbuster hit. Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne delivers the most intense gameplay experience imaginable.

EA SPORTS has released the FIFA 2004 Creation Centre giving you the chance to create new players, edit all attributes, change formations and export it all for later use (thanks FIFA 2004 Online). Read more details & for download links.

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 :

• Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow - Trailer
• The Suffering - Trailer
• Psychotoxic - Trailer
• Realms Of Torment - Trailer
• Bloodrayne 2 - Trailer
• 
  
  We will update this throughout the day when new trailers become available. Read more for download links ...

DreamCatcher Games is today requesting that Painkiller fans steer clear of the latest multi-player builds that have appeared on various fan and download sites, as the releases are NOT official demo releases and are intended for press evaluation purposes only. The company is encouraging fans of the game to wait until early February for the official single-player demo release. This leaked build contains just a glimpse of the multi-player maps planned and lacks the depth, weapons, levels and A.I. sophistication that will be present in the official demo.

Developed by Related Designs (previously known for America & the upcoming No Man's Land), Castle Strike is a fast paced RTS game with a very detailed and authentic presentation of medieval Germany, England and France. Although strategically demanding, its core is based on action. That's why all the time consuming handling of resources and civilians is reduced to a minimum with the help of a special, never before seen peasant management system and lots of automatic functions. Castle Strike is scheduled for Q4 2003, in the meantime check these new screens ...

Fenimore Fillmore: The Westerner is one of the most ambitious projects of the present videogame scene in Spain. This entertaining graphic adventure, produced by Planeta DeAgostini Interactive, relies on the long experience of the game developer Revistronic. This programming group from Madrid has released several titles which have had repercussion on the international market. Its members' professional experience dates from the 8-bit-computer times.

For the first time, players control The Sims over an entire lifetime for the very first time. Every choice that is made has a relevant and dramatic effect on the life of a Sim. More life-like Sims, all new gameplay, and the ground-breaking addition of genetics, with the DNA of Sims passed down through generations, gives players a more vivid, realistic, and in-depth Sims experience. All of this takes place in a new amazingly life-like 3-D world...

GMX Media today announced that it has secured UK rights to publish The PC title – Battle Mages. ”Battle Mages promises to be a fantastic title, we look forward to releasing it in the UK.” Commented Barry Leonard COO of GMX Media. "Buka Entertainment is proud of one of The Entente and believes that GMX Media will present it to the UK audience in the best way", said Maxim Mikhalev, Buka's Vice-President International. Read more for details & screens ...

Ubisoft today announced that Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3 will be released for the PlayStation2 in March 2004. Developed by Ubisoft's Shanghai studio, the game offers the most thrilling and realistic single- and multi-player counter-terrorist experience available anywhere. Read more for details & 20+ screens ...

Empire Deluxe Enhanced Edition (a.k.a. EDEE) will be version 4.0 in the continued evolution of the classic abstract turn-based strategy games of the Empire Series which has been popular for almost three decades. In Empire Series the basic objective of Empire Deluxe is global domination on a strategic scale. Read more for details ...

Unleashing the horror throughout nine levels, The Suffering features dynamic lighting that illuminates frightening visions of horror-filled exploration and frantic combat sequences. In the dark world of The Suffering, creatures attack from the shadows and emerge from jail cells, chambers, the ground and trees, surprising the player in the most disturbing ways possible. As Torque, the main character, players encounter a cast of uniquely hardened criminals, prison guards and grotesque apparitions.

The sequel to the critically acclaimed RPG, Gothic, Gothic II takes you on an even greater journey of adventure and discovery. The plot continues from the cliff-hanger of the original: After the imprisoned colony members are victorious, collapsing the magical barrier, the former Prison Colony is struck by a terrible earthquake, claiming the lives of many. The majority of survivors seize this opportunity to escape with only a handful of people remaining in the derelict prison.

The King Of Fighters 2000 and 2001 will boast numerous upgrades and additions exclusively for the PS2, including "Memory Mode," which will give players access to opening movie demos from previous KOF games. Additionally, brand new Strikers, never before seen in the arcade or on any home system, will join the KOF battle on the PlayStation2. The King Of Fighters 2001 will feature original 3D stages and an additional game mode, "Party Mode," where randomly generated computer opponents appear one after another to compete against the player character in matches with limited life energy and match times.

Diversions Entertainment has issued the first patch for their 3D fighting/action game One Must Fall: Battlegrounds. This upgrade brings your retail game to v2097, no details as to what it fixes are available. Read more for download links ...

Guild Wars takes place in a fantasy world, where guilds of characters of a wide range of professions can make a mark on history. The reason we chose the fantasy realm is that we wanted a place that was instantly familiar to gamers, and also one that offers us near-limitless opportunities for new and exciting types of friends and foes. Like the evolving worlds of Warcraft, StarCraft and Diablo that we helped to build over the years, we’re creating a new place that we believe you’ll want to visit over and over. Check some new screens ...