Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. announced today that its Global Star publishing division will release Serious Sam: Next Encounter for the PlayStation2 and GameCube. Developed by Climax, the all new alien-blasting adventure will feature online play for up to eight players and two-player split screen action on the PlayStation 2, a four-player deathmatch option on the Nintendo GameCube, and two-player cooperative mode for both platforms. Read more for some new screens ..

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 :

• Far Cry - Trailer (2)
• NARC - Trailer
• Advent Rising - Trailer
• Ground Control 2: Operation Exodus - Trailer
• Unreal Championship 2 - Trailer
• 
  
  We will update this throughout the day when new trailers become available. Read more for download links ...

The official Raven-Shield website has word that we can expect a new Ravenshield v1.56 & Athena Sword v1.02 update patch for Ubisoft's team based tacitcal shooters somewhere next week. The new v1.56 Ravenshield patch will lock the debug commands that were left unlocked in the previous patch. The v1.02 Athena Sword one will addresses a bug in the meta data of certain maps that caused operatives of opposing teams to have similarly colored uniforms, as well as on Siberia, the armor levels of the two opposing teams were set at different levels, which has been resolved. Of course we will have it available on our fileservers ....

Tesseraction Games Inc. of Eugene, OR, producer of the hit naval action strategy game ENIGMA: THE RISING TIDE is sponsoring a PC computer war gaming conference and tournament. From 9am to 11pm March 20, 2004 at the Hilton hotel in Eugene, Oregon the local company will feature a multi-player game tournament with an array of prizes and panels on "modding" and PC game development.

Blizzard issued this statement earlier today : "The first round of emails has gone out, and the North American and Korean World of Warcraft beta tests have officially begun. If you didn't receive an email, don't worry; we'll be adding more testers at the start of each upcoming beta-test phase. Keep an eye on www.blizzard.com for news on when we'll be opening up the additional phases, because that will be your clue to check the email account you used to sign up. Also, anyone interested in tracking the progress of the beta test can visit our World of Warcraft Community Site, which will contain regular updates as well as general information about the game."

The employees of Scion Studios have joined Epic Games in a move that doubles Epic's in-house development capacity. This will increase Epic's ability to develop multiple games, including those in its award-winning Unreal franchise, internally for both PC and console platforms.

"Alias" is a third-person action adventure video game that allows players to step into the role of the series’ lead character, Sydney Bristow, an agent for the CIA. Bristow must use her cunning, extensive knowledge of martial arts and array of high-tech gadgetry to accomplish dangerous missions. Read more for some new screens & 3 small trailers showing off Sydney's costumes & locations...

The official add-on Blitzkrieg: Burning Horizon, throws you in even more dramatic battles of WWII. Burning Horizon offers a huge 18-missions-campaign around General Rommel, giving you the opportunity to play famous battles like Ardennes, Tripolis, Tobruk, El Alamein, Sicily and, of course, Normandy. Furthermore, the add-on contains 8 single missions, with an entire new nation at war: Japan. Read more for some new screens.

SEGA Europe Ltd, today announced an agreement with Sammy Europe Ltd, granting SEGA rights to distribute 'Seven Samurai 20XX' for the PlayStation2 across PAL territories. Seven Samurai 20XX is a third-person 3D action game inspired by Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece 'The Seven Samurai'. Read more for details & screens ....

Namco Hometek Inc. and recently formed game developer, Flagship Studios, announced today that the two companies have entered a publishing agreement to bring Flagship's first PC game to market. Flagship Studios was founded in July 2003, by the creators of Diablo, one of the best-selling PC game franchises of all time.

hell-tech, a Greek publishing and distribution company is committed to getting the game on retail shelves throughout Europe. "We're offering European gamers an experience that will have them laughing out loud at the sheer madness of using a cat as a silencer on the end of a gun!" explained hell-tech's Christos T. Like a medieval black plague spreading across Europe (except this one will cause controversy rather than death...), POSTAL 2: Share The Pain will be released on 16th APRIL 2004 to an eager gaming market looking for that something extra in their first person shooter! Were else can a shovel be a weapon of choice...?

Taking the baize battles out of your living room and into the competitive online gaming arena, World Championship Snooker 2004 is the new player in Codemasters' best-selling, definitive snooker game series and will launch this summer for PlayStation 2, Xbox and PC. World Championship Snooker 2004 introduces an online competitive play mode on all platforms, allowing players to go head-to-head with a live opponent and play as any one of the 30 plus professional players.

'Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow' will bring back more of the single-player intrigue that made the original game a bestseller. With exciting new action scenes and a strong cinematic feel, the player will experience new and even more realistic surroundings. Building on Ubi Soft's strong commitment to online gaming, Pandora Tomorrow will the be the first stealth game ever to feature multiplayer online missions allowing several players to simultaneously share Sam Fisher's shadowy world of espionage. Read more for some new screens...

BioWare is currently developing Jade Empire exclusively for Xbox and wile not many details are available, today we are getting the first screens. BioWare, whose publishing relationship with Microsoft was announced one year ago at the Microsoft press event X02 in New York, has most recently been recognized for the smash hit Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. More information about Jade Empire will be revealed in Japan at the Tokyo Game Show, starting tomorrow, in the meantime check these new screens ...

Gathering announced today that it will be publishing Kohan II: Kings of War for the PC, expected for release this Summer. TimeGate Studios delivers a breathtaking world of magical splendour, heroic deeds, and fearsome enemies with Kohan II: Kings of War, a fantasy-based real-time strategy game. Presented in beautifully rendered 3D, Kohan II: Kings of War allows gamers to lay siege to enemy cities, explore fantastic realms, fight strange creatures, and build a world-spanning empire.

Panzers takes you into the heady battles of World War II. Whether you play in towns with bullet-riddled buildings, bleak mountain landscapes or treacherous swamps - Panzers gives you real-time combat rampages in awesome 3D graphics. Experience the nerve-jangling thrill of strategic gaming - in Panzers! We got the chance to play with an early build, read more to find out how it went ...

“Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict” brings the “Unreal Championship” franchise to Xbox and Xbox Live with bold enhancements to single and multiplayer gameplay including all new super-agile player acrobatics, third-person camera mode, vehicles and intense melee abilities. “Unreal Championship” fans can play as any one of 14 characters from the “Unreal” Universe, each with spectacular new Adrenaline powers that enable new offensive and defensive combos. Read more for details & screens ...

What would James Bond do? That’s the question players will answer in every dramatic moment of James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing, as the world’s greatest secret agent returns in his fifth interactive adventure under the EA GAMES brand. First, you will think like Bond, using espionage, tactical skills, and gadgets from the Q-Lab to analyze your situation. Then you will act like Bond, using his stylish physical skills, clever subterfuge, and bold personality to once again save the world.

Matrix Games and Panther Games are pleased to announce an innovative new Virtual non-Interactive Demo of the award-winning Highway to the Reich. Based on the popular Macromedia Flash plug-in, this tour of the game and its features offers wargamers a closer look at what Highway to the Reich is all about. Read more for details ...

A new Unreal Tournament 2004 multiplayer map has been released, and while it is not officially supported by Digital Extremes and Epic Games, it is created by is now available. The onslaught map is called Icarus Plaza and although it is not an official release, it is designed by UT2004 level contributor Chris Blundell (thanks 3DGamers). Read more for download links ...

Blizzard has released yet another new Warcraft III map, this time called "Shamrock Reef"... Map info: "There's lush greenery in every direction, but nary a spare coin to be found. Still, with a wee bit o' luck, you and your neighbor can earn a bounty by slaying any beasties nearby." This is a Medium map and the suggested no. of players is 2v2, 4v4 or FFA. It is based on the "Ashenvale" tileset. Go download it here!

Supported by true-to-life satellite imagery and authentic military intelligence, Kuma Reality Games’ Kuma: War provides players with the opportunity to jump from the headlines right into the frontlines of international conflict. This public beta offers two missions set in Afghanistan and North Korea, driveable vehicles, and new weapons and other improvements over the previous closed beta. Read more for download links ...

In this 3D PC action role playing game the gamer moves through the populated streets of “Miracle City”, a town in the distant future. He works for an enemy empire and carries out his special secret missions in whatever way he can: with the help of tricks, guile or raw violence – depending on what the situation requires. Read more for details & screens ...