Early this year Sega revealed the next installment in the Crazy Taxi franchise, but only for Xbox. Today the first details emerged about an upcoming PC version, to be published by Empire Int. The king of crazy driving games is back and taking to the streets of Glitter Oasis with new cars, new drivers and new thrills. Whether it's making crazy money, conquering the new batch of mini-game challenges or trying out new tricks in the completely overhauled West Coast and Small Apple levels, "Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller" guarantees the best odds to beat the house. Read more for details and screens ...

'Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow' is being developed as a multiplatform title and is slated for release in the first quarter of 2004. The game 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...

Flying aces rejoice! Microsoft Game Studios today announced that new content for Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, the smash-hit action game of the holidays, is now available for download via Xbox Live and from the official site. The free content includes the brand-new Fury plane, the Caverns multiplayer map and a Windows Media Player skin.

Take-Two Interactive has released another patch for PopTop Software's 3D management strategy Railroad Tycoon 3. This upgrade brings your retail game to v1.03 (suitable for all language versions) and addresses various gameplay and balance tweaks, new interface features, various multiplayer/editor bugs & fixes, etc. Read more for detailed fixl ist & download links ...

Sony Online Entertainment Inc. today announced Gates of Discord, a new expansion for the incredibly popular PC Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG), EverQuest. This expansion will offer exploration of a newly discovered continent; a new class (the Berserker) and Alternate Advancement Abilities that will offer new and unique skills to master. Gates of Discord will be available February 2004 at retail outlets such as Electronics Boutique, Best Buy and Gamestop, and as a secure digital download from SOE. The retail version of Gates of Discord will also come with a unique in-box gift and special in-game magic item. By purchasing the retail version of Gates of Discord, players will be able to claim the in- game item.

Launching the next generation of solo play and online combat, Counter-Strike: Condition Zero is imminent. The #1 online action game of all time goes single-player with Counter-Strike: Condition Zero. A stand-alone product, Condition Zero is the comprehensive successor to the 2000 Multiplayer Game of the Year. Condition Zero completely replaces the current Counter-Strike, and combines six story-driven episodes, three different single player modes and multiplayer enhancements to drive the future of Counter-Strike gamers everywhere.

WarBirds gives players the chance to jump into the cockpit of the most famous aircraft of WW2. Master the controls and prepare yourself for some grippingly realistic air combat. Version 3 of WarBirds, the thrillingly realistic online flight simulator, has just taken off over Europe. Get ready and try out WarBirds for free at www.warbirdseurope.com! Read more for details and screens ....

Way of the Samurai 2 takes place at the end of the Edo period in 19th Century feudal Japan and is set in a town called Amahara, located on the island of Dejima. The citizens of Amahara once lived in peace and harmony, but as policy shifted within the powerful Magistrate’s office, they have found themselves the victims of extreme justice. Read more for details and screens ...

Just as in the "Magic" card game, in "Magic: The Gathering - Battlegrounds" players will choose a duelist and up to two of "Magic's" five colors -- red, green, white, blue, and black -- to attempt to reduce their opponent's life to zero. Of course, getting an opponent to zero will not be easy; players will have to utilize lightning reflexes, strategic brilliance and, on occasion, raw power to overcome an enemy. Read more for the full review ...

Armed with her camera, aikido staff, and resolute investigative skills, Jade sets out to expose the dark secrets behind these alien invasions and to liberate the minds of her deceived people. Pushed to the very edge of her physical and spiritual will, she soon discovers that even these limits are not what they seem … Her quest for the truth knows no bounds. Read more for the full review ...

Bioware has released the final patch (last week there was a beta) for their 3D role-playing game Neverwinter Nights, and its addons Shadows of Undrentide and Hordes of the Underdark. This upgrade brings your retail game to v1.61 and addresses a massive list of changes and game tweaks, including synchronization of the previous titles to the latest addons. Read more for detailed fix list and download links ...

Blizzard has released new patches for Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. This upgrade brings either game to v1.13 and addresses a quite lengthy bunch of fixes and game tweaks/improvements to the game and World Editor, as well as adding Acts II and III to The Frozen Throne's bonus Orc campaign. Read more for detailed fix list and download links ...

As King, it is your duty to lead your people in their struggle to raise your kingdom from its humble beginnings to a position of power and prestige. War, diplomacy and a burgeoning economy are the means by which you increase your power and expand your influence. A unique Knight-management system will offer you brand new possibilities to enhance your personal strategy.

Diversions Entertainment has issued the first patch for their 3D fighting/action game One Must Fall: Battlegrounds. This upgrade brings your retail game to v2095, no details as to what it fixes are available (thanks 3DGamers). Read more for download links ...

Matrix Games has released a demo version of Massive Assault by Wargaming.Net has been completed and will be available for download next week. the demo features 5 Training Missions, 3 Scenarios, 4 Epic Replays and World War on One Planet. Read more for download links ...

UA recently held an online Counter-Strike tournament with $10,000 in cash & prizes sponsored by ZipZoomFly. Nearly 1000 players participated and six of the top 20 CS clans played as well. Team3D and the runner up teams United5 and Deadzone were awarded prizes worth $10,000, including $5,000 in cash and $5,000 in top-of-the-line AMD Athlon 64 processors and motherboards.

Future Tactics is a turn-based tactical RPG that looks and feels like an action/platform game. Built around a highly complex turn-based battle engine, the adventure showcases a single-player Story Mode, as well as a two-player Battle Mode. The plot is set in the not too distant future, when Earth as we know it has succumbed to a race of extra-dimensional creatures. Now the final hope for restoring order to the planet rests on the shoulders of a young boy, his sister and a rag-tag assembly of unlikely warriors. Read more for some screens ...

Encore and JoWooD have released a demo for Phenomic's RTS/RPG game SpellForce: The Order of Dawn. The demo features the usual tutorial as well as a singeplayer map (Rift), and a multiplayer map (2-player map Ashvale). Read more for download links...

Larian Studios announced today that Beyond Divinity will officially become the new title for the latest adventure set in the Divinity Universe. Divine Divinity, launched in 2002 was critically acclaimed for its depth and level of interactivity. In Beyond Divinity, Larian Studios takes what made Divine Divinity so deeply appealing, and pushes it one step further. Using an enhanced version of the original engine, the final product delivers infinite character development, unparalleled levels of interactivity, a wide variety of enemies; tons of quests and a brand new combat system. By catering to all of these elements with equal levels of importance, Beyond Divinity will truly deliver a total RPG experience.

GMX Media today announced that it has secured the rights to publish the PC RTS title – Cold War Conflict in the UK. "Based on the Gameplay of the award winning Sudden Strike 1 & 2 but with flair of the cold war theatres, this is certain to take the UK by storm." Commented Barry Leonard COO of GMX Media. “We are due to kick off a massive marketing campaign in 2 weeks which we hope will all but guarantee a chat position on release.” Read more for details and a bunch of new screens ...

In the gaming industry, the free playable demo is one of the most popular and powerful tools to interest gamers in the final product. It therefore seems logical to expect publishers will maximise the game's exposure by giving the demo the widest possible release. Unfortunately this is not always the case, and sometimes a demo is given the most restricted release: to one site for several days or even a week. This hurts the industry at large much more than it can help a single relationship. Read more for the full letter ...

Electronic Arts today announced that The Sims Bustin' Out for the PlayStation2, Xbox , and GameCube has shipped under the EA Games brand. For the first time, Sims console players can get their Sims out of the house and into all-new locations to play, work, and meet a cast of outrageous new characters.

Slated for release in Spring 2004 for the Xbox and the PC, Race Driver 2 will provide gamers the most diverse and thrilling range of motor sports ever seen in one game. Designed as the definitive racing experience, the game will feature complete head to head Xbox Live and PC online functionality. Read more for details ...