Ultimate Arena, Inc. today announced that the beta version of Xfire is available at www.xfire.com. Xfire automatically tracks when and where gamers' friends are playing PC games online. With one click, gamers can instantly join their friends' games. Read more for details ...

EverQuest II returns to the culturally diverse world of Norrath in the future of the original EverQuest, with the sheer size and graphical detail greater than ever seen before. Larger in scope than its predecessor, EverQuest II will allow players from every corner of the earth to explore familiar areas and new, undiscovered territories of Norrath. Read on to check out the latest screenshots!

TeamXbox is at it again with more rumours from the Xbox front. Continuing their tradition of bringing world exclusives, TeamXbox revealed today that the Xbox 2 CPU (or CPUs?) will be built using a 65nm manufacturing technology. Which in practice means the Xbox 2 could have a main processor running at clock speed higher than 3 Ghz and close to … 5 Ghz! For those not tech savvy, TeamXbox have included a short 'CPU for Dummies', check it out

Painkiller is a nickname of a pretty unusual mercenary, who is dealing with supernatural. There are places on Earth where demons and other evil creatures have their nests: abandoned prisons, private castles, deep caves in the mountains. "Cleaning" those places is good money, and our hero needs a lot of it, since he loves living the life to its fullest. One day he gets what seems to be a pretty simple job: to retrieve a religious artifact from one of the nests. When after a furious battle he realizes he might have been tricked into the war between two competing clans of the undead, he tries to play his own cards.

XS Games, in conjunction with Jack of all games (a subsidiary of Take 2), and Microïds have reached a distribution agreement for the publishing and distribution of three different titles from Microïds' 2004 catalogue, including the sequel to the Adventure Game of 2002, Syberia II.

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.

Ninja Gaiden is on the cutting-edge of action as the player takes on the role of powerful ninja, Ryu Hayabusa, who seeks revenge after his clan is massacred by the Vigor Empire. Taking full advantage of three-dimensional space, you follow the story with only your wits, your ninja skills, and your deadly sword, cutting down opponents in the Vigor Empire as you attempt to beat the Holy Emperor and reclaim the magic sword "Ryuken". Realistic battle actions and acrobatic ninja actions add another dimension to the game, restoring Ninja Gaiden to its rightful place in the gaming pantheon.

Jeremy Heath-Smith and Adrian Smith, the creators of Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider series of games, today announced the formation of their new game development company, Circle Studio. Bucking the trend of numerous studio closures, Heath-Smith and Smith are confident that they can produce more world beating titles. Commenting on the new studio, managing director Heath-Smith said, 'Adrian and I are still passionate about games and have the experience and skills in-house to continue producing original and successful titles.' He continued, 'We've enjoyed working with Lara these past seven years but are looking forward to creating something or someone new.'

The Battlefield 1942 team has made a new community update regarding the upcoming 1.6 patch. The BF1942 v1.6, which they call " by far the most comprehensive patch to date", will feature 2 new maps, punkbuster anti cheat measures, improved server browsing and tons of other fixes, tweaks and additions. The patch WILL be over 250mb big, read more for a quite lenghty detailed fix list.

Sony announced today the upcoming 2004 release of Hot Shots Golf Fore!, available exclusively for the PlayStation2. Developed by Clap Hanz, Hot Shots Golf Fore! returns as the fourth installment in the extremely popular franchise that has sold more than 7.5 million units worldwide.

Nexon has released a new updated version (as well as a small update patch) of their massively multiplayer online real-time strategy game Shattered Galaxy. This upgrade brings the game to v1.59 and features the usual game fixes, unit balancing, map updates and various other tweaks. Read more for detailed fix list and download links ...

Diversions Entertainment has issued the first patch for their 3D fighting/action game One Must Fall: Battlegrounds. This upgrade brings your retail game to v2112, no details as to what it fixes are available (thanks 3DGamers). Read more 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 :

• R-Type Final - Trailer
• Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes - Trailer
• Kuma War - Trailer
• 
  
  We will update this throughout the day when new trailers become available. Read more for download links ...

Running With Scisscors has released the first patch for their recently released multiplayer addon Postal 2: Share The Pain. This upgrade brings your retail version to v1408 and mainly addresses multiplayer fixes and improvements. Read more for detailed fix list and download links ...

After the earlier German only demo, Spellbound Entertainment has now released the English version of their arcade shooter Smoking Colts. The demo features one level of the full product (thanks 3DGamers). Read more for download links...

Prepare for a wild cyber-thriller adventure with female espionage agents, Ice and Aska. With the use of explosive firepower and deadly martial arts skills, Ice and Aska take down criminals with style and flair. While battling an evil syndicate, these sexy heroines will have the ability to dive into a “cyber world” where they can download additional information, skills, and techniques. Fighting futuristic crime has never been this smart, sexy or cool. Read more for some new screens ...

While we just recently reviewed DBZ Taiketsu it seems a new Dragon Ball Z game is on its way to the Game Boy Advance. According to the latest issue of Famitsu, Dragon Ball Z: Bukuu Tougeki in due for the GBA platform in Japan this Spring. Bukuu Tougeki is a 2D fighting game that is being developed by Guilty Gear's Arc System Works and published by Banpresto. Let's hope its better than Atari's poor attempt, read more for details ...

A great darkness has fallen over the port town of Baldur’s Gate and the lands around. Thieves and brigands roam the countryside, and they have driven you and your family from your farmland home. On a desperate rush to seek safety within the walls of Baldur’s Gate, your hopes are dashed when you and your family are ambushed on the road by a group of thieves... thieves who claim to have ridden from Baldur’s Gate to find you. Scattered by the suddenness of the thieves’ attack, you return to the scene of the ambush to find your sister has been abducted. You must find her... before whatever terrible plots involving her unfold. Check these 4 spiffy looking GBA screens ..

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...

Developed by Reflections Interactive, DRIV3R is an action-packed driving adventure game that stays true to its roots, incorporating the cinematic gameplay and gritty street crime of its predecessors with ground-breaking graphics and three mammoth, wide-open city environments: Miami, Florida; Nice, France; and Istanbul, Turkey. check out some new screens...

Sequel to last year's hit title, The Getaway 2 (working title) is an uncompromising action thriller of a game, featuring breakneck, ultra-realistic driving action, mixed with combat on foot and unprecedented levels of cinematic realism, in what promises to be one of the toughest, grittiest games on any format. Not much info is available at this point, but these new screens give you a first look ...

Get ready for some brake jamm'in, CB talk'in, convey roll'in action acoss America! From Portland Oregon to Miami Florida, you'll be hauling loads and trying to stay one step ahead of the law as you climb into your Big Rig for non-stop driving action. Activision Value has released a new patch for Stellar Stone's trucking title 'Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing.' No specific details as to what it fixes are available at this point. Read more for download links ..

In an unprecedented event, Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow will premiere at an event coinciding with the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. This unveiling marks the first time a video game has debuted in or around a film festival and demonstrates the increasing prominence of video games in the entertainment pantheon. Published by Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow is already one of the most anticipated video games of 2004 and was recently featured on MTV's "Ultimate Video Game Countdown."

Published by the creators of EverQuest and developed by the team behind Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance, Champions of Norrath is an Action RPG like none other on the PlayStation 2. Create your own champion, each with unique powers, appearances and skills. Experience an epic adventure filled with powerful action and ominous intrigue. Battle vicious monsters where your mastery of weaponry and spells is the only thing between you and supreme evil.