If you have been encoutering problems connecting to certain websites or other places on the internet, don't think its you, there is a valid reason for this slowdown. The American Intelligence is monitoring massive Distributed Denial of Service attacks all over the U.S. tonight starting at around 11:30 PM CST. As many as 5 of the 13 root nameserver have been down, up to 10 with massive packet loss as well as all backbone providers are suffering major packet loss. It seems to be affecting udp port 1434, some kind of worm exploiting mysql server. It may or may not be a DoS attack. Its messing everything up, good thing its the middle of the night.

A few days ago Master Creating announced the development of their first title, Restricted Area. Restricted Area is an action-based roleplaying game with realtime combat, which combines a fascinating gameplay similar to Diablo 2 with innovative technology, tactic-shooter elements and a dark futuristic scenario. We thought this all sounded interesting enough to have a lengthy chat with Jan Beuck Master Creating's Managing Director and one of the lead designers of 'Restricted Area'.

Evolution Worlds is the highly anticipated, epic RPG adventure, which combines the stories from the best-selling Dreamcast RPGs, Evolution and Evolution 2. After the demise of a superior ancient civilization, Cyframe technology -- enchanted mechanical body weaponry -- is discovered. UbiSoft's Evolution Worlds is exclusive to the Gamecube so we decided to engulf ourselves into an epic adventure with our heroes Mag and Linear. Read more for the final verdict...

Devastation is a next-generation Unreal Engine-powered, team-based FPS set in a near future technology dark age, where corporations rule and deadly Pacification Squad Troopers enforcing their will. Developed by Digitalo, and co-published by ARUSH Entertainment and Groove Games, Devastation features Hollywood-style special effects, an engrossing single player story, frenetic multiplayer modes and Karma physics for incredible real world interactions and rag doll deaths. Read more to check 5 brand new, beautiful, action packed screens!

KOEI Corporation today announced that the official Japanese trailer for Dynasty Warriors 4 (exclusively on PS2), known as Shin Sangoku Musou 3 in Japan, is now available for download. Read more for download links.

Robin Hood: Defender of the Crown is based on Cinemaware’s hit game Defender of the Crown, first released in 1986 on the Commodore Amiga and subsequently to a variety of platforms where sold over 1,000,000 units worldwide. Robin Hood: Defender of the Crown is a re-imagining of the beloved classic, with a deep storyline, a rich cast of characters, and the same commitment to stunning graphics and unique, varied gameplay that first made Cinemaware famous. Today Cinemaware released some new screens as well as an in game trailer, read more to check them out!

Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) Inc. announced today that EverQuest Online Adventures, its massively-multiplayer online role-playing game exclusively for the PS2, has gone gold. EverQuest Online Adventures gives console gamers access to a vast living game world filled with exciting combat, quests and unparalled character development as they embark on the adventure of a lifetime with people from across the North American continent. EverQuest Online Adventures has a suggested retail price of $49.99 and is scheduled to be available at North American retail stores on February 12.

Just noticed on Quicksilver Software's 4X official Master of Orion 3 site that the eagerly anticipated sequel to one of the best-loved strategy games of all time has finally GONE GOLD and will be in stores as early as February 25th. In Master Of Orion 3, it is not enough to be just a competent economist or a great captain in the armed forces. To succeed, considerable political, administrative and intelligence skills must be applied to craft your civilisation's glorious chapter in the Annals of Time and Space. More details expected soon ...

Psychotoxic is a first person shooter with an exceptionally exciting story line. The setting is New York, in the year 2020. Three of the four horsemen of the apocalypse have caused terrible damage on Earth. The fourth horseman is now preparing for his return. Violence and aggression are increasing drastically. Humanity's last hope is protagonist Angie Prophet. Basically a human, she is also an angel and guardian, marked centuries ago to save mankind. Play on two different levels: The reality level contains the main elements for the battle against the horseman, including both indoor and outdoor scenes. In the mind level, Angie enters other people's thoughts - here time and space have no meaning. Check the new batch of screens ...

Not that it was a secret anymore but Activision today finally announced the development of Rome: Total War for the PC, the next game to be released in the Total War series and the follow-up title to The Creative Assembly's multi-award winning Medieval: Total War. In the game players return to the golden age of antiquity to take command of the most fearsome armies in a bid to rewrite the annals of history and be proclaimed Imperator.

The game is developed on original high-tech engine The Firestarter Engine, which uses the possibilities of the latest accelerator generation GeForce 3, 4. Among the engine possibilities are work with outdoor and indoor areas, coloured dynamic lighting, dynamic shadows, vertex and pixel shaders, T&L, procedure textures, various classes of particle system-based effects, interactive and destructible level objects, realistic physics, high-polygonal character and monster models (up to 5000 of polygons), skeleton animation. It wouldn't be Friday if the official site hadn't been updated (thanks Unrealik) with 3 new screens, read more to check them out...

Noticed on Shacknews that Yahoo.biz reports Investment bank Investec believes Microsoft Corp. was in talks with French media conglomerate Vivendi Universal about buying Vivendi's video game business for as much as $2 billion. A spokeswoman for Vivendi Universal's game unit declined to comment. A Microsoft spokeswoman could not be immediately reached for comment. This can only amount to the recent rumours and speculations ..

The fusion pack people has released their latest Fusion Pack 10 today for Counter-Strike (thanks VE3D). Here is their announcement:

This version: Fusion Pack 10 is the biggest update since Fusion Pack 6.5 and is set to be the best version yet! Incorporating many of the enhancements made in version 9.5 Fusion Pack 10 includes a wide variety of replacements including bug fixes and additional enhancements. To further enhance the look and identity of our Fusion Pack we have done a majority of the 2D work our self including weapon HUD sprites, VGUI menu graphics and console graphics. One of the biggest enhancements comes in the form of an entirely new Counter-Terrorism and Terrorist team. Furthermore we have also replaced a majority of the pistols and also added a new AUG replacement! Additionally Fusion Pack 10 incorporates a list of long awaited bug fixes to further enhance the user’s experience. For full details and download click here!

The Star Wars Galaxies online game series is designed to immerse literally thousands of players into the rich Star Wars universe. The series will feature dynamic role-playing adventures across multiple planets during the classic Star Wars timeframe. Game play will offer a unique combination of combat, exploration, social interaction, specialized missions, and daring quests. Check out these delicious looking new screens ...

Featuring an original storyline written exclusively for Activision by comics' industry legend Larry Hama, and featuring the voices of Mark Hamill and Patrick Stewart, X-Men: Wolverine's Revenge allows players to assume the role of Wolverine, everyone's favorite X-Men tough guy. In the game, Wolverine faces a race against time to find an antidote to the viral time bomb that's just been discovered in his system. With only 48 hours to live, Wolverine returns to the clandestine Department H facility deep in the Canadian wilderness, to uncover the terrible secrets behind the Weapon X laboratory and the experiments that turned the mutant hero into a precision killing machine. Check out the new screens for each platform...

Celtic Kings is an RTS which combines strategy and role-playing elements in single mode, and which also includes online multi-player functions. Players must take control of the destiny of the heroic Larax and try and lead him to victory by developing a personal strategy and showing a mastery of military tactics. After a little hiccup a few days ago (due to bugs in the patch) Haemimont has released a proper patch, read more for details and download links.

Earlier today we posted up the information about that UK software publisher, KOCH Media signed the rights to publish renowned UK developer, The Bitmap Brothers latest PC-CDROM title - World War II: Frontline Command. Now we have ten gleaming new screenshots.

Nintendo and Retro Studios have combined their creative genius to bring the video game event of the year, the long awaited release of Metroid Prime, exclusive to Nintendo GameCube. 21st March marks the European launch of this blockbuster title, and the return of Samus Aran, the ice-cool bounty hunter who'll once again lock horns will the evil Space Pirates. Metroid Prime has already received outstanding reviews in the US, selling a staggering 250,000 copies within one week of its release.

Mediactive, Inc. today reported financial results for its fiscal 2003 third quarter and nine months ended December 31, 2002, and updated its fiscal 2003 guidance... It also includes information about games to be released later on this year and in 2004..

For the fourth quarter we currently plan to launch Mercedes-Benz: World Racing for Xbox, Shrek Super Party for GameCube and the Muppets: On with the Show for Game Boy Advance. For fiscal 2004, we have a strong line-up of top brands, many of which will be debut releases. In addition to our recently acquired Star Trek game shipping this summer, we plan to launch titles based on Disney's Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean feature film releases in the fall and summer, respectively. We will also launch titles based on GM's Chevrolet Corvette in conjunction this classic car's 50th anniversary, as well as initial console games based on Masters of the Universe, Dinotopia and the Muppets. Clearly our focus continues on 'T' and 'E' rated games where we see the most attractive long-term market opportunities.

No Man's Land official site is updated with first screens of the Englishmen.. Having just arrived, Englishmen settle the New World and their first ships sail under a war flag over the Atlantic to attack the fort of their eternal enemy, the Spaniards… Sail along the Magellan route and witness the battle between the two great powers! To the New World..

The official Panzers website is online, and it’s packed with information about CDV’s latest tactical combat title. You’ll find a first look at the features, latest screens, a work in progress section and much more, collected for you by the Hungarian developer Stormregion Ltd.

Infogrames Entertainment today releases its preliminary fiscal 2003 half-year revenue. The Group expects to release its fiscal 2003 half-year results for the period ending December 31, 2002 on February 13, 2003.. Scarcely riveting reading, but there's mention of Unreal 2 and Ikaruga.

Xbox today announced that it has reached an agreement with Tecmo to distribute the upcoming Xbox game 'Project Zero' in Europe. Project Zero, the survival horror hit from Tecmo, will be distributed by Microsoft Game Studios in the second quarter of 2003 and has been enhanced for its Xbox debut. The psycho thriller hit that has captivated players around the world boasts a variety of new terrifying features in the updated Xbox version. These include enhanced graphics, terrifyingly real new ghosts, unlockable new costumes for Miku, and an alternative ending that promises to reveal new answers to some of the mysteries surrounding the Himuro mansion.

Microsoft Game Studios today announced that Rise of Nations, the latest real-time strategy game from famed game developer Brian Reynolds, will launch in the UK early May. Poised to reinvent the genre, Rise of Nations allows players to overwhelm opponents with military might, or to apply the tried-and-true art of diplomacy to campaign over 6,000 years of history from the Ancient Age to the Information Age - and ultimately, to achieve global prominence.

UK software publisher, KOCH Media announced last week the exciting news that they have signed the rights to publish renowned UK developer, The Bitmap Brothers latest PC-CDROM title - World War II: Frontline Command. Set during the climax of the Second World War, Frontline Command lets aspiring Generals make the strategic commands necessary to turn the tide of Axis aggression and liberate occupied Europe.