Publisher Strategy First Inc. and developer Stardock announced today that a new expansion pack for the award-winning turn-based strategy game Galactic Civilizations will be released in Q2 2004. Galactic Civilizations: Altarian Prophecy will add a host of new features, content and other enhancements to the original game to add depth and greater replayability.

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.

Got Game Entertainment and developer Knut Mueller today announced a publishing agreement for "RHEM 2," an intricate pure-puzzle first person adventure game, and the sequel to the popular "RHEM". Made for PC and Mac, "RHEM 2" rejoins Zetais and Kales as they now explore a hidden city far beneath the earth’s surface. Got Game will publish the game in North America and Australia with a targeted release of Q4 2004.

The hotly-awaited, tactical multiplayer shooter, SÖLDNER – Secret Wars, will be available in the U.S. on the 4th of May and in Europe on the 27th of May”, Gerald Kossär, International Marketing Director, JoWooD Software Productions AG is pleased to announce. In order to steal the crown of this genre, the planned Open Beta, as well as the international marketing and PR campaign have made this date a strategic necessity. REad more for details, no specific date as to when this will kick off is available at the moment...

Atari and Stormfront Studios, have announced plans to develop Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone, an action adventure game set in the popular Dungeons & Dragons world created by Wizards of the Coast. Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone will place players in the middle of a heated battle between two demonic armies set to overrun the world of Faerun. Read more for screens & details ...

“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 ...

Video Game publisher Mastiff announced today that they will release Space Raiders, the first true 3D sequel to Taito’s arcade classic, Space Invaders. Space Raiders was developed by Taito, the company that first unleashed hordes of unstoppable aliens way back in 1978 and is exclusively for the GameCube. Space Raiders will ship April six with a $19.99 suggested retail price.

LucasArts officially announced today that it will deploy Mercenaries, an open-ended third person combat-action game this fall for the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox. Set in North Korea where a coup has plunged the troubled nation into chaos, an elite private military company has dispatched a lone mercenary to track down 52 fugitive members of the old hardliner regime --- before they can launch a nuclear attack.

Today ClownKeep announced that its current title, “The Chronicles of Ny”, will be produced in a series of episodic games. Each episode will entertain, thrill and leave the player excited about upcoming episodes that will continue the character they have developed. The games will be available for around $10 an episode and will present at least 10 to 15 hours of fantasy, role-playing adventure. Read more for details & screens...

The fastest race on earth is set to return as Codemasters announces that IndyCar Series 2005 will launch this summer, complete with head-to-head online racing for both Xbox and PlayStation 2. Officially licensed by the Indy Racing League, IndyCar Series 2005 gets a boost with a host of new features to complement the action-packed oval track racing at speeds up to 235mph! The game's new online racing will see up to 12 players getting fiercely competitive out on the circuits on Xbox, with up to 8 players on PlayStation 2.

THQ Inc. and JAKKS Pacific, Inc. today announced WWE Day of Reckoning based on the World Wrestling Entertainment license. WWE Day of Reckoning features all the action, excitement and attitude of World Wrestling Entertainment and is designed exclusively for the Nintendo GameCube. THQ and JAKKS' World Wrestling Entertainment licensed videogames have sold more than $527 million worldwide since 1999. WWE Day of Reckoning is scheduled for release in Fall 2004. Read more for details & screens ...

Konami of Europe has confirmed what football fans have wanted to hear for years: that its hugely successful Pro Evolution Soccer franchise is to make its debut on the Xbox. The first Pro Evolution Soccer for Xbox will be released in Q4, 2004, and is certain to wow an all-new audience of fans by adding the fantastic graphics sounds and gameplay that Xbox is known for to the series.

Vivendi Universal Games in association with Tigon Studios is bringing gamers an intense sci-fi experience from the point-of-view of the most wanted man in the Universe with the new videogame, The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay, which will be available on the Xbox. Set before the events of both Universal Pictures' upcoming summer release The Chronicles of Riddick, starring Vin Diesel, and the 2000 cult classic Pitch Black, which first introduced Diesel as enigmatic anti-hero Riddick, the game tells the story of Riddick's dramatic escape from the previously inescapable triple max security slam Butcher Bay, home to the most violent prisoners in the galaxy.

SCEA announced today the September 2004 release of Sly 2: Band of Thieves, a comic crime caper, action-adventure game designed exclusively for the PlayStation2. Created by Seattle-based developer, Sucker Punch Productions, Sly 2: Band of Thieves incorporates many of Sucker Punch's signature talents including award winning toon-shaded animation and art direction, visual style, immersive storylines, strong characters, and highly interactive worlds. Read more to check out some new screens ...

Digital Extremes and Groove Games today announced their partnership on a new first-person action game based on an original intellectual property created and owned by Digital Extremes. The new game, ominously named Pariah, has been quietly in production for the past two years and is currently planned for the Xbox and PC. Hip Interactive's UK division lets us know that they have signed Pariah for European distribution. Read more for details and screens ...

KnightBlade: Final Flight is a combat action game which follows the battle hardened crew of the GCV-KnightBlade, a Terran Military Megaron class carrier, into hostile territory. Commanded by April Gage, the KnightBlade is sent to a remote region of space to assist in the extraction of friendly forces caught behind enemy lines. Read more for details ...

Universal Combat: Edge To Edge is a combat action game based on various tried and proven technologies pioneered by 3000AD Inc across its Battlecruiser line of products. Taking place in a much smaller world (two space regions and four planets to be exact), the game allows players to engage in class based combat on seamlessly integrated space and planetary worlds. It features eight marine classes and two pilot classes with player access to a variety of weapons, vehicles, gunship, fighter and shuttle crafts as well as various naval vessels.

The official ANNO 1503 website has word that Sunflowers has cancelled the Anno 1503 multiplayer patch (already in development since August 2003). After more than 20 attempts they could not get the multiplayer patch/addon to work for more than 2 hours gameplay time and thus decided to call it quits (thanks Gamestar.de). You can read more about it on the German Anno 1503 website.
UPDATE :Sunflowers just sent us the English translation, read more to check it out ...

Ubisoft CBS Consumer Products and Alliance Atlantis today announced an exclusive licensing agreement for Ubisoft to publish games based on the popular television series CSI: Miami for the PC. This new CSI game is slated to launch worldwide on PC for Winter 2004-05. Read more for details ...

Digital Summoners announces the Getica project, a series of two single player RPGs placed in ancient Europe. Getica is a project that includes two 3D, third person, single player RPGs. The foundation of the games is formed by the classic concepts of the RPG: assuming a role in a story, developing the playing character, becoming part of a class, solving quests, acquiring items and special abilities. The first part is called Cult of the Elders, and will act as an introduction into the atmosphere, accomodating the player with the Getae and their culture.

PRISM: Threat Level Red is the commercial version that sets the world and environments that inspire the Army National Guard's game PRISM: Black Shield. The commercial game will feature a more detailed story line along with a unique campaign structure. The game will also feature distinct missions, unique events, unique weapons, and a few more surprises.

In a first for a Massively Multiplayer online game, the actions of players have resulted in an entirely new playable race for Horizons: Empire of Istaria. The event, which was started upon release of the game in December, was an epic achievement to free the race from their subjugation from the undead hordes of the Withered Aegis. Read more for details ...

Following on from the success of Perfect Ace: Pro Tournament Tennis, which sold 80,000 units across Europe last summer, Oxygen Interactive have announced they are to launch a sequel title Perfect Ace 2: The Championships in time for the Wimbledon Championships. Featuring new stadiums, new player models, full player editor, new game mechanics and new animations, Perfect Ace 2: The Championships offers the finest Tennis simulation yet.

Majesco Sales Inc. today announced plans to publish Super Collapse! II for Nintendo's Game Boy Advance. Developed by GameHouse Studios and already a Web-game favorite with over 15 million users, the popular downloadable PC game is one of the most-played puzzle games on the Net and among the most-acclaimed Internet titles in its genre.

Sammy Studios, Inc. today announced Iron Phoenix, a team based online fighting game coming exclusively to Microsoft Xbox Live. Iron Phoenix is the first game of its kind, joining strategic team-play with weapon-based melee combat, and featuring characters, weapons and a storyline worthy of a Kung-Fu film. Read more for details ...