Barely out in stores, premiere's in the UK today, Eidos has already released the first patch updating Championship Manager 5 with all the latest player stats and addressing various interface issues, fixing match engine problems, and another ton of fixes and gameplay adjustments. Read more for detailed fix list and download links ...

EGOSOFT today announces the beginning of a new era for the X series of space combat/trading games. The planned expansion for the award winning PC title, X²: The Threat known as X²: The Return has been cancelled. The essence of the expansion pack has been used to give birth to the next generation of X game, in the form of X³: Reunion, the first multi format product, set in the X universe. Read more for details and screens ...

Midway Games today announced that its highly acclaimed, NBA lifestyle basketball title, NBA Ballers, has been added to Sony Computer Entertainment America's (SCEA) "Greatest Hits" collection, just eleven months after its release. NBA Ballers, developed by Midway studios in Chicago, is now available for the suggested retail price of $19.99 at U.S. retail outlets nationwide.

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 :

• Cold Winter - Trailer #4
• Pariah - Trailer #3
• Soldner: Marine Corps - Intro Movie
• Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory - Aliens Trailer
• Taxi 3: Extreme Rush - Trailer Pack

Blizzard Entertainment today announced that World of Warcraft, its massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), has surpassed the 1.5 million subscriber mark.

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 :

• Still Life - Trailer #4
• Battlestations Midway - Trailer
• Silent Hunter 3 - Trailer #8

Got Game Entertainment and Merscom today announced that "Heretic Kingdoms: The Inquisition" for the PC has gone gold and is scheduled to arrive on store shelves April 7, 2005. The North American gold master of this combat-oriented and story-driven RPG includes several improvements over its European release, including a new map feature, faster load time, and improved memory and inventory management.

The world's largest traveling video game festival and competition will hit eight cities in March, April and May to offer gamers the chance to play the hottest new and unreleased console and PC video game titles. Throughout 2005, GameRiot will host a total of 85 events in 30 markets, with an expected attendance of 300,000 casual and hardcore gamers. The spring schedule includes stops at two popular music festivals and six trips to the wildly popular touring event Hot Import Nights.

Get behind the wheel and experience the sensation of racing actual cars. As in the real world, Enthusia emphasizes pure driving skills and ensures that winning is a result of ability rather than how much money has been spent tuning a car. Maintaining a subtle balance between the power of the car and the driver’s skill, Enthusia promises to deliver the ultimate driving experience for racing fans of all abilities.

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 :

• Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents UndeR Pressure - Trailer #2
• SWAT 4 - Trailer #4
• Cold Fear - Trailer #5
• Forza Motorsports - Game vs. Reality Trailer #2

Act of War: Direct Action, developed by Eugen Systems, is Atari's new action game with a storyline and game universe created in cooperation with Dale Brown, 15-time New York Times best-selling author and expert on US military, global conflict and future military technology. Atari has released an update patch which adds NAT negotiation, and a new "replay" option, and the usual gameplay tweaks and bug fixes (thanks 3DGamers). Read more for download links ...

Konami of Europe has announced that Enthusia Professional Racing, its incredibly realistic PlayStation 2 racing title featuring a wealth of officially licensed cars, will be released on May 6th, a mere 3 days later than the North American release date.

Bold Games today announced that its new PC title, Elite Warriors: Vietnam, has gone gold. The intensely realistic first-person shooter takes gamers through the authentic missions experienced by former Studies and Observations Group (SOG) member and best-selling author, Maj. John L. Plaster (USA-Ret). Elite Warriors: Vietnam is scheduled for release March 25 for a suggested retail price of $29.99.

Atari today announced that Act of War: Direct Action, a near-future, techno-thriller for personal computer, featuring a story created by New York Times best-selling author Dale Brown has shipped to retailers nationwide.

Bringing its heritage of being the definitive cricket game series, Brian Lara International Cricket comes ten years after Codemasters launched the original Brian Lara game and over five years since the series appeared on any platform. Brian Lara returns to game screens this summer in Brian Lara International Cricket for PS2, Xbox and PC.

Konami Digital Entertainment America today announced that it will feature Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) EXTREME at the 2005 IHRSA trade show. Scheduled to be held March 17-19 in San Francisco at the Moscone Center South, the IHRSA show is one of the leading fitness industry trade shows in the world.

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 :

• Act of War: Direct Action - Trailer #6
• Psychonauts - Trailers (3)
• Dragonshard - Trailer
• Empire Earth 2 - Trailer
• SpikeOut Battle Street - Trailer
• Brothers in Arms - Multiplayer Trailer

Based on Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the Dynasty Warriors series of action games takes players back in time and onto the battlefields of Ancient China. In the games, players experience the thrill of fighting single-handedly against nearly endless legions of enemy soldiers in historical battles that shaped an empire.

Macrovision today announced the results of a gaming piracy study that shows significant losses experienced by the gaming industry due to software piracy. The surveys of 6,000 Microsoft Xbox and Sony PlayStation 2 users show that 21% of gamers play pirated games, but 73% would have bought the game within one month if a free version had not been readily available. This high level of piracy on console systems, which are generally considered to be secure closed systems, is surprising.

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 :

• Jade Empire - Trailer (2)
• Forza Motorsports - Game vs. Reality Trailer
• Fear & Respect - Trailer #2
• Total Overdose - Trailer

Dynasty Warriors 4 introduces a new stage and strategy system to the series' frenetic battlefield action. In the new system, the game opens with a map of Ancient China, fractured into 24 different regions. Players start with one region, and then choose another region to invade or defend. Officers will recommend a strategy or policy, and then combat begins. Victory goes to the first warrior who unifies all 24 regions under a single kingdom. Koei is bringing Dynasty Warriors 4 to the PC, release date in Japan is set for March 2005, not details yet on a European or North American publisher.

Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition is the quintessential racing game for any true aficionado of the automotive and racing lifestyle, and is the only game to offer a full range of street vehicle culture including over 50 fully customizable licensed vehicles. The full spectrum includes import tuners, motorcycles and luxury rides all of which are fully customizable in both style and performance.

Activision and Viacom have settled their dispute over video games based on the "Star Trek" franchise. All lawsuits related to the dispute have been dismissed, but settlement terms were not disclosed. Activision sued Viacom in July 2003, claiming Viacom diminished the value of the "Star Trek" game license by not promoting the latest "Trek" series or making new "Trek" movies or TV shows. Viacom countered at the time that the suit was just a ploy to renegotiate the license.

Tecmo's infamous creator of the Dead or Alive series, Tomonobu Itagaki, will once again take the reigns of the DOAU Mystery Gamer for this Sunday's Mystery Gamer Session of "The Dead or Alive Ultimate Mystery Gamer Competition." The upcoming online fighting session, which will be held this Sunday, March 13, 2005 from 10a.m. to 11a.m. PST through Xbox Live, will be the second time that Itagaki has stepped up to the plate as the honored DOAU Mystery Gamer.

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 :

• 50 Cent: Bulletproof - Teaser Trailer
• Aurora Watching - Trailer
• Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition - Trailer
• Stolen - Intro Movie
• Storm Riders Online - Trailer