LucasArts has released an updated dedicated server file for Pandemic Studios' scifi shooter Star Wars Battlefront. This v1.2 server supports the new Battlefront Bonus Mission entitled Jabba's Palace, but apart from that no additional information is available. Read more for download links ...

EA announced today that Bernard Hopkins, the Middleweight Champion of the World, will serve as the official spokesman and cover athlete for EA Sports Fight Night Round 2. The sequel to this year's hit boxing video game will be released in March 2005 for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube.

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 :

• Close Combat: First to Fight - Trailers (2)
• The Sims 2: University - Trailer #2
• Star Wars Republic Commando - Trailers (2)

Use destructive weapons and innate mental powers to take on the most feared enemy in the galaxy - Mankind! Play as Crypto, an alien warrior sent to Earth to clear the way for the Furon invasion force. Your mission is to infiltrate humanity, control them, harvest their brain stems and ultimately destroy them. You choose the method - infiltration or disintigration!

Electronic Arts announced today that it plans to ship the first expansion pack for the Sims 2 on March 1st, making it arrive in stores March 3rd. The Sims 2 University is the first expansion pack for the highly-acclaimed The Sims 2, giving players of The Sims 2 the ability to watch their Sims become young adults and put childhood behind them as they settle into an all-new college town to live out their ultimate college fantasy.

Oddworld Stranger's Wrath combines first and third-person gameplay with familiar Oddworld elements and an all-new engine to deliver a unique gameplay experience. Set to award-winning visuals, players will be moved by the complex and inspiring story as the Stranger comes to grips with his true nature in the hunt for the ultimate bounty. Read more for screens ...

Legion Arena is an online RPSG or Role Playing Strategy Game, and blends core gameplay elements from the RTS & RPG genres. Set in ancient Rome, Legion Arena puts the player in charge of their own army, which they must develop, nurture and train, transforming a bunch of peasants into a fearsome fighting force.

Cenega Publishing has released a new patch for Black Emelent's third person horror / action adventure game 'Shade: Wrath of Angels.' This update brings your retail game to v1.02 9US & UK versions available) and includes 32 new save points at the most critical places throughout the game and a Special Time Combat mode with 2 new deadly arenas. Read more for download links ...

Hip Interactive today announced that the North American version of the multi-platform video game release, "Playboy: The Mansion," has been sent off for manufacturing, and is expected in stores January 25, 2005. Developed by Cyberlore Studios for Playboy, Playboy: The Mansion invites players to virtually step into Playboy Founder Hugh Hefners slippers and run the famous Playboy empire.

Midway Games today announced that NARC will ship to retail outlets nationwide for $19.95. A mission-based 3rd-person action game set against a stylized, modern-day backdrop of the War on Drugs, NARC pits gamers as members of an elite narcotics squad; Marcus Hill, a DEA Agent with a squeaky clean image and Jack Forzenski, a cop on probation and fresh out of rehab. Together they investigate a new mystery drug that has hit the streets called Liquid Soul. In the fight against a powerful international drug cartel Marcus and Jack will face temptation as they choose to walk the thin blue line as a clean cop or follow the path of cover-ups, payoffs and unlawful brutatilty as a dirty cop. NARC will ship for the PS2 and Xbox on March 22, 2005.

Created by Texas-based Gearbox Software, Brothers in Arms is the most realistic and authentic WWII shooter ever. While other WWII games have sugarcoated the war experience, Brothers in Arms is based on a true story and will immerse gamers into the gritty, uncensored and emotionally-charged side of war. Read more for some new screens ...

"First of all, we’re putting the finishing touches on patch 1.01. This is a real meaty patch that includes some 50 tweaks, updates, and fixes of varying size and visibility. Probably the biggest feature of the patch is the addition of an online communicator. As in Generals and Zero Hour, it will let you add other users to a “friend list” that you can use to keep track of and chat with friends anytime they are logged into The Battle for Middle-earth online. Other features of the patch include a handful of technical fixes for the game itself as well as for World Builder; all known exploits addressed; balance changes; and three new multiplayer and skirmish maps. We’re targeting the release of the patch for this month, and should have a firm launch date later on this week."

Atari has released the second update patch for RollerCoaster Tycoon 3. This update (available for the US and Euro editions of the game) adds major fixes to the Fireworks Mixmaster, improved decision logic, improved Park Inspector behaviour and various other additions, improvements and bug fixes. Read more for download links and detailed fix list ....

Oxygen Interactive announced today that UK developer Kuju is working on a new FPS 'Conspiracy: Weapons of Mass Destruction.' Using the Fire Warrior engine, Conspiracy: Weapons of Mass Destruction, is under development for PC, PS2 and Xbox, and is scheduled for March 2005. Read more for details and 100+ new screens ...

A new kind of game is poised to take over the PSP as Majesco and acclaimed development group, Planet Moon Studios, today jointly announced Infected, a thrilling new run-and-gun shooter that allows players' avatars to invade opponents' PSP systems via multiplayer victories. Infected is scheduled to ship this fall and is the first release in an exclusive three game PSP deal between Majesco and Planet Moon Studios.

The heroes of Paragon City need to break out their fur-lined capes as NCsoft and Cryptic Studios have kicked off the City of Heroes Winter Event.

Following a successful two-year stint as non-executive Chairman at Visual Science, during which the company's revenues have grown almost four-fold, Tim Christian has acquired a majority shareholding in the company from its founder.

Based on the inspirational survival stories of American pilots shot down over occupied Europe during the Second World War, this action-adventure sees US Airman Bill Foster stranded and alone in Germany in the Winter of 1944. Bill must survive against both the elements and the elite German forces and only upon reaching the Swiss border is his survival assured.

The guns of the greatest of all wars roar into life in and on The Road to Berlin. This fast-moving game drops the player right in the middle of frenzied combat action, where the thrills just keep coming! Pilot, gunner, sniper, paratrooper – all these roles are played out through a simple, intuitive point-and-click interface, allowing instant and complete immersion in the game world.

In TimeSplitters Future Perfect, Cortez - the hero from previous installments - returns with humanity on the brink of destruction. With the help of some familiar faces (some very familiar!) he must chase a mystery foe across different time periods to trace the origins of the TimeSplitters and save the day.

Codemasters today announces it has secured the PAL publishing rights to Worms 4: Mayhem. The Worms series recently diversified with Worms Forts Under Siege, a tactical RTS-like spin-off created for Sega. However, Worms 4: Mayhem is a return to the series' trademark gameplay and sees Team 17's core Worms design and development team regrouping for a game of explosive annelid annihilation.

Gadgets.co.uk today announced the launch of the £29.99 (inc vat) Commodore 64 "Direct to TV" unit, a re-launch of the world's biggest selling home computer. The product, packing 30 games, is Commodore branded and utilises the actual operating system used on the original Commodore 64. The games are not just replicas of the originals - they actually are the originals.

'COPS 2170: The Power of Law' is a mix of turn-based RPG and tactical strategy game. The storyline is based on the future time cyberpunk culture and urban community. The main hero is a police lady Katrin and her squads of different agents, soldiers, policemen. The war against criminal world from the side of Law.

Metropolis Software and licensing partners Schanz International Consultants are happy to announce Atari, Deutschland as the German partner fro the sneak-em-up action game, Aurora Watching from the house of Metropolis Software in Poland. Atari, will distribute this exciting action packed game in all German territories and bring it to stores in March 2005.

MTX: Mototrax features career mode through Motocross, Supercross, Freestyle and offroad events, backed by real-world racing teams and sponsors. You become further involved in their quest for track domination with authentic environmental effects, realistic sound engines and a pulsating rock soundtrack developed exclusively for the game.