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 ...

Vietcong Red Dawn is a new official add-on for Vietcong. The add-on was released throughout the UK with the cover DVD of the latest PC Gamer issue, and will furthermore be released with gaming magazines in other countries. The addon contains a new Vietcong cooperative campaign, new multiplayer maps, one new single player mission, AI bots for the multiplayer mode, and completely new theme music. Vietcong Red Dawn will be available for free download from the 25th of March 2005. Read more for some new screens and trailer showing off the new addon ...

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.

As Spider-Man, players must master new combo moves as they protect the city of Manhattan from the nefarious Doc Ock and other classic Marvel villains by swinging, jumping and wall-crawling through 19 new levels that extend beyond the film. Featuring an unprecedented depth of gameplay, players experience original storylines and battle through graphically rich 3D environments.

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

Pterodon has announced that owners of the Vietcong Purple Haze Xbox edition will be able to download a new free multiplayer map pack from the Xbox Live service later today. Vietcong In Country features two new multiplayer maps entitled "Radio Relay" and "The Bridge", which both contain the "assault team game (ATG)", "capture the flag (CTF)", "deathmatch (DM)", "team deathmatch (TDM)" and "real war (RW)" game types, whereas the "Radio Relay" multiplayer map includes the "cooperative (COOP)" game type as an addition. Read more for some screens ...

Metal Combat plans to re-invent the Fighting game genre with physics-based environments and characters, enabling fights with realistic reactions to every blow and destructible environments. The game is scheduled for release later this year for the PC and in the arcade by Solar Studios.

Vivendi today announced that Nexus: The Jupiter Incident is now available. Developed by Mithis Entertainment and published by HD Interactive, Nexus: The Jupiter Incident is a real-time mission-based tactical space game featuring spectacular real-time battles with breathtaking motion picture quality. Players will focus on tactics and action as they control up to 10 battleships encountering aliens, unknown solar systems and other phenomena in the struggle to save Earth.

Step into the shadows of Gotham City's perilous criminal underworld as DC Comics' legendary Dark Knight in the Batman Begins video game. Slated for release day and date with the Warner Bros. Pictures film, Batman Begins challenges players to use fear as their ultimate weapon. Read more for details and features ...

TimeSplitters Future Perfect has gone gold for the PS2, Xbox and GameCube, and will be in stores beginning March 22nd. 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.

Konami today announced that TMNT: Mutant Melee for the Xbox, GameCube and PC have arrived at retail stores nationwide. TMNT: Mutant Melee offers hours of bashing, crashing and trashing fun with more than 20 playable characters, a competitive Adventure mode, a ton of mini games and unlockable content.

SCAR, a brand new racing simulation licensed by Alfa Romeo, and developed by racing sim specialists, Milestone, creators of the Superbike series and Racing Evoluzione. SCAR, Squadra Corse Alfa Romeo, is a stunning racing simulation which combines both realistic car physics, and vibrant graphics together with classic Role Playing Game elements to become the first 'CARPG' ever developed.

Fans who pre-order their copies will receive a Bonus DVD loaded with extras including the Empire Earth II Single-Player Demo, 20 minutes of exclusive behind-the-scenes video, exclusive multiplayer maps, the Empire Earth II Soundtrack, concept artwork, and more. Pre-orders are now being accepted at participating retailers. The pre-order period will last through the April 26th ship date or until supplies last. Please contact your local store to confirm availability of the Pre-Order item in your area.

North American publisher Atlus releases new screens for its upcoming PS2 exclusive strategy role-playing game from Japan, Stella Deus: The Gate of Eternity.

Today Ubisoft and Gearbox Software announced that Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 is now available in retail stores for the PlayStation 2 and PC at the MSRP of $49.99.

Samurai Western is an action-packed adventure game developed by Spike, the creators of the original Tenchu and The Way of the Samurai series. Featuring improved graphics and a multitude of gameplay additions such as a First Person Mode, an Insane difficulty level, and Bushido Sense, Samurai Western will tar and feather all but the most experienced gamers!

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

GameStop today announced that many of its stores across its entire 1,800-plus chain will celebrate with midnight openings on March 24th, officially launching the highly-anticipated release of Sony's PlayStation Portable video game system.

THQ today announced that MX vs. ATV Unleashed has shipped for the PlayStation 2 and will be released for the Xbox on March 24. Fans can taste the dirt and smell the fumes at a suggested retail price of $39.95.

Sony Online Entertainment today announced that Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade has gone gold. Developed and published by SOE, Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade will be available exclusively for the PSP for an MSRP of $39.99 and is scheduled to ship to North American retail stores on March 22, 2005.

Fresh out in stores, Ubisoft releases the first patch for its submarine sim Silent Hunter 3. This update brings your retail game to v1.1 and addresses various graphical problems, multiplayer issues, and the usual bugs fixes and gameplay tweaks. Read more for details and download links ...

In a long interview with the Washington Post, Running with Scissors revealed that it is working on the next Postal sequel, code-named "Catharsis." The year is 2007 and the Dude has just left the town that was destroyed in the last game after accidentally finding and setting off a "weapon of mass destruction" misplaced by the U.S. government. He flees the atomic Armageddon and finds himself at a political rally for a presidential candidate in a nearby suburb. The plot unfolds as the player attempts to get random temp jobs that will cause him to cross paths with the presidential candidate, the Taliban, environmental advocacy groups and others. Except there's a twist: The next Postal will be a violent video game about nonviolence. You'll still have access to a slew of weapons, but you'll be rewarded with a better outcome if you play peacefully.

GMX Media is today announcing the street date and the unveiling of the box art for its new action packed FPS "HELLFORCES" , a blood and guts zombie killer. Licensed by Buka Entertainment, Hellforces is due for UK release on 25th March. No information on who and when will bring Hellforces to North America.

Gothic II takes you on an even greater journey of adventure and discovery. The plot continues from the cliff-hanger of the original: After the imprisoned colony members are victorious, collapsing the magical barrier, the former Prison Colony is struck by a terrible earthquake, claiming the lives of many. The majority of survivors seize this opportunity to escape with only a handful of people remaining in the derelict prison. Jowood has finally released an English demo giving you the opportunity to check the game intro and try out the first chapter. Read more for download links ...

TT Superbikes will feature on the channel around the launch along with a strong presence at this year's TT event in June. There will be several promotions including prize give-away copies of the game to Men and Motors viewers. The game will also feature the Men and Motors Suzuki superbike, which will race at this year's event. Read more for details and screens ...

Ubisoft announced today its product catalog for fiscal year 2005-2006 (ending March 31, 2006). Ubisoft management has decided to release Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Lockdown in the first half of fiscal year 2005-2006, rather than in March 2005. Read more for other new titles suchs as 187 Ride or Die, the earlier revealed And 1 sports titles, Killing Day, World War II Squadron, new titles in the Prince of Persia, Ghost Recon, Brothers in Arms, and Silent Hunter series, and not one, but two new Might & Magic products.

The acclaimed TOCA series will return with every element of motorsport for real in TOCA Race Driver 3, Codemasters announced today. Coming this winter for PS2, Xbox and PC, race drivers will be competing in a massive variety of the world's most aggressive motorsports, complete with explosive damage effects, head-to-head online multiplayer racing and a game engine rebuilt for a greater degree of simulation.

Mafia developer Illusion Softworks, also known for its Hidden & Dangerous and Vietcong titles, has signed a publishing agreement with Atari for its newest action title Enemy in Sight, which is schedule for end 2005. Read more for details and screens ...

Quick, what's the first thing you think of when someone says "Star Wars?" Whatever it is, it's probably not "Lego"… but after playing Lego Star Wars, that might be different. Relive the Star Wars saga as retold in Lego form, guiding an increasingly large cast through everything from adventures on Naboo to the Pod Race on Tatooine. Sure, the ships are made out of bricks and your characters are all little guys with detachable plastic hair, but that just makes Star Wars better.

Codemasters is quietly working on the TOCA Race Driver 2006, and while it has not yet been officially announced, today they lift the veil a little bit and give us the first glimpse of whats to come in the newest edition of the popular racing franchise. Codemasters sends out an interview with Codemasters studio head Gavin Raeburn (thanks Gamer.nl), and includes 4 brand spanking new screens...

Fight Night Round 2 will let you go head-to-head with the best of boxing including Bernard Hopkins, Middleweight Champion of the World and cover athlete for EA SPORTS Fight Night Round 2, as well as legendary boxers Muhammad Ali, Evander Holyfield and Joe Frazier.

Planetwide Games announced today that RYL: Path of the Emperor will be the first Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game to offer a $1,000,000 Grand Prize to the winner of a Player vs. Player Skill-Based Tournament.