The current offer would have made EA the owner of more than 50 percent of the total number of shares, representing a majority vote in DICE after outstanding employee stock options have been exercised. Even though the extended acceptance period has not yet expired, EA has waived the above-mentioned condition.

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.