Whiptail Interactive announced today that it will publish Restricted Area in North America. Developed by Master Creating, Restricted Area recently shipped in Germany where it enjoyed a warm reception from both press and consumers alike; being nominated in five categories for the 2004 German Developer Awards, including Best PC Game, Best Game Characters, and Best Story/Gameworld. The action RPG title will ship in the US late in the first quarter of 2005 for the PC.

EA just dropped us a note that NFL Street 2 has gone gold and is expected to hit store shelves on December 26th.

Ascaron has released a new patch for Sacred, as well as an updated version of its free "PLUS" expansion pack. This patch brings either version to v1.8.26 and addresses a slew of singleplayer, multiplayer and general game issues (thanks 3DGamers). Read more for download links ...

In 'Playboy: the Mansion' you step into the virtual slippers of world-famous Playboy Founder Hugh Hefner, building Playboy Magazine and the Playboy Mansion into dynamic cultural icons. Gamers also will live the lifestyle, rubbing elbows with stunning women and popular celebrities, and share the mystique of the Mansion by hosting extravagant, exciting parties.

As expected, EA has released the first patch for its recently released Sim game, The Sims 2. This update brings your retail game to v1.0.0.971 and addresses a slew of game crashes and bug fixes (thanks SimsZone). Read more for download links ...

Ubisoft announced today that Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon 2 for the PS2 is available this week at retail outlets across the U.S. Developed by Ubisoft’s Shanghai and Paris studios, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon 2 for PS2 is the first-ever Clancy game built exclusively from the ground up for that console.

Electronic Arts today announced that "Armies of Exigo" for the PC has begun to ship to retail outlets. "Armies of Exigo" is a grand scale fantasy real-time strategy (RTS) game that smashes the traditional boundaries of the battlefield with epic campaigns taking place simultaneously above ground and below the surface.

SNK NEOGEO USA announced today that the company has shipped its first title for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance, Metal Slug Advance.

Namco announced today that Mr. Driller Drill Spirits has begun shipping to retail outlets nationwide exclusively for the Nintendo DS. Namco has also announced that another favorite franchise title, Ridge Racer DS, will begin shipping the first week of December 2004. Taking advantage of the technology the new platform has to offer, both titles utilize dual-screen support and wireless connectivity to the fullest, providing players with the ultimate Nintendo DS gaming experience.

CDV Software Entertainment announced today that Blitzkrieg: Rolling Thunder, the expansion to CDV's critically acclaimed real-time strategy title, Blitzkrieg, has shipped to North American retail outlets. Blitzkrieg: Rolling Thunder lets gamers experience some of the most dramatic and important battles of WWII.