Midway Games Inc. announced today that noted producer and composer Chris Vrenna will score the music for Area 51, the ultimate “sci-fi meets government cover-up” first-person shooter. Area 51 is scheduled to ship in 2004 for the PlayStation2 and the Xbox. Read more for details ...

S2 Games and iGames Publishing today announced that Savage: The Battle for Newerth has shipped to retail stores nationwide. The much anticipated real-time strategy shooter has had the gaming industry buzzing since its unveiling at this year’s E3. Savage is considered by many to be the first title to seamlessly meld two separate game genres, real-time strategy and first-person shooter, into one game. Savage has an MSRP of $49.99 and has been rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB.

One of the greatest fighting game franchises of all time will finally come to next generation gaming platforms in the US, as SNK NeoGeo USA Consumer Corp., the recently launched US publishing arm of the SNK Neogeo Corp., announced today that they will publish The King Of Fighters 2000 and The King Of Fighters 2001 in a special combination pack exclusively for the PS2. The King Of Fighters combo pack will be available at the end of November for a special suggested retail price of $39.99.

As expected & announced Ubisoft has now released the new patch for their FPS/Stealth action game Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield. This upgrade brings your retail game to v1.41. We have the US/UK and German versions of the patch available as well as a v1.4 dedicated win32 server (update & full), as well as client and serverside punkbuster updates. Read more for details and download links ...

Electronic Arts announced today that reigning NASCAR Winston Cup Series Champion Tony Stewart will be the official cover athlete for NASCAR Thunder 2004 from EA SPORTS. Tony's likeness will appear on all NASCAR Thunder 2004 packaging and merchandising. Read more for details ...

Kemco has unleashed the official web site for Rogue Ops today. The game’s new Web site is not only loaded with extensive detail on missions, gear and in-depth background information on femme fatal Nikki Connors, but promises to unmask special gameplay features every two weeks leading up to the game’s release. The stealth-based, action-adventure phenomenon will be available this November on the PlayStation2, GameCube and the Xbox.

Capcom today announced the release of P.N.03, a bold approach to the action genre for the GameCube. Set within futuristic sci-fi environments, players clash with complex enemy robots and mechs in a mercenary operation to rid a colonial planet of a menace that has turned the region into a killing field. Take control of Vanessa Z. Schneider and lead her though a series of intense missions to disarm the formidable threat, causing mech carnage as she pursues the truth utilizing nothing but her laser wielding hands. P.N.03 is rated “T” for teen audiences by the ESRB.

Leading video games publisher, Namco Hometek Inc. announced today that 'Soulcalibur II', the sequel to one of the most revered weapons-based fighter video games of all-time, shipped over 1.6 million units on its first day, the largest day one release in the history of Namco’s U.S. division.

Vivendi Universal Games announced today that Hunter: The Reckoning Wayward for the PS2 has shipped to retail. This fast-paced hack n' slash game marks the introduction of the gothic fantasy world of Hunter: The Reckoning based on White Wolf's pen and paper RPG, to the platform. With one of five playable Hunters, gamers will battle hordes of monsters with an arsenal of deadly weapons. High Voltage Software has developed several features that provide Hunter: The Reckoning Wayward a unique game-play experience from previous games from the franchise, including a Hub based portal system and two-player cooperative mode.

Slitherine Software are looking for Beta Testers for Spartan - our upcoming 3D multiplayer strategy game set in ancient Greece. Spartan is now at the stage where we are ready to start the beta testing. To be a beta tester you must register with the Slitherine Forum as we will be tracking and monitoring bugs through this forum. Please bear in mind that beta testing is not all glamour! A lot of hard work goes into it, so be prepared for this. Read more for details ...