Downloads of the full version of the free XMP expanded multiplayer add-on for Unreal II are now available. The download, which obviously requires the full version of the first-person shooter, is a 274 MB download, available from 3D Gamers, AusGamers, BeyondUnreal, Boomtown, Computer Games Online, FilePlanet (registration required), Filerush, FileShack (registration required), Gamer's Hell, GameSpot DLX (registration required), Loadedinc (registration required), and Worthplaying.

A number of patches are now available for Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield, updating various localized versions of the tactical Tom Clancy shooter to version 1.50. Each patch is about an 8.7 MB download, the U.S. English 1.41-1.50 patch (direct link) is available from 3D Gamers, ActionTrip, Boomtown, Filerush, Games Fusion, Gamer's Hell, GameSpot DLX (registration required), Loadedinc (registration required), and Worthplaying. The German, French, Italian, and Spanish patches are also available, some or all of which are mirrored on 3D Gamers, Gamer's Hell, and Loadedinc (registration required). There is also a corresponding new version of the game's Win32 dedicated server, available on Gamer's Hell, GameSpot DLX (registration required), and Worthplaying. Update: The UK and French Canadian patches are now also available on 3D Gamers.

Halo: Truth and Reconciliation (thanks Halo.Bungie.Org) now offers downloads of the promised new version 1.03 of Bungie's first-person shooter, as well as the corresponding version 1.03 of the game's dedicated server program. The 4 MB client patch is available on 3D Gamers, ActionTrip, Boomtown (registration required), FileFront, Gamer's Hell, GameSpot DLX (registration required), IGN, Loadedinc (registration required), and Worthplaying, while the 2 MB server patch can be found on 3D Gamers, FileFront, GameSpot DLX (registration required), and Worthplaying. The client update can also be downloaded and applied automatically from within the game itself.

This Strategy First Patches Page now features a new patch for Warrior Kings: Battles, updating the game to version 1.23 by adding "a few enhancements to the game and some bug fixes." The update is a 2.4 MB download, and more details can be found in the read me.

The Painkiller movie that was leaked on the internet last week is now legitimately available for download, albeit as a "clean-cut ‘ESRB’ approved" version. The movie is a 37 MB download, available from 3D Gamers and Gamer's Hell.

A "sneak peek" of Postal 2: Share the Pain is now available, offering a demo of the upcoming version of the first-person shooter that adds multiplayer support to the game's outrageous mix. The demo is posted on Worthplaying, where there's a reference to a "quartet of multiplayer entertainments," that may indicate the 156 MB download includes four levels or four game modes. Further mirrors are now available on 3D Gamers, ActionTrip, Boomtown (registration required), FileFront, Filerush, FileShack (registration required), Gamer's Hell, GameSpot DLX (registration required), and IGN.

Atari Ships Artifact Entertainment's Horizons Empire of Istaria is the press release with the expected word that Horizons: Empire of Istaria, Artifact Entertainment's MMORPG, is shipping to stores. The press release offers extensive details on the game's nine races (including dragons), character classes, weapons, the game world, and more. Here's a bit on the combat system:

For many, combat in Horizons will be an all encompassing passion, but even a simple tailor minding his or her own business can run into the occasional zombie – so training a few fighting skills can never hurt. Combat in Horizons takes the art of war to an entirely new level as lunges, parries, blocks and evasions are all fully represented with detailed animations. Monsters will no longer stand still as your mighty sword cleaves them in two. As players progress in skill by using standard attacks in combat situations they gain new special abilities that could be the difference between life and death in later levels.

Aspyr sends word on several Mac projects that are complete, and getting set to ship in time for the holidays:

• Star Wars® Jedi Knight®: Jedi Academy conversion performed by Brad Oliver. Aspyr's first in-house conversion! Will be shipping around December 19th.
• Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six® 3: Raven Shield® conversion performed by i5works. Will be shipping around December 17th.
• Lara Croft Tomb Raider™: The Angel of Darkness™ conversion performed by Beenox. Will be shipping around December 20th.
• Wakeboarding Unleashed™ Featuring Shaun Murray for the PC and Macintosh. Conversion performed by Beenox. Will be shipping around December 22nd.

This NVIDIA WinXP/2k Downloads Page features a new version 53.03 of the ForceWare graphics driver for nForce3-based systems. Thanks Aaron.

Techland sends word of plans for a big Chrome patch that will add a bunch of new maps, some new vehicles, and new gameplay modes to their science fiction first-person shooter. Here's the deal:

Having taken into account players’ suggestions, Techland releases their new Update for Chrome. Although it fixes some minor game issues it’s something much more than just a patch.

The most important changes are new multiplayer game modes and new maps featuring them as well as new vehicles that can be used there. The maps names are: Autobahn, Deadlock, Chillout, TreasureIsland2, Carbius, Skirmish, Battledust2 and Soilent2. This makes 8 of them which actually doubles the number of available multiplayer maps in the game. Two new vehicles have been added. One is ArmoBeatle Mark 4 which takes 6 people onboard (together with a driver and a gun operator) and can be a great help for massive infantry attacks. The other is Speeder which is a very fast one-man vehicle that can be used for recon missions or flag interception purposes.

The update also features the All-Seeing Eye game matchmaking support which is a good news for the on-line gaming community. The new server console commands and the ability of controlling the server from a game client will also make players’ life easier.

Techland and Chrome publishers announce that a lot of new game Internet servers will be set up soon. This together with the upcoming free dedicated server software will allow all Chrome fans make use of all the new features and maps that the update introduces.

The promised patch for the FireStarter demo is now available, addressing a framerate issue with GSC Game Worlds first-person shooter demo, while also enhancing the demo's included role-playing elements. The patch is a 100 KB download, available from 3D Gamers, Boomtown, Gamer's Hell, and Worthplaying.

Halo.Bungie.Org has word to expect a new patch for the PC version of Halo (thanks Frans). Citing a note on the Gearbox forums, they point out that the dedicated server is expected sometime this morning, with the release of the client patch planned for the this afternoon.

• Far Cry
  The Far Cry developer profiles at 1UP.com (thanks Frans) offers a series of four mini-Q&As with the folks at Crytek discussing their upcoming first-person shooter.
• Mythica
  The Mythica Q&A on GameSpot tracks down Joel Manners to discuss progress on Mythica, the MMORPG in the works at Microsoft Game Studios. There are corresponding forum threads discussing new revelations from the Q&A on Mythica Headquarters.
• War of the Ring
  3DAvenue's War of the Ring PC Q&A (thanks HomeLAN Fed) chats with Liquid Entertainment's Ed Del Castillo about the upcoming Tolkien-inspired real-time strategy game.
• Dark Horizons: Lore
  GameSpyDaily's Dark Horizons: Lore Q&A Part II (thanks HomeLAN Fed) looks for Mr. Wright, as they continue their chat with Max Gaming's Adrian Wright about their upcoming Torque-engine giant robot combat game.
• Dead Next Door
  HomeLAN Fed's Dead Next Door Q&A chats with Brad Gaffney of new developer Zombie Squad about Dead Next Door, their upcoming AMP II-engine first-person shooter. Topics include the appeal of the horror genre as well as nuts-and-bolts of gameplay.
• Bethesda
  HomeLAN Fed's Gaming 2003-2004 Q&As continue, by chatting with Bethesda Softworks' Todd Howard.

GameSpy's EverQuest II Developer Diary Volume 2 is online, offering thoughts from Sony Online Entertainment lead character artist Derek Benson who provides "an inside glimpse into the process used in building characters in EQII's new engine, from deciding what characters to build to the various team members involved in bringing them to life."

• Battlefield Vietnam on IGN.
• BREED on Gamers Europe.
• Far Cry on GenGamers.
• Full Spectrum Warrior on 3DAvenue and GameSpy.

Horizons Vault's Developer Chat Log is online, recapping last night's IRC session with the folks from Artifact Entertainment on the eve of today's North American launch of the fantasy MMORPG. They discuss lessons learned from the game's European launch and go into detail about what the game entails. There is also a Horizon's pre-launch Q&A on HomeLAN Fed chatting with Artifact's Steve Escalante about the game.

• EverQuest II on EverQuest Vault.
• FireStarter on Action Vault.
• Horizons: Empire of Istaria on RPG Vault.
• Mutant Chronicles Online on Gamatomic.
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Oblivion Lost on Stalker Oblivion-Lost.com.
• TRIBES Vengeance on Fappin.
• Warhammer Online on RPG Vault.
• Wars & Warriors: Joan of Arc on Action Vault.
• Wartime Command on the Official Website. Thanks Frans.
• Wish on Wish Vault.

The Massive Assault Website now offers downloads of a dozen new scenarios for this global domination strategy game. Word is: "This pack contains 9 EASY and 3 MEDIUM level scenarios, so that the newcomers can pick up the game more easily. And it will give the experienced players a few extra hours of fun."

• "Sammy Holding Company, Inc. today announced that parent company Sammy Corporation, in a continuing effort to diversify its global entertainment holdings, has acquired the shares of Sega Corporation held by CSK Corporation. The investment gives Sammy Corp. 39,148,600 additional shares, or a majority stake of 22.4%, in Sega Corporation. The two companies have been collaborating on various projects. With this acquisition of the shares, Sammy plans to solidify its business relationship with Sega."
• Has Seamus Blackley gone Hollywood? on GameSpot continues their conversation with the father of the Xbox.
• There's a DRIV3R Q&A on Worthplaying reproducing an in-house interview chatting about the upcoming racing sequel, accompanied by a bunch of new screenshots.

RPG Vault's Etherlords II Wrap Report is online, in which "Dmitry Kolpakov gives us Nival's post-release perspective on its recent sequel featuring enhanced RPG content."

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• U.N. Weighs Internet Ground Rules.
• Hope You Like Jamming, Too - Cell-phone jammers may soon be all over.
• Phones, handhelds may replace laptops.
• Worm hits Windows-based ATMs.
• Microsoft to drop older products.
• Java Goes to Wal-Mart.
• Congress OKs antispam legislation.
• Scrubbing Away the Stain of Spam.
• BlackBerry aims to go Wi-Fi.
• Time Warner to Use Cable Lines to Add Phone to Internet Service (registration required).
• Coke Enters the Music Business.
• Learning Lessons About Overseas Support (registration required).
• Sharky Extreme's December Value Gaming PC Buyer's Guide.

Camelot Vault's ToA Master Level 2 Guide and ToA Master Level 3 Guide are online, supplementing their guidance on succeeding at the trials of Atlantis expansion for Dark Age of Camelot. Also, in a surprisingly piracy friendly gesture, the Lock On: Modern Air Combat (thanks Frans) now offers downloads of "all the necessary Lock On reference material: manuals, keycards, etc."

• Armed & Dangerous on ActionTrip.
• Broken Sword: the Sleeping Dragon on Jolt.co.uk and Quandary.
• Call of Duty on All Hyped Up and DiscGamer.
• Chrome on Stratos Group.
• Deus Ex: Invisible War on WickedToast.
• Dungeon Siege: Legends of Aranna on Gamers Depot and Gameplanet NZ.
• The Hobbit on Gameraiders.
• Need for Speed Underground on GameZone and Khabal Gaming.
• Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark on GameSpot.
• Nosferatu: the Wrath of Malachi on PC Gameworld.
• The Sims: Makin' Magic on TechTV.
• Victoria: an Empire Under the Sun on IGN.
• Wildlife Park on GameSpot.
• X2: the Threat on ActionTrip.

• A+ GPB CA-AP107 Mid ATX Tower Case on PC Mods.
• Aopen 300 Watt PSU on MADSHRIMPS.
• ASUS K8V Deluxe Motherboard on ViperLair.
• ASUS P4S800D-E Deluxe Motherboard on [H]ardOCP.
• ATI 9600 XT vs NVIDIA 5700 Ultra on Neoseeker.
• Crucial 128MB Gizmo Drive on SubZeroTech.
• Crucial 256MB PC3200 DDR RAM on 8Balls Hardware.
• DangerDen RBX Waterblock on PimpRig.
• Leadtek WinFast A380 Ultra TDH MyVIVO Video Card on Bjorn3D.
• Logitech MX900 Bluetooth Optical Mouse on BYTESECTOR.
• Sendo M550 Mobile Phone on TechConnect.
• Shuttle ST61G4 XPC on HEXUS.net.
• Smart Office Keyboard EZ-8000 on Geeklyreview.
• Vantec Vortex Hard Drive Cooling System on Computing On Demand.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• "Matrix Games is pleased to announce that a demo version of Eric Young’s Squad Assault: West Front by Freedom Games has been completed and will be made available online later this week."...
• NYC demands GTA changes. Thanks Chris Johnson...
• Slashdot | Real Gun Pulled At Counter-Strike Tournament...
• War Games Come Marching In...
• Playing for keeps. On "convergence."...
• There's a Boulder Dash Treasure Pleasure demo offering a sample of this classic remake for a 4 MB download. The file can be found on Gamer's Hell...

Tomorrow is the tenth birthday(!!!) of the game that brought terms like "deathmatch," "gib," and "suck it down" into our vernacular. I definitely need to round up some of my mutant buddies to make sure we have some updated version of DOOM installed to celebrate the occasion. Last one with a telefrag is a rotten egg!

Play Time:	Fan and Ball. Thanks markus friedl.
Stories of the Day:	Web gambling pioneer sets sights on Internet pot. Thanks Tony!!! You've got a friend ... of a friend ... of a friend ... Europe begins program to reduce noise.
Science!:	Study links light drinking, brain shrinking. Ironing Out Blood Impurities. Heads-Up Displays Move From Cockpits to Cyclists’ Helmets (registration required).
Media of the Day:	Project Looking Glass Demo. Thanks Ajax.
	Thanks Mike Martinez.