There will be several phases of the beta so don't worry if you won't be accepted at the start. If you are accepted as an 'Soldner - Addon' Closed Beta Program participant an E-mail will be sent to the address you provide with further details. Minimum requirements are: Age of 18, Broadband Internet Connection, 2 Ghz Processor, 512 MB RAM and a GeForce 3 equivalent video card.

Feeding the flames of conspiracy, Oxygen Interactive today authorised the March 2005 launch of Conspiracy: Weapons of Mass Destruction, a thrilling first-person-shooter for PS2, Xbox and PC.

Players assume the square-jawed role of Cole Justice, an ex government secret service agent, trained mercenary and all-round tough guy, recruited by 'the agency' for one final assignment. According to intelligence reports, a rogue government agency known as 'Hydra' has been developing weapons of mass destruction to sell to worldwide terrorist organisations. Hydra has been long suspected of funding its activities through unlawful means, including the trafficking of arms and drugs

The government no longer has control over this rogue agency and it has quickly become an embarrassment in need of urgent elimination

Developed by award-winning game studios, Kuju, Conspiracy: Weapons of Mass Destruction is propelled by the powerful Fire Warrior engine and takes first person shooting to a whole new altitude. Across five sprawling levels, gameplay spans from secret bases in Aztec ruins to military training camps in the Arctic Circle.

As a trained mercenary, Cole's weaponry consists of pistols, assault rifles, sub machine guns, sniper rifles, grenade launchers and rocket launchers weapons.

Remember. Believe nothing... Trust no-one...

Conspiracy: Weapons of Mass Destruction is being developed by Kuju and will be published by Oxygen Interactive in March 2005 for PS2, Xbox and PC, price to be confirmed.

NCsoft Corporation® (KSE: 036570.KS), the world’s leading developer and publisher of online computer games, today announced the release of an extensive expansion to Lineage® II: The Chaotic Chronicle, a massively multiplayer online game that was recently named the best role-playing game of 2004 by Scripps Howard News Service. The expansion, Chronicle 2: Age of Splendor, includes more than 500 megabytes of new features adding three new zones, wondrous underwater areas, rideable mounts, new monsters, items and spells as well as an in-game gambling system consisting of a racetrack, throwing dice and a lottery.

• Sudden Strike 3
  The Sudden Strike 3 Q&A on FileFront talks with several of the folks at Fireglow about their upcoming World War II strategy game sequel: "Unlike the conventional RTS, Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory is a fully featured RTS with fully featured strategic part. (We would even say that we are trying to make another mini-revolution in the Strategy genre J ) In previous Sudden Strike line games the essence was 'who', but in the Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory the essence is 'where and when'. Now the player’s aim is not just crushing enemy defense. His aim is to use strategic means for obtaining strategic superiority, and then to make a decisive strike. Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory is very large-scale game. "
• Stronghold 2
  Building a Better Castle with Simon Bradbury on The Adrenaline Vault Articles talks with Firefly Studios about their upcoming siege-oriented sequel: "One big addition for Stronghold 2 is the depiction of "living like a lord." In the first Stronghold we were happy with how the resource chains turned out and were very happy with the siege combat. What we weren't able to do partly because of technology and partly because of production time, was to explore the grittiness of peasant life and pageantry of the nobles in medieval times."
• The Matrix Online
  The question of the week on The Matrix Online Vault discusses how pets will function in the virtual world within the virtual world in the upcoming Matrix MMORPG.

• S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl on GameKult (in French - Translated here). Casting doubt on the game's readiness. Includes 80 screenshots.

• Codename: Panzers Phase Two on Tiscali Games.
• Desert Law on the Official Website. Thanks Frans.
• The Roots on RPG Vault.

GameSpy's fee still ran into thousands of dollars per game, but Mac publishers were willing to pay it to put their customers on a level playing field with their PC counterparts. But now, with that discount gone, GameSpy licensing costs have skyrocketed for Mac publishers.

GameSpy is now asking for an amount that, in some cases, is the equivalent of 50 to 100 percent of the total Mac development budget, according Adams. Doubling the cost of development just to make the game play with PC users isn't something that Aspyr can afford to do, she added.

"What GameSpy is asking for now is more than what I'd pay up front for a game license," said MacSoft general manager Al Schilling. Like Aspyr, Mac game publisher MacSoft has seen its discount with GameSpy evaporate in recent months, according to Schilling.

• Bach Offers More Xbox 2 Clues.
• Reasons to Love China PSP Cell Phones.
• Kao Kangaroo Screens.

• U.S. Officials Raid Stores, Arrest 2 in Game Piracy.
• Apple in Cybersquatting Fight Over ITunes Website.
• Mozilla Releases Thunderbird 1.0 E-Mail Client.
• Apple web hole still open.
• Broadband Reports | KaZaA 3.0 No Spyware - And we're an ornithology website....
• Broadband Reports | VoIP Taxation - States go on the offensive.
• Broadband Reports | Porn Broadband's Killer App - 1 in 4 UK users upgraded for one reason....
• Eolas, Microsoft make their case--again.

In Hearts of Iron 2, you are the supreme leader of a country of your choosing during the tumultuous struggle of World War II, with the goal of winning the War through warfare and diplomacy. To achieve your goals you need to guide your nation through a multitude of aspects including alliances, technological advances, strategic thinking and military production.

Grab your choice from over 20 destructive hi-tech weapons including heavy machine guns, rocket launchers and plasma rifles as you set out to seek-and-destroy your enemy once and for all. Take control of awesome vehicles like four-wheelers, speeder bikes and giant mech-robots as you battle across gigantic landscapes, huge air masses and vast oceans.

Game Prototype Development investment funding was provided for two projects. IR Gurus Interactive Australia will develop a game of the world’s longest running science fiction television series Dr. Who, and Iron Monkey Studios will develop Darkenlight, a darkly-twisted, humorously spooky game of fighting action and exploration set in an enigmatic world where nothing is quite what it seems."

Escape from Butcher Bay is a de facto prequel to the big-budget sci-fi film epic, The Chronicles of Riddick, which performed poorly at the box office earlier this year. Its protagonist, Richard B. Riddick, is a hardened, antiheroic criminal who is locked up in the titular prison at the game's start. Players control Riddick as he navigates his way through the interplanetary penitentiary, and lays down some of the backstory behind The Chronicles of Riddick and the first film to feature Riddick, Pitch Black.

In Gates of Troy you will lead your nation to victory in the ancient world’s greatest battles. Capture romance and adventure as you work your way to the far off shores of Troy. Control a vast empire and fight epic sized battles on 3D battlefields. With 6 new campaigns and 19 new heroes to come to your aid it will take all the planning in the world to build your cities and conquer your enemies. Greece is in your hands in Gates of Troy!

• Auto Assault
  The Auto Assault Q&A on MM Hell learns more about NetDevil's upcoming automotive MMORPG by chatting with Scott Brown: "Auto Assault is very much about player advancement. The player has attributes and skills that affect what they can use and their abilities during combat. As you level up and complete missions you get new points you can spend to make these improvements. The vehicle is what contains your current set of equipment. There is a lot you can change and customize to fit your play style. The player will have the ability to own many vehicles at the same time."
• Vatan
  The Vatan Q&A on Warcry News Network is a quick article-format Q&A with Bruno Cesteiro, of FY Software about their space combat game: "We're not trying to compete with million-dollar budget titles,” Cesteiro says. “Doom 3 technology using stencil shadows, per-pixel lighting, etc., won't be in Vatan. That kind of technology doesn't work in outdoor environments."
• Sigonyth: Desert Eternity
  The Sigonyth: Desert Eternity Q&A on Access Gamer talks with Dawid (Zolthar) Makowski of New Desert about their recently unveiled MMORPG: "Sigonyth: Desert Eternity is the name of the planet, where all the action takes place. The eldest citizens call it “eternal desert” because of desert that spreads all over the area, just like on Mars. There is insufficiency of water, moreover, the air composition favors mutations, so it all makes the planet very harsh environment to live in."
• Just Cause
  The Avalanche Studios Q&A on Experience Gaming discusses progress on Just Cause with Avalanche Studios' Christofer Sundberg: "Big, big and big! We wanted to create a very free game, where players can have fun, experience exciting missions and blow a lot of things up."
• Year-end
  HomeLAN Fed's Games In 2004-2005 Q&A with Brian Sullivan continues this year-end series by talking with the president of Iron Lore.

• Dungeons and Dragons: Dragonshard on HomeLAN Fed and IGN.
• GTR on SimHQ.

• NASCAR 2005 on SimRacingWorld.

• A guide to troubleshooting your PC on Ars Technica.
• MSI's nForce4 SLI board has Creative Audio.
• New DVD Has Dual-Layered Surface.
• Adware cannibals feast on each other.
• AOL lays off 750 employees.
• EBay Negative on Negativland IPod.
• Sale of I.B.M. PC Unit Is a Bridge Between Companies and Cultures (registration required).
• An Apple rumor a day News.blog.
• TechConnect Magazine offers a new homebrew optimized NVIDIA driver.

• Winning Eleven 8 kicking off in US on Xbox.
• Nintendo makes good on dead pixel cure.
• Mario Party 6 Ships.
• Robots Invade Stores.
• DBZ Budokai 2.
• Dress Up Resident Evil.

• Talk Back DVD Format Wars on Designtechnica.
• All-in-one Home Theater in a Box Systems vs. Components. Which is Best For You? on eCoustics.

• Axis & Allies on Computer and Video Games.
• Call of Duty: United Offensive on Multiplayer Online Games Directory.
• Children of the Nile on Games Domain.
• CSI: Miami on GameSpot.
• Dead Man's Hand on Computer Games Romania.
• Half-Life 2 on Prodigious Gaming.
• The Incredibles on GamerDad.
• Nexus - the Jupiter Incident on LoadedInc.
• RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 on GamersInfo.net.
• Rome: Total War on Multiplayer Online Games Directory.
• Sid Meier's Pirates on FiringSquad.
• Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines (in German) on GameCaptain.de and GBase.ch.
• World of Warcraft on Worthplaying.

• A4Tech's Easy Go Optical Mouse on TechTastic.
• Aerocool AeroPower Silver Line 550W PSU on 3DXtreme.
• Aerocool HT-101JR Heat Pipe HSF on SystemCooling.
• Akaska Cooling on Hardware Fusion.
• Albatron K8X800 Pro II Socket 754 Motherboard on PC Perspective.
• ATake Phantom Robot UV Light Set on Phoronix.
• Corsair, Kingston, and OCZ TCCD Memory Shoot-out on VR-Zone Hardware.
• Elonex Soliton Safari - Semi-Rugged Notebook on TrustedReviews.
• Intel 925XE Chipset and 3.46GHz Extreme Edition CPU on Overclockers Australia.
• Lian Li PC-6077 Mid-tower Case on Bjorn3d.
• Logitech Harmony 688 Remote Control on Designtechnica Reviews.
• Logitech MX1000 Laser Cordless Mouse on The Tech Zone.
• Samsung L1200 Portable DVD Player on Bytesector.
• SilenX Luxurae HDSS on Auphan Online.
• SilverStone Temjin TJ04 Case on Ninjalane.
• SilverStone Temjin TJ05 Case on InsaneTek.
• Silverstone TJ06 Wind Tunnel Case on MADSHRIMPS.
• Steelpad QCK+ MousePad Mouse Pad on Hardware Hounds.
• Sunbeam Tech Transformer Case on Bigbruin.
• Thermaltake Silent PurePower 350W Fanless PSU on Neoseeker.
• Thermaltake Xaser Bag on Adrian's Rojak Pot.
• Ultra Retractable Cables on ViperLair.
• XFX GeForce 6600 GT AGP Video Card on Teamhardware.

• GameSpy Dropping Mac Support?...
• China Bans Video Game for Breach of Sovereignty. Thanks Mike Martinez...
• Activision Dinged by Analyst (thanks Mike Martinez). Hopefully he left a note on the windshield...
• Playing to Kill "The Department of Defense is making use of training software inspired by videogames to prepare soldiers for war."...