Ubisoft's Brothers In Arms Road to Hill 30 Page (thanks Frans) now carries an updated release date for Gearbox Software's upcoming World War II shooter. The page now lists March 2005 instead of February for the game's release, and EBgames now specifies a March 8, 2005 release date.

Here's another release date change, as this Empire Interactive product page reveals a delay for Starship Troopers. The release date for the Heinlein-inspired project has been updated from 1-Jul-2005 to 23-Sep-2005. Blame the brain bugs. Thanks Frans.

A new SÖLDNER: Marine Corps product page is online, as publisher JoWooD's home to the upcoming shooter add-on (thanks Frans). The site includes basic info on the project, and a gallery with some new screenshots.

• Stolen
  The Stolen Q&A on FileFront steals some time with Jaid Mindang to discuss Blue 52's stealthy action game: "The game takes place during a mayoral election in Forge City. It’s a huge metropolis, in the grip of a dramatically escalating crime wave. The two Mayoral candidates have made crime their big campaign issues and have approached the problem from diametrically opposed angles. Amongst all that, your character is hired by an enigmatic client for a couple of high profile jobs, which will plunge you into the middle of some dirty campaign tactics on the part of one of the Mayoral candidates."
• Dragonshard
  The Dragonshard Q&A on Computer Games Magazine rolls the dice with Liquid Entertainment designer Jasen Torres to learn more about their D&D real-time strategy game: "Resources are handled more in the vein of finding treasure that the player has to seek out rather than a stream of "stuff" that flows from right next to the player base. Gold is primarily in the underworld / dungeons, in chests, locked chests, sometimes lying on the ground, and sometimes dropping from monsters. Dragonshards rain down from the sky like meteor showers all over the map- next to the base and far away from it. Some units can predict or detect exactly where, but otherwise the player has to seek out dragonshards. Experience, the last resource, is earned from killing monsters, completing quests, and finding special items or places of power which grant it. The management is not complex but the player will have to seek out and even fight over resources in Dragonshard."
• Act of War
  The Act of War: Direct Action Q&A on Computer Games Magazine debriefs Jeff Foley about what to expect from Act of War: Direct Action, Eugen System's RTS game: "Act of War has a line of sight system where every unit has its own line of sight raytraced on a per-frame basis, taking terrain, topography, own units, vegetation, buildings, street furniture, etc. into account, so all of these features have a massive impact on the game play -- aside from the fact that you can set ambushes and hide inside buildings. You can literally hide from the enemy by using the terrain cleverly; units on rooftops can see units on the ground but not vice versa; you can place SAMs and RPGs in buildings to take out helicopters or tanks before they even know what hit them; set an ambush among trees or bushes to make twice the normal damage, etc."
• Killer Women
  Killer Women: Samantha Ryan on Killer Betties continues this female-centric Q&A series by talking with the president of Monolith Productions: "In my experience, being a woman in a male dominated industry has been neutral. There are rare occasions where I might be at a slight advantage or disadvantage, but these balance out. This may be because the games industry as a whole is more progressive than other industries. I’m not sure. I do know that I don’t think of myself as a woman when I make decisions. I simply do the best job possible as a representative of the human race."

Anarchy Enterprises announces Coffee Tycoon the game that focuses on the bucks part of Starbucks:

"Coffee Tycoon Announced"

Anarchy Enterprises today announced Coffee Tycoon (www.coffeetycoon.net) will be release in early spring 2005 for the PC. The strategy game is being developed by the makers of Moon Tycoon, Deep Sea Tycoon, and most recently National Lampoon's University Tycoon.

Coffee Tycoon lets gamers build a coffee empire. Starting fresh with one store, players customize their coffee business by giving it a name and choosing a logo and store design. From there, they'll choose a city to start their coffee empire, maybe New York or L.A., or if they're really daring, the coffee capital of the world: Seattle!

Coffee Tycoon is filled with dozens of charming characters who will offer up their opinions, good or bad, on the quality of the player's store. Players can choose from a hundred store upgrades and coffee recipes to customize their business.

Features:
• 5 different company logos and coffee store styles to choose from.
• 5 starting cities: New York, Miami, Chicago, L.A., and Seattle.
• Dozens of game characters and personalities.
• 100 store upgrades and coffee recipes.
• Hundreds of unique events and bonuses.

For more information please visit www.coffeetycoon.net.

Ubisoft, EA Hold Preliminary Talks -Paper (thanks Mike Martinez) has more on the EA/Ubisoft takeover saga:

EA, the world's largest video game maker, earlier this month reiterated it might add to its stake in Ubisoft and seek representation on its board.

Ubisoft has vowed to stay independent and has dismissed EA's approach as hostile until it received more information.

Tentative talks between both companies are on the takeover price EA might be willing to pay and how Ubisoft's management might be reshaped, the Wall Street Journal said.

• The Matrix Online
  The Matrix Online Website offer links to the first three in a matrix of nine movies to be released over the coming three weeks. One or more of the clips are mirrored on 3D Gamers, Fragland.net, and Worthplaying.
• Boiling Point
  A new movie trailer for Boiling Point: Road to Hell is now available on this Atari ftp server, showing off more of the vehicles that one encounters on the road to hell in Deep Shadows' upcoming first-person shooter. The movie is mirrored on 3D Gamers.
• Constantine
  A new Constantine movie is now available, a movie from the game based on the movie based on the comic (pant pant). The clip can be found on the Constantine Website. Thanks Frans.
• Mortyr II
  The Hip Games Downloads Section now offers a new movie setting the back story for Mortyr II, the upcoming World War II shooter sequel. Thanks Frans.
• Domination
  Another pair of trailers are now available for Massive Assault: Phantom Renaissance, Wargaming.Net's upcoming turn-based strategy expansion also known as Domination. The movies are available on 3D Gamers.

• Bet on Soldier on 1UP.
• Codename Panzers Phase Two on GameDaily.
• Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows on GameSpot.
• Nexus: The Jupiter Incident on GameDaily.
• Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory on FileFront.
• Star Wars: Republic Commando on Game Informer Online.
• Still Life on GameZone.

The Blizzard Entertainment Technical Support Site now offers a new version 1.12 patch for StarCraft. This page outlines what's changed in the new version of the RTS game. Blizzard has also updated some of their ladder maps, the Lost Temple Map Changes page outlines some of these changes.

• Battlefield 2 on ToTheGame.
• F.E.A.R. on ToTheGame.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• House Cuts Cookies From SPY ACT.
• The ATI Drivers & Software Page has new version 8.10.19 Linux drivers. Thanks Terry.
• Gates Tells of Microsoft Effort to Fight Viruses (registration required).
• New Tech Prevents DVD Copying, Kills Rippers.
• Intel unveils laser breakthrough. Does this have anything to do with sharks?
• Microsoft Launches Anti-Piracy Plan in Brazil. What will Buttle Tuttle think?
• Getting touchy-feely with gamers. A new school controller.
• Google soups up search toolbar.
• InfoWorld AMD advances on the Opteron roadmap.
• Hackers May Have Stolen Californians' Data.
• Napster hack leads to free downloads.
• The man with the RFID arm.
• The Mac mini as a Media Computer.
• Seat-of-the-pants scan sizes shoppers up.
• Can The MPAA Sue with Lokitorrent data? Most say no, a few say possibly...
• LinuxWorld Expo 2005 Day 1 coverage on Ars Technica.
• Component Video Cables -- A Guide and DVI vs. HDMI vs. Component Video -- Which is Better?
• eBay to give away $200,000 in online treasure hunt. Find the real eBay mail among the phishing schemes?
• Court: Wife broke law with spyware. They can't protect us from the vendors, but our spouses are a different story.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• Play Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Lockdown™ on PlayStation 2 before it hits the shops! In the U.K.
• Nintendo DS Pepsi Blue Edition. To go with your black U2 iPod.
• Sony's PSP the good and the bad.
• Touched! Puts More Than 180 Games in the Palm of Your Hand; This is the Nintendo DS Game that Fans are Waiting For.
• Apple’s CELL Interest.
• Suspicions Confirmed as PSP set to see Battery Upgrade.
• Xbox 2 to get natty wireless feature.
• Konami Ships Yu-Gi-Oh! 7 Trials to Glory For GBA.
• Konami Ships NanoBreaker For PS2.
• Jade Empire Preview on FileFront.
• New Playstation 2 Screenshots Tekken 5.
• Conker Live & Reloaded & Delayed.
• Metal Slug 4 & 5 Fact Sheet And Playstation 2 And Xbox Screenshots.
• Eidos announces Smart Bomb for PSP.
• Xenosaga Episode II hits stores.
• Tourney players wanted Dead or Alive.
• GT4 Vs. Forza.
• Winnie the Pooh returns to consoles.
• GameSpot announces Second Annual Mobies Finalists. Best bald singer is...
• Need for Speed Underground Heads to Arcades.

RPG Codex has a report up that Troika has closed its doors, posting a listing of items for sale as the developer is liquidated. They point to a forum post as proof of the legitimacy of this report, which has not been officially confirmed. Thanks Tiscali Games.

Midway Games reveals plans for a PC edition of Area 51, their upcoming UFO conspiracy game, saying it will ship along with the console versions of the game this April:

CHICAGO – February 16, 2005 – Conspiracy theorists rejoice! Midway Games Inc. (NYSE: MWY), a leading interactive entertainment industry publisher and developer, today announced that AREA 51 is currently in development for the PC and is scheduled to ship in April 2005 alongside its console counterparts. Developed internally by Midway Studios Austin, the game features intense first-person shooting action, a secret alien base on earth, government cover-ups and a blockbuster Hollywood cast, proving AREA 51 is a must-have game for players of any system.

"Midway is committed to expanding the breadth of its product line to encompass the PC games sector," said Steve Allison, chief marketing officer, Midway. "Simultaneously introducing all three SKUs will enable us to effectively maximize our marketing efforts and create a high-level of consumer awareness at launch."

Cast in the lead role is David Duchovny, star of the ultimate conspiracy-theory television show, The X-Files, who lends his instantly recognizable voice to AREA 51's lead character, Specialist Ethan Cole, a special forces soldier specializing in hazardous materials investigations. Powers Boothe, who currently appears in the HBO mini-series Deadwood, provides the voice of Major Bridges, while shock rocker Marilyn Manson delivers an unforgettable performance as Edgar, the gray alien.

AREA 51 boasts a rich online experience of up to 16 players for the PC, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and the Xbox® video game system. Players' online experiences will be enhanced with game modes such as Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, and Humans vs. Alien Mutant Team Deathmatch.

Game Description:
The U.S. Army has received a distress signal from Area 51 where a viral outbreak has just shut down the research facility and the automated quarantine procedures have locked all scientific and military personnel inside. A small Special Forces unit including Specialist Ethan Cole of the HAZMAT (hazardous materials) Division is sent to investigate.

As Cole, players delve into the massive levels within the confines of Area 51, only to discover a deadly mutagenic side effect of the virus that controls the minds of those infected, as well as an ancient alien colony buried beneath the facility. Players will uncover the truth behind chilling conspiracies as they come across the remnants of the extraterrestrial crash at Roswell, alien autopsies, and the faked lunar landing. Cole must solve the enigma of Area 51 before the viral mutagen is released and irrevocably mutates all life on Earth.

A playable demo for Stalingrad is now available, offering a chance to sample the frostbitten World War II combat in the military real-time strategy game. The 330 MB demo can be downloaded from the BlackBean Games Website, or one of these mirrors: 3D Gamers, Boomtown, FileFront, Fragland.net, Gameguru Mania, Gamer's Hell, GameSpot DLX (registration required), and Worthplaying.

A new The Regiment Website is online for Konami's upcoming counter-terrorism game (thanks Tiscali Games). The site offers a new screenshot gallery with over two-dozen new images, along with a gameplay trailer in multiple formats.

Suit: Video Game Sparked Police Shootings (registration required) has details on a civil suit being filed against Wal-Mart, Gamestop, Take-Two Interactive Software, and Sony Computer Entertainment over claims that the game Grand Theft Auto was an influential factor in the murder of a pair of police officers and a dispatcher in Alabama in 2003 (thanks Mike Martinez). Followers of the gaming news scene will have no trouble guessing the identity of the lawyer who is behind this litigation.

A new Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich movie is now available, showing off Irrational Games' upcoming superhero sequel set during World War II. The clip can be found on 3D Gamers, Gamer's Hell, and Worthplaying. Also, another new Empire Earth II diary movie is now available, offering more footage of the upcoming RTS sequel in the works at Mad Doc along with some discussion of the game from programmer Rex Bradford. The clip is available on the Sierra Entertainment Downloads Page. Finally, yet another new Star Wars Republic Commando Movie is now available, the clip can be found on 3D Gamers and GameSpy.

• S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
  The S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl Q&A on HC.Gamer discusses GSC Game World's upcoming first-person shooter with Oleg Yavorsky: "AI has been the most challenging part of the game for us - creating an artifical [sic] life going in the Zone is nothing but easy. The initial goal was to create a world living by its own laws independently of the player's actions - and despite all the odds, we have managed to achieve it. Life simulation system is both the feature to make S.T.A.L.K.E.R. truly stand out, and a concept to change the face of FPS experience. This can't get me more excited."
• The Matrix Online
  The Toby Ragaini Q&A on IGN talks with the Monolith designer about The Matrix Online, their upcoming MMORPG: "The Matrix has a lot of appeal from MMO perspective, simply because so many of the problems that MMO developers have to deal with have already been solved. It's very clearly a computer-simulated reality, and the characters in the films come in and out of the world as they see fit. In this way, it works perfectly for an MMO. When you're playing MxO, you're logged into the Matrix. Your character appears next to the phone booth, and that is perfectly in synch with the fiction from the movies."
• Rainbow Six: Lockdown
  The Rainbow Six: Lockdown Q&A on Computer and Video Games (thanks Frans) talks with Stuart White about the next installment in the tactical military shooter series: "Rainbow Six: Lockdown, the team is called in to neutralize the Global Liberation Front. The GLF, a terror group with cells all over the world, has obtained a lethal bio-weapon which they plan to deploy - but no one knows when or where the attack will take place. Ding Chavez and Team-2 track the GLF terrorists from Algeria to Gibraltar to South Africa, and the clock is ticking. Along the way, the team must undertake a dangerous hostage-rescue in the middle of a civil war, save the life of a terrorist that they'd rather kill, and chase terrorists through the bone-strewn catacombs under the city of Paris."
• Dungeon Lords
  RPG Vault's Dungeon Lords Community Q&A features the answers to fan-submitted questions about Heuristic Park's upcoming MMORPG: "The game primarily focuses on combat and spell casting - there are plenty of games that do stealth right now, and Dungeon Lords is designed as a traditional RPG, rather than trying to incorporate whatever seems popular at the moment. You'll be able to avoid some obstacles by being quick, but sneaking is not a primary focus."
• Dragonshard
  The Dragonshard Q&A on HC.Gamer talks with Liquid Entertainment's Ed Kaminski about their upcoming D&D RTS game: "Dragonshard takes place in a brand new D&D campaign setting that was just released by Wizards of the Coast not too long ago called Eberron. Eberron is an interesting world because it takes a new spin on D&D. Where traditional D&D is basically a medieval setting with magic thrown on top, Eberron starts with magic and lets the cultures in the world evolve as if magic has always been a way of life... so much in fact that it almost becomes a sort of technology. It's pretty interesting stuff."
• Cossacks II
  HC.Gamer's Cossacks II Q&A chats up Eugene Grygorovych, project leader on Cossacks II: Napoleonic Wars, GSC Game World's upcoming RTS sequel: "The sequel is designed as a logical continuation of the original game. The second part is not related to the original game. It's built on a new version of Cossacks engine. The game is designed as easy-to-master and user-friendly. That doesn't mean hardcore players will find it uninteresting though. A variety of tactical tricks, increased unit limit, unique troop types, non-linear Campaign storyline as well as combats in Battles and Skirmish modes will all provide a huge basis for the players to apply their strategic skills and plans of scope no less than those of Napoleon! "
• Sudden Strike III
  There's a Sudden Strike III Q&A on HC.Gamer talks with Max Dolmar of FireFly Studios about the next installment in their World War II RTS series: "Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory won't contain missions as it is expected in games like that. There will be large non-linear campaigns. One of them will mostly contain sea operations connected to the ground operations, and other one will mostly contain ground operations, but connected to the sea too."
• Seven Kingdoms
  The Seven Kingdoms: Conquest Q&A on GameSpot discusses Enlight's upcoming strategy sequel with designer Steve Fawkner: "We set four goals for ourselves when we were designing the game: ensure that we included, in some form, all of the very cool things from previous titles; make the game much more story-driven, rather than feature-driven; really tone down the micromanagement that was present in previous versions, because that is definitely the way that modern real-time strategy games are progressing; and most importantly, we set out to provide a unique little twist to every standard real-time strategy feature (harvest, build, produce, and destroy), so as to set the game apart from both its predecessors and its competitors."
• Playboy: The Mansion
  The Daily Dementia is back in action, the freewheeling audio interview series has a conversation with Brenda Brathwaite, lead designer on Playboy: The Mansion. The (not daily) show runs about 30 minutes in MP3 format.
• Rugby 2005
  The Rugby 2005 Q&A on TotalVideoGames talks with Andrew Wilson, who tackles a few questions about the upcoming sports simulation: "The fan base for Rugby definitely exists. It is growing very quickly as a sport and is acquiring new fans all the time. Rugby as a video game, however, can be a very tricky to get right. Even compared to football, there are such a large amount of options that are available to the user. We have made Rugby 2005 easy to pick up and play but we have also given an incredible depth of game play options. From set-plays on the fly to mastering the kicking game, the more time you spend with the game, the more you are able to explore the vast number of options available to you."
• Fallen Earth
  The Icarus Q&A on WarCry Network is an article-format Q&A on the topic of Fallen earth, Icarus Studios' MMORPG, though there's far more background on the game than actual quotes.

CDV announces plans for Codename: Panzers, Phase Two, an unsurprising sequel considering its predecessor carried Phase One in its title, but development on this has already been revealed. Here's the official announcement:

The Battle for Supremacy Continues as CDV Announces Codename: Panzers, Phase Two

CDV Software Entertainment announced today that Codename: Panzers, Phase Two, the sequel to CDV's critically acclaimed WWII real-time strategy title, Codename: Panzers, Phase One, is in development for the PC and is scheduled to invade U.S. retail stores in June 2005. Codename: Panzers, Phase Two will bring armchair generals to the war-torn battlefields of Africa, Southern Europe and the Balkans where they will fight as the Anglo-American Allies, the German-Italian Axis or the Yugoslavian resistance. A complement of heroes, both new and familiar, will be the players' alter egos in dozens of new missions as they attempt to lead their troops to victory.

In development by Hungarian studio Stormregion, Codename: Panzers, Phase Two builds upon everything gamers loved in the original game while adding new campaigns, missions and units. Players will battle online and offline as any of the three forces in the game (Anglo-American Allies, German-Italian Axis and the Yugoslavian resistance) in competitive and cooperative modes. Phase Two includes more than 20 new combat units, hundreds of fully destructible objects, new battlefield environments and a selection of new heroes to lead armies on the battlefield. A powerful mission editor will allow players to edit and create missions, maps, units and captivating cut-scenes, ensuring that no two games are ever the same. More information about Codename: Panzers, Phase Two is available at http://www.panzers.com.

DreamCatcher Games' Obscure Page is online, the publisher's product page for Hydravision Entertainment's horror game that's already available in Europe and is due for North American release in March. Thanks Frans.

A new patch is now available for World of Warcraft, updating Blizzard's MMORPG to version 1.23 for those having trouble with the game's automatic updates. The patch can be downloaded from 3D Gamers, AusGamers (Australia), and FilePlanet (registration required).

• Act of War: Direct Action on 1UP.
• Bet on Soldier on GameSpot.
• Psychotoxic on GameSpy.
• RollerCoaster Tycoon 3: Soaked! on GameDaily.
• Splinter Cell 3: Chaos Theory on IGN.
• Still Life on Adventure Gamers.
• SWAT 4 on GameZone.
• The Suffering on Computer and Video Games. Based on the Xbox version.

• Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 on 3D Gamers.
• Pathologic on the Buka Entertainment Website.
• SWAT 4 on RPG Vault.
• Vivisector Beast: Inside on the Official Website.
• Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Winter Assault on the Relic Entertainment Website and one more. Thanks Frans.

Turbine Entertainment Software Changes Name to Turbine, Inc. has word of a minor name change for the developer, signifying their new emphasis on developing directly to consumers, rather than as a contract developer.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• IE7 Announced for Longhorn and WinXP. Thanks Ant.
• Reversal: Next IE update divorced from Windows.
• Windows anti-spyware to come free of charge.
• Hide and seek on the Web.
• GTA PSP set for 15 May.
• Older Quicken Versions to Lose Online Updates.
• Blogging is all fun and games, until the boss finds out.
• Who's buying iPods.

Thanks Mike Martinez.

• KOEI Goes to Singapore.

The right sidebar on the The Lord of the Rings: The Battle For Middle-earth Website (thanks Frans) is where to find a couple of new modding resources: "Straight from the development team comes two detailed manuals that will teach aspiring modders and all creative minds how to build a custom multiplayer map and utilize our new World Builder tool."

The Jobs at Big Huge Games Page outlines openings they are looking to fill for a couple of paid internships for playtesters. I could write anything in this space after that sentence and there are some who will never see it because they are already filling out their applications.

• COPS 2170: The Power of Law on GameZone.
• NASCAR SimRacing (first impressions) on GameSpy.
• Scrapland (in German) on GameCaptain.de.
• Tin Soldiers: Alexander the Great on Strategy Informer.

• Arctic Cooling NV Silencer 5 (Rev. 2) on nV News.
• Enermax EG701AX-VE-SFMA24P 600W PSU on ViperLair.
• Fossil Abacus AU4002 PDA Watch on Designtechnica.
• Foxconn WinFast NF4UK8AA Motherboard on The Tech Report.
• HSPC Tech Station on ExtremeMhz.com and XtReMoDs.
• Lian-Li V2000 Case on GruntVille.
• OCZ ModStream 520W PSU on Techware Labs.
• Trust Dv 3400v Power Cam Video Camera on Red & Blackness.
• Sapphire Toxic X700 Pro Video Card on Rage3D.
• Zalman CNPS7700-AlCu Cooler on InsaneTek.

• The 3D Realms Website marks the ten-year anniversary of the release of Rise of the Triad with a new RoTT goodies pack, marking the release of all of the game's content except for the registered version...
• Freeverse announces that KnightShift for the Macintosh is gold...
• Game Developer Choice Awards Nominees Revealed. Thanks Mike Martinez...

I allowed some of the behind-the-scenes drama here to throw my evening update off to the point where it became the morning update. The good news is that we got a load of data restored from our backup, it's just a bit difficult coordinating the efforts of folks working on East Coast time with Furn in the U.K., but I think things are moving forward slowly but surely towards getting things back to normal here. Hopefully more surely than slowly.

Play Time:	Guimp Pacman.
Stories of the Day:	Twin Docs Accused of Switching IDs, Abusing Women. Thanks Warren, who points out the creepy cinematic connection. Honey, Remember to Turn on the Rooster Booster... About the cleanest euphemism they could have picked. Police Say Man Signaled Turns During Chase. Thanks FiringSquad.
Science!:	Flame retardants building up within us. Thanks Ant. Black holes bend light the 'wrong' way - Refraction effect may be distorting astronomers' results.. Surprised Customer Says Penis Pills Don't Work. Surprised company can't believe a customer would come forward.
Thanks Mike Martinez and Ant.